The SINGLE FLOWER (SFL) gene encodes a MYB transcription factor that regulates the number of flowers produced by the inflorescence of chickpea

[EN] Legumes usually have compound inflorescences, where flowers/pods develop from secondary inflorescences (I2), formed laterally at the primary inflorescence (I1). Number of flowers per I2, characteristic of each legume species, has important ecological and evolutionary relevance as it determines...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Caballo, Cristina, Ortega, Raúl, Gil, Juan, Millán, Teresa, Rubio, Josefa, Berbel Tornero, Ana|||0000-0002-6446-0693, MADUEÑO, FRANCISCO|||0000-0001-7598-3003
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2022
País:España
Institución:Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV)
Repositorio:RiuNet. Repositorio Institucional de la Universitat Politécnica de Valéncia
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:riunet.upv.es:10251/196985
Acceso en línea:https://riunet.upv.es/handle/10251/196985
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Chickpea breeding
Chickpea double-pod mutants
Inflorescence architecture
Meristem activity
R2R3-MYB genes, RAX
Genes
Seed yield
Compound inflorescence
Descripción
Sumario:[EN] Legumes usually have compound inflorescences, where flowers/pods develop from secondary inflorescences (I2), formed laterally at the primary inflorescence (I1). Number of flowers per I2, characteristic of each legume species, has important ecological and evolutionary relevance as it determines diversity in inflorescence architecture; moreover, it is also agronomically important for its potential impact on yield. Nevertheless, the genetic network controlling the number of flowers per I2 is virtually unknown. Chickpea (Cicer arietinum) typically produces one flower per I2 but single flower (sfl) mutants produce two (double-pod phenotype). We isolated the SFL gene by mapping the sfl-d mutation and identifying and characterising a second mutant allele. We analysed the effect of sfl on chickpea inflorescence ontogeny with scanning electron microscopy and studied the expression of SFL and meristem identity genes by RNA in situ hybridisation. We show that SFL corresponds to CaRAX1/2a, which codes a MYB transcription factor specifically expressed in the I2 meristem. Our findings reveal SFL as a central factor controlling chickpea inflorescence architecture, acting in the I2 meristem to regulate the length of the period for which it remains active, and therefore determining the number of floral meristems that it can produce.