Genes directly regulated by LEAFY COTYLEDON2 provide insight into the control of embryo maturation and somatic embryogenesis.

ABSTRACT: The B3 domain protein LEAFY COTYLEDON2 (LEC2) is required for several aspects of embryogenesis, including the maturation phase, and is sufficient to induce somatic embryo development in vegetative cells. Here, we demonstrate that LEC2 directly controls a transcriptional program involved in the maturation phase of seed development. Induction of LEC2 activity in seedlings causes rapid accumulation of RNAs normally present primarily during the maturation phase. Several RNAs encode proteins with known roles in maturation processes, including seed-storage and lipid-body proteins. Clustering analyses identified other LEC2-induced RNAs not previously shown to be involved in the maturation phase. We show further that genes encoding these maturation RNAs all possess in their 5' flanking regions RY

SUBMITTER: Braybrook SA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1413938 | biostudies-literature | 2006 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature