A SHORT INTERNODES (SHI) family transcription factor gene regulates awn elongation and pistil morphology in barley.

ABSTRACT: The awn, an apical extension from the lemma of the spikelet, plays important roles in seed dispersal, burial, and photosynthesis. Barley typically has long awns, but short-awn variants exist. The short awn 2 (lks2) gene, which produces awns about 50% shorter than normal, is a natural variant that is restricted to Eastern Asia. Positional cloning revealed that Lks2 encodes a SHI-family transcription factor. Allelism tests showed that lks2 is allelic to unbranched style 4 (ubs4) and breviaristatum-d (ari-d), for which the phenotypes are very short awn and sparse stigma hairs. The gene identity was validated by 25 mutant alleles with lesions in the Lks2 gene. Of these, 17 affected either or both conserved regions: the zinc-binding RING-finger motif and the IGGH domain. Lks2 is highly expresse

SUBMITTER: Yuo T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3430995 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature