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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Albany, California » Plant Gene Expression Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #120753
Title: KNOTS IN THE FAMILY TREE: EVOLUTIONARY RELATIONSHIPS AND FUNCTIONS OF KNOX HOMEOBOX GENES

Author
item Hake, Sarah
item REISER, L - PGEC, ALBANY, CA
item SANCHEZ-BARACALDO, P - PGEC, ALBANY, CA

Submitted to: Plant Molecular Biology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/4/1999
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: Hake, S.C., Reiser, L., Sanchez-Baracaldo, P. 2000. Knots in the family tree: evolutionary relationships and functions of knox homeobox genes. Plant Molecular Biology 42(1):151-166.

Interpretive Summary: Knotted-like homeobox (knox) genes constitute a gene family in plants. Preliminary data from the analysis of class I knox gene expression illustrates the evolution of complex patterns of knox expression is likely to have occurred through loss and gain of domains of gene expression.

Technical Abstract: Knotted-like homeobox (knox) genes constitute a gene family in plants. Class I knox genes are expressed in shoot apical meristems, and (with notable exceptions)not in lateral organ primordia. Class II genes have more diverse expression patterns. Loss and gain of function mutations indicate that knox genes are important regulators of meristem function. Gene duplication has contributed to the evolution of families of homeodomain proteins in metazoans. We believe that similar mechanisms have contributed to the diversity of knox gene function in plants. Knox genes may have contributed to the evolution of compound leaves in tomato and could be involved in the evolution of morphological traits in other species. Alterations in cis-regulatory regions in some knox genes correlate with novel patterns of gene expression and distinctive morphologies. Preliminary data from the analysis of class I knox gene expression illustrates the evolution of complex patterns of knox expression is likely to have occurre through loss and gain of domains of gene expression.