Abstract
LEAFY (LFY) encodes a plant-specific transcription factor that plays a key role in the formation of flowers in angiosperms. LFY orthologs have been found also in gymnosperms, ferns, fern allies, mosses, and liverworts. In Arabidopsis thaliana, transcriptional networks downstream and upstream of LFY are well studied. However, function of the LFY orthologs from non-flowering plants have been scarcely understood.
We isolated the LFY ortholog, MpLFY, from Marchantia polymorpha, a representative of the most basal land plant lineages. Quantitative real-time RT-PCR analysis and in situ hybridization analysis were performed to examine expression levels of MpLFY in various tissues throughout the life cycle. Transgenic M. polymorpha overexpressing MpLFY by the promoter of elongation factor was produced and the phenotypes were analyzed in the both gametophyte and sporophyte stages. These studies on the functions of MpLFY should provide important information to understand the origin, ancestral functions, and evolution of LFY.
