Abstract
Floral organs are considered to be modified leaves that have the adaxial-abaxial polarity. However, the morphologies of stamens and carpels that differentiate into reproductive organs are different from leaves. It is interesting to address how the polarity is regulated in thsese organs.
We are focusing on a flower mutant, named rod-like lemma (rol) in rice. Flowers of rol show pleiotropic phenotype probably because of defects in the adaxial-abaxial polarity. To examine the relationship between anther development and the adaxial-abaxial polarity, we investigated expression pattern of the marker genes for this polarity. The results lead a hypothesis that conversion of the adaxial-abaxial polarity may take palce during anther development and subsequent anther development may be dependent on the new polarity. Our observations of anther development in rol support this hypothesis. The results also suggest that one theca is a developmental unit that has the adaxial-abaxial polarity.
