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Article

Overexpression of MADS-box Gene AGAMOUS-LIKE 12 Activates Root Development in Juglans sp. and Arabidopsis thaliana

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INRAE Val de Loire–Orléans, UMR 0588 BioForA INRAE-ONF, 2163 avenue de la pomme de pin, CS 40001 Ardon, CEDEX 02, 45075 Orléans, France
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Laboratoire de Biologie et Pathologie Végétales (EA 1157), 2 rue de la Houssinière, BP 92208, 44322 Nantes, France
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National Research Council (CNR), Institute of Research on Terrestrial Ecosystems (IRET), Via G. Marconi N. 2, 05010 Porano (TR), Italy
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Institut Jean-Pierre Bourgin, INRAE-AgroParisTech, UMR1318, Bâtiment 7, INRAE Centre de Versailles-Grignon, Route de St-Cyr, CEDEX, 78026 Versailles, France
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Université de Montpellier, UMR DIADE, 911 avenue Agropolis, CEDEX 05, 34394 Montpellier, France
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Université de Montpellier, UMR IATE (UM, INRAE, CIRAD, SupAgro), CC024, Place Eugène Bataillon, CEDEX 05, 34095 Montpellier, France
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Plants 2020, 9(4), 444; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9040444
Received: 20 January 2020 / Revised: 11 March 2020 / Accepted: 12 March 2020 / Published: 2 April 2020
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Root Development)
Until recently, the roles of plant MADS-box genes have mainly been characterized during inflorescence and flower differentiation. In order to precise the roles of AGAMOUS-LIKE 12, one of the few MADS-box genes preferentially expressed in roots, we placed its cDNA under the control of the double 35S CaMV promoter to produce transgenic walnut tree and Arabidopsis plants. In Juglans sp., transgenic somatic embryos showed significantly higher germination rates but abnormal development of their shoot apex prevented their conversion into plants. In addition, a wide range of developmental abnormalities corresponding to ectopic root-like structures affected the transgenic lines suggesting partial reorientations of the embryonic program toward root differentiation. In Arabidopsis, AtAGL12 overexpression lead to the production of faster growing plants presenting dramatically wider and shorter root phenotypes linked to increased meristematic cell numbers within the root apex. In the upper part of the roots, abnormal cell divisions patterns within the pericycle layer generated large ectopic cell masses that did not prevent plants to grow. Taken together, our results confirm in both species that AGL12 positively regulates root meristem cell division and promotes overall root vascular tissue formation. Genetic engineering of AGL12 expression levels could be useful to modulate root architecture and development. View Full-Text
Keywords: transgenic plant; root meristem; cell division; cell differentiation; transcription factor transgenic plant; root meristem; cell division; cell differentiation; transcription factor
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MDPI and ACS Style

Montiel, G.; Gaudet, M.; Laurans, F.; Rozenberg, P.; Simon, M.; Gantet, P.; Jay-Allemand, C.; Breton, C. Overexpression of MADS-box Gene AGAMOUS-LIKE 12 Activates Root Development in Juglans sp. and Arabidopsis thaliana. Plants 2020, 9, 444. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9040444

AMA Style

Montiel G, Gaudet M, Laurans F, Rozenberg P, Simon M, Gantet P, Jay-Allemand C, Breton C. Overexpression of MADS-box Gene AGAMOUS-LIKE 12 Activates Root Development in Juglans sp. and Arabidopsis thaliana. Plants. 2020; 9(4):444. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9040444

Chicago/Turabian Style

Montiel, Grégory, Muriel Gaudet, Françoise Laurans, Philippe Rozenberg, Matthieu Simon, Pascal Gantet, Christian Jay-Allemand, and Christian Breton. 2020. "Overexpression of MADS-box Gene AGAMOUS-LIKE 12 Activates Root Development in Juglans sp. and Arabidopsis thaliana" Plants 9, no. 4: 444. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9040444

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