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Title: The dicerlike-1 homologue, fuzzy tassel, is required for the regulatin of meristem deteminancy in the inflorescence and vegetative growth in maize

Author
item THOMNPSON, B - East Carolina University
item BASHAM, C - East Carolina University
item HAMMOND, R - Centre For Bioinformatics
item DING, Q - East Carolina University
item KAKRANA, A - Centre For Bioinformatics
item LEE, T - University Of Delaware
item SIMON, S - University Of Delaware
item MEELY, R - Dupont Pioneer Hi-Bred
item MEYERS, B - University Of Delaware
item Hake, Sarah

Submitted to: The Plant Cell
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/4/2014
Publication Date: 12/26/2014
Citation: Thomnpson, B.E., Basham, C., Hammond, R., Ding, Q., Kakrana, A., Lee, T.F., Simon, S.A., Meely, R., Meyers, B.C., Hake, S.C. 2014. The dicerlike-1 homologue, fuzzy tassel, is required for the regulatin of meristem deteminancy in the inflorescence and vegetative growth in maize. The Plant Cell. 26(12):4702-4717.

Interpretive Summary: We positionally cloned fzt and discovered that it contains a mutation in a dicer-like1 homolog, a key enzyme required for microRNA (miRNA) biogenesis. Small RNA sequencing analysis showed that most miRNAs are moderately reduced in fzt plants and a few miRNAs are dramatically reduced. Some aspects of the fzt phenotype can be explained by reduced levels of known miRNAs, including miRNAs that influence meristem determinacy, phase change, and leaf polarity. miRNAs responsible for other aspects of the fzt phenotype are unknown and likely to be those miRNAs most severely reduced in fzt mutants.

Technical Abstract: Plant architecture is determined by meristems that initiate leaves during vegetative development and flowers during reproductive development. Maize (Zea mays) inflorescences are patterned by a series of branching events, culminating in floral meristems that produce sexual organs. The maize fuzzy tassel (fzt) mutant has striking inflorescence defects with indeterminate meristems, fasciation, and alterations in sex determination. fzt plants have dramatically reduced plant height and shorter, narrower leaves with leaf polarity and phase change defects. miRNAs are small noncoding RNAs that reduce target mRNA levels and are key regulators of plant development and physiology. The fzt mutation provides a tool to link specific miRNAs and targets to discrete phenotypes and developmental roles.