Abstract Detail

Evolutionary Developmental Biology (Evo-Devo)

MIN, YA [1], Kramer, Elena [2].

The Aquilegia JAGGED homolog promotes proliferation of adaxial cell types in both leaves and stems.

In order to explore the functional conservation of JAGGED, a key gene involved in the sculpting of lateral organs in several model species, we identified its ortholog AqJAG in the lower eudicot species Aquilegia coerulea.We analyzed the expression patterns of AqJAG in various tissues and developmental stages, and used RNAi-based methods to generate knockdown phenotypes of AqJAG.AqJAG was strongly expressed in shoot apices, floral meristems, lateral root primordia and all lateral organ primordia. Silencing of AqJAG revealed a wide range of defects in the developing stems, leaves and flowers; strongest phenotypes include severe reduction of leaflet laminae due to a decrease in cell size and number, change of adaxial cell identity, outgrowth of laminar-like tissue on the inflorescence stem, and early arrest of floral meristems and floral organ primordia.Our results indicate that AqJAG plays a critical role in controlling primordia initiation and distal growth of floral organs, and laminar development of leaflets. Most strikingly, we demonstrated that AqJAG disproportionally controls the behavior of cells with adaxial identity in vegetative tissues, providing evidence of how cell proliferation is controlled in an identity-specific manner.

1 - Harvard University, Department of organismic and evolutionary biology, 16 Divinity Ave., Biolabs R1119, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
2 - Harvard University, 16 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA

Keywords:
Aquilegia 
cell proliferation 
flower morphogenesis 
JAGGED 
leaf morphology
polarity 
primordium initiation .

Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 34, Evo-Devo
Location: Sundance 2/Omni Hotel
Date: Wednesday, June 28th, 2017
Time: 8:15 AM
Number: 34002
Abstract ID:133
Candidate for Awards:Katherine Esau Award