microRNA-mediated repression of rolled leaf1 specifies maize leaf polarity

In both animals and plants, many developmentally important regulatory genes have complementary microRNAs (miRNAs), which suggests that these miRNAs constitute a class of developmental signalling molecules. Leaves of higher plants exhibit a varying degree of asymmetry along the adaxial/abaxial (upper...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nature 2004-03, Vol.428 (6978), p.84-88
Main Authors: Timmermans, Marja C. P, Juarez, Michelle T, Kui, Jonathan S, Thomas, Julie, Heller, Bradley A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alleles
Amino Acid Sequence
Base Sequence
Body Patterning
Corn
Down-Regulation
Gene Expression Regulation, Plant
Genes, Plant - genetics
Humanities and Social Sciences
Leaves
letter
MicroRNAs - genetics
MicroRNAs - metabolism
miRNA
Molecular Sequence Data
multidisciplinary
PHABULOSA protein
PHAVOLUTA protein
Phenotype
Plant Leaves - embryology
Plant Leaves - genetics
Plant Proteins - chemistry
Plant Proteins - genetics
Plant Proteins - metabolism
Plants
REVOLUTA protein
Ribonucleic acid
rld1 gene
RNA
RNA Interference
RNA, Plant - genetics
RNA, Plant - metabolism
Science
Science (multidisciplinary)
Zea mays
Zea mays - embryology
Zea mays - genetics
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Summary:In both animals and plants, many developmentally important regulatory genes have complementary microRNAs (miRNAs), which suggests that these miRNAs constitute a class of developmental signalling molecules. Leaves of higher plants exhibit a varying degree of asymmetry along the adaxial/abaxial (upper/lower) axis. This asymmetry is specified through the polarized expression of class III homeodomain/leucine zipper (HD-ZIPIII) genes. In Arabidopsis, three such genes, PHABULOSA (PHB), PHAVOLUTA (PHV) and REVOLUTA (REV), are expressed throughout the incipient leaf, but become adaxially localized after primordium emergence. Downregulation of the HD-ZIPIII genes allows expression of the KANADI and YABBY genes, which specify abaxial fate. PHB, PHV and REV transcripts contain a complementary site for miRNA165 and miRNA166, which can direct their cleavage in vitro. Here we show that miRNA166 constitutes a highly conserved polarizing signal whose expression pattern spatially defines the expression domain of the maize hd-zipIII family member rolled leaf1 (rld1). Moreover, the progressively expanding expression pattern of miRNA166 during leaf development and its accumulation in phloem suggests that miRNA166 may form a movable signal that emanates from a signalling centre below the incipient leaf.
ISSN:0028-0836
1476-4687
DOI:10.1038/nature02363