Investigating Partners of OsMADS1 Transcription Factor and functions for some associated factors for roles in rice inflorescence and floral development

Abstract

Title: Investigating Partners of OsMADS1 Transcription Factor and functions for some associated factors for roles in rice inflorescence and floral development The classic ABCDE model for floral organ identity show that the combinatorial action of MADS domain transcription factors directs floral organ identity and their normal development. While floral MADS-box transcription factors are in general conserved among diverse flowering plants, several studies suggest emergence of distinct functions for some of these conserved factors. Rice E- or SEP-class genes, when compared to Arabidopsis SEP-class, are only partly conserved with rice homologous genes which show some distinct functional diversifications. Rice genes of this class form two clades: LOFSEP- (OsMADS1, OsMADS34, OsMADS5) and SEP3 (OsMADS7, OsMADS8) clades. Unlike Arabidopsis SEP-class genes that are redundant, just loss of function of OsMADS1 alone leads to severe defects in the development of all floral organs. Extensive molecular genetic studies, including from our laboratory, showed OsMADS1 is a master transcription regulator for floral meristem determinacy, floral organ specification and identity. The gene regulatory network controlled by OsMADS1 including other transcription factor targets, and phytohormone auxin and cytokinin pathways. Here we probed for the interacting partners of OsMADS1 to get a better understanding of its function in higher protein complexes during the broad program of floral development. In addition, we took up functional genomic studies of OsMADS1 associated factors for studies on roles for downstream factors controlling rice inflorescence and floral development. Part I: Investigating interacting partners of OsMADS1 transcription factor While interactions between MADS transcription factors are well described, interactions with other classes of factors that can influence its regulatory functions in higher protein complexes are not studied yet. We adopted two methods to identify OsMADS1 interacting factors. First, we predicted...