Upregulation of a KN1 homolog by transposon insertion promotes leafy head development in lettuce

第一作者：Changchun Yu

第一单位：华中农业大学

通讯作者：Hanhui Kuang

 Abstract 

背景回顾：Leafy head is a unique type of plant architecture found in some vegetable crops, with leaves bending inward to form a compact head.

提出问题：The genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying leafy head in vegetables remain poorly understood.

主要研究：We genetically fine-mapped and cloned a major quantitative trait locus controlling heading in lettuce.

结果1-克隆基因：The candidate gene (LsKN1) is a homolog of knotted 1 (KN1) from Zea mays.

结果2-遗传互补与基因敲除：Complementation and CRISPR/Cas9 knockout experiments confirmed the role of LsKN1 in heading.

结果3-结构变异：In heading lettuce, there is a CACTA-like transposon inserted into the first exon of LsKN1 (LsKN1▽).

结果4-插入转座子作用：The transposon sequences act as a promoter rather than an enhancer and drive high expression of LsKN1▽.

结果5-必要不充分：The enhanced expression of LsKN1▽ is necessary but not sufficient for heading in lettuce.

结果6-下游基因：Data from ChIP-sequencing, electrophoretic mobility shift assays, and dual luciferase assays indicate that the LsKN1▽ protein binds the promoter of LsAS1 and down-regulates its expression to alter leaf dorsoventrality.

结论：This study provides insight into plant leaf development and will be useful for studies on heading in other vegetable crops.

 摘 要 

 通讯作者 

**匡汉晖**

doi: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2019698117

Journal: PNAS

Published date: Dec 29, 2020