Host: The Japanese Society of Plant Physiologists
Pages 0174
Postembryonic development in plants depends on the activity of the shoot (SAM) and root (RAM) apical meristems. It is well known that the size of SAM is regulated by CLAVATA (CLV) signaling pathway in Arabidopsis, in which CLAVATA3 (CLV3) acts as a signaling molecule to negatively restrict the stem cell population in both the vegetative and reproductive SAM. Here we show that two proteins related to CLV3, FLORAL ORGAN NUMBER2 (FON2) and FON2-LIKE CLE PROTEIN1 (FCP1), have functionally diversified in rice: FCP1 is critical for the regulation of SAM and RAM in the vegetative phase, whereas FON2 is responsible for regulating the aerial meristems in the reproductive phase. FON1, a putative receptor of FON2, may not necessarily be required for FCP1 action. In addition, we identify the critical amino acid that differentiates the action of FCP1 and FON2.
