RESUMEN

A predominantly plant-based family of genes encoding RNA binding proteins is defined by the presence of a highly conserved RNA binding motif first described in the mei2 gene of the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. In silico analyses reveal nine mei2 -like genes in Arabidopsis thaliana and six in Oryza sativa. These predicted genes group into four distinct clades, based on overall sequence similarity and subfamily-specific sequence elements. In situ analysis show that Arabidopsis genes from one of these clades, TEL1 and TEL2, are specifically expressed in central zone of the shoot apical meristem and the quiescent center of the root apical meristem, suggesting that they may somehow function to maintain indeterminacy in these tissues. By contrast, members of two sister clades, AML1 through AML5, are expressed more broadly, a trend that was confirmed by Q-PCR analysis. mei2 -like transcripts with similar sequences showed similar expression patterns, suggesting functional redundancy within the four clades. Phenotypic analyses of lines that contain T-DNA insertions to individual mei2 -like genes reveal no obvious phenotypes, further suggesting redundant activities for these gene products.

Asunto(s)

Proteínas de Plantas/genética , Plantas/genética , Proteínas de Unión al ARN/genética , Empalme Alternativo , Secuencias de Aminoácidos/genética , Secuencia de Aminoácidos , Arabidopsis/embriología , Arabidopsis/genética , Arabidopsis/crecimiento & desarrollo , Secuencia Conservada/genética , ADN Complementario/química , ADN Complementario/genética , ADN de Plantas/química , ADN de Plantas/genética , Duplicación de Gen , Regulación del Desarrollo de la Expresión Génica , Regulación de la Expresión Génica de las Plantas , Genes de Plantas/genética , Variación Genética , Hibridación in Situ , Datos de Secuencia Molecular , Oryza/genética , Filogenia , Alineación de Secuencia , Análisis de Secuencia de ADN , Eliminación de Secuencia , Homología de Secuencia de Aminoácido