Abstract
Plant architecture includes vital traits that influence and benefit crops, and economically important trees. Different plant architectures provide natural beauty. Weeping ornamental plants are aesthetically appealing to people. The regulatory mechanism controlling the weeping trait is poorly understood in crape myrtle. To investigate the weeping trait mechanism, transcriptional profiling of different organs in weeping and upright crape myrtle was performed based on phenotype. Phenotypic and histological analyses demonstrated that endodermal cells were absent, and that new shoot phenotypes could be rescued by the GA3 treatment of weeping plants. The transcriptional analysis and coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) of differentially expressed genes indicated that GA synthesis and signal transduction pathways play a role in weeping traits. When the expression level of a negative element of GA signaling, LfiGRAS1, was reduced by virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS), new branches grew in infected plants in a negatively geotropic manner. An integrated analysis implied that GA had a strong influence on weeping crape myrtle by interacting with other factors. This study helps to elucidate the mechanism governing the weeping trait and can improve the efficiency of breeding in Lagerstroemia.
Highlights
Plant architecture is a vital characteristic that can contribute to economically valuable properties of crops and orchards
To reveal the underlying mechanism of the weeping trait, phenotypic measurements, paraffin section observations, and exogenous GA3 treatment were performed in weeping and upright individuals
The results indicated that the weeping plants lacked endodermal cells and phloem fibers, and that GA3 treatment promoted new shoot growth in a negative geotropic orientation
Summary
Plant architecture is a vital characteristic that can contribute to economically valuable properties of crops and orchards. Among ornamental plants, varied plant architectures provide natural beauty[1]. Controlling plant architecture is considered to be a significant objective in plant breeding[2]. Considerable progress in plant architecture research has been made in the past several years. Weeping branches are one of the most conspicuous. Studying the molecular basis of the weeping trait is a central goal in breeding. Many environmental signals, including light and gravity, can influence plant architecture, but genes play an important role in plant architecture[2,3]. LAZY1 has been identified in many plants and can stimulate the upward growth of plants through gravitropic response pathways
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