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Abstract Detail


Vegetative Development

Harris, Jeanne M. [1], Liang, Yan [2].

Abscisic Acid rescues the root meristem defect of M. truncatula latd mutants.

Postembryonic plant growth is controlled by meristems, which contain populations of stem cells that continue to divide and fail to differentiate. These cells give rise to daughter cells, which differentiate into the different cell types that comprise the mature organ. The latd mutant of Medicago truncatula is defective in the function of three root meristems: that of the primary root, lateral roots and symbiotic root nodules. In latd mutants, these organs arrest growth, differentiated cells are found close to the tip of the primary root, and a root cap is not evident. Surprisingly, we found that the root meristem defects of latd plants can be rescued with Abscisic acid (ABA). Plants grown in the presence of 10 μM ABA form primary and lateral root meristems with normal organization and morphology adjacent to an obvious root cap. This rescued meristem not only appears wild-type, it is functional, as evidenced by our observation that latd roots grown in the presence of ABA continue to grow past the time of arrest and differentiated cells (xylem and root hairs) are no longer found in proximity to the root tip. latd mutants synthesize normal amounts of ABA, but have reduced sensitivity to ABA for other processes. Together, our findings indicate a direct role for ABA in meristem function for the first time, and point to a function for the LATD gene downstream of ABA to regulate root meristem activity.


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1 - University of Vermont, Plant Biology, Marsh Life Science Building, Burlington, VT, 05405-0086, USA
2 - Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology

Keywords:
root apical meristem
nodule
Medicago truncatula
Abscisic Acid
legume
lateral root.

Presentation Type: ASPB Minisymposium
Session: M02
Location: Continental B/Hilton
Date: Sunday, July 8th, 2007
Time: 2:25 PM
Number: M02002
Abstract ID:613


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