AOBPreview originally published online on October 3, 2006
Annals of Botany 2006 98(5):953-963; doi:10.1093/aob/mcl187
The Origin, Initiation and Development of Axillary Shoot Meristems in Lotus japonicus
Grasslands Research Centre, AgResearch Private Bag 11008, Palmerston North, New Zealand
* For correspondence. E-mail derek.white{at}agresearch.co.nz
Received: 10 April 2006 Returned for revision: 23 June 2006 Accepted: 24 July 2006 Published electronically: 3 October 2006
Background and Aims Lotus japonicus Gifu develops multiple axillary shoots in the cotyledonary node region throughout the growth of the plant. The origin, initiation and development of these axillary meristems were investigated.
Methods Morphological, histological and mRNA in situ analyses were done to characterize the ontogeny of cotyledonary axillary shoot meristems in Lotus. Morphological characterization of a putative Lotus shoot branching mutant (super-accessory branches) sac, is presented.
Key Results By using expression of an L. japonicus STM-like gene as a marker for meristematic tissues, it was demonstrated that groups of cells maintained in the meristematic state at the cotyledonary axil region coincide with the sites where additional axillary meristems (accessory meristems) form. A Lotus shoot branching mutant, sac, is a putative Lotus branching mutant characterized by increased proliferation of accessory shoots in all leaf axils including the cotyledons.
Conclusion. In Lotus, axillary shoot meristems continually develop at the cotyledonary node region throughout the growth of the plant. These cotyledonary primary and accessory axillaries arise from the position of a meristematic zone of tissue at the cotyledonary node axil region.
Key words: Axillary meristems, accessory meristems, shoot branching, Lotus japonicus, sac