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Journal of Integrative Agriculture  2012, Vol. 12 Issue (8): 1257-1265    DOI: 10.1016/S1671-2927(00)8654
Crop Genetics · Breeding · Germplasm Resources Advanced Online Publication | Current Issue | Archive | Adv Search |
Characterization of Tomato Transcription Factor WUSCHEL and Functional Study in Arabidopsis
 WANG Xiang, WANG Xin-guo, REN Jiang-ping, MA Ying,  YIN Jun
1.National Center for Wheat Research, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, P.R.China
2.Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, P.R.China
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摘要  The homeobox transcription factor WUSCHEL (WUS) plays a critical role in keeping the balance between the maintenance and differentiation of stem cell population in shoot and floral meristems of Arabidopsis thaliana. The corresponding gene SlWUS is yet to be characterized in tomato. In order to characterize SlWUS gene and its biological function, we cloned it from tomato and analyzed its structure. Tissue expression showed that the SlWUS highly expressed in tomato flower abscission zone. The overexpression of SlWUS in Arabidopsis could trigger undifferentiation of plant flower organ and indeterminacy of flower identity, suggesting that SlWUS maybe involved in flower structure development as well as flower organ identity. Taken together, our results indicated that the SlWUS plays an important role in flower abscission zone and plant organ shedding.

Abstract  The homeobox transcription factor WUSCHEL (WUS) plays a critical role in keeping the balance between the maintenance and differentiation of stem cell population in shoot and floral meristems of Arabidopsis thaliana. The corresponding gene SlWUS is yet to be characterized in tomato. In order to characterize SlWUS gene and its biological function, we cloned it from tomato and analyzed its structure. Tissue expression showed that the SlWUS highly expressed in tomato flower abscission zone. The overexpression of SlWUS in Arabidopsis could trigger undifferentiation of plant flower organ and indeterminacy of flower identity, suggesting that SlWUS maybe involved in flower structure development as well as flower organ identity. Taken together, our results indicated that the SlWUS plays an important role in flower abscission zone and plant organ shedding.
Keywords:  SlWUS      tomato      meristem      determination      Arabidopsis       Received  
Received: 31 May 2011   Accepted:
Fund: 

This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (30670188), the National Key Project for Researches on Transgenic Plant of China (2009ZX08002-011B) and the Education Department Project Of Henan Province, China (2010B210015).

Corresponding Authors:  Correspondence YIN Jun, Tel: +86-371-63558203, E-mail: xmzxyj@126.com, wxgyz@sohu.com     E-mail:  xmzxyj@126.com
About author:  WANG Xiang, Tel: +86-371-63558215, E-mail: wxgyz@sohu.com

Cite this article: 

WANG Xiang, WANG Xin-guo, REN Jiang-ping, MA Ying, YIN Jun. 2012. Characterization of Tomato Transcription Factor WUSCHEL and Functional Study in Arabidopsis. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 12(8): 1257-1265.

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