Int. J. Dev. Biol. 45: S49 - S50 (2001)

Vol 45, Issue S1

Mutations in the ULTRACURVATA2 gene of Arabidopsis thaliana, which encodes a FKBP-like protein, cause dwarfism, leaf epinasty and helical rotation of several organs

Published: 1 June 2001

JM Perez-PerezM, R Ponce, JL Micol

Univ Miguel Hernandez, Div Genet, Alicante 03202, Spain; Univ Miguel Hernandez, Inst Bioingn, Alicante 03202, Spain

Abstract

Contrary to wild-type Arabidopsis thaliana vegetative leaves, which are flattened organs, those of ultracurvata (ucu) mutants are spirally rolled downwards and show reduced expansion along the proximodistal axis. We have identified six ucu lines, whose genetic analysis indicates that they fall into two complementation groups, UCU1 and UCU2. Here we describe three recessive ucu2 alleles, whose homozygotes are dwarf with a compact rosette, and display some organs that are helically rotated along the apical-basal axis, a trait that is more pronounced in roots, pistils and mature siliques. Following a map-based strategy, we have identified the UCU2 gene, which was found to encode a peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase of the FKBP (FK506-binding protein) family of proteins.

Keywords

Morphogenesis, mutants