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 Institute of Botany, CAS


Botanical Society of China

Journal of Integrative Plant Biology      Research Article

SQUAMOSA Promoter-Binding Protein-Like Transcription Factors: Star Players for Plant Growth and Development

Xiaobo Chen, Zenglin Zhang, Danmei Liu, Kai Zhang, Aili Li and Long Mao
National Key Facility for Crop Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement (NFCRI), Key Laboratory of Crop Germplasm & Biotechnology, Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing 100081, China
These authors contributed equally to this work.

Author for correspondence
Tel (Fax): +86 10 8210 5861; E-mail: <maolong@caas.net.cn. maolong@caas.net.cn>

Online on 26 July 2010 at www.jipb.net and www.interscience.wiley.com/journal/jipb
doi: 10.1111/j.17447909.2010.00987.x

Abstract

SQUAMOSA Promoter-Binding Protein-Like (SPL) genes encode plant-specific transcription factors that play important roles in plant phase transition, flower and fruit development, plant architecture, GA signaling, sporogenesis, and response to copper and fungal toxins. In Arabidopsis, many SPL genes are post transcriptionally regulated by the microRNA (miRNA) miR156, among which AtSPL9 in turn positively regulates the expression of the second miRNA miR172. This miR156-AtSPL9-miR172 regulatory pathway plays critical roles during juvenile to adult leaf development and the miR156-SPLs feedback interaction persists all through the plant development which may be conserved in other plants. In this paper, we provide a concise review on the most recent progress in the regulatory mechanisms associated with plant SPL transcription factors, especially in relation to miRNAs. The potential application of these discoveries in agriculture is briefly discussed.




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Received 28 June 2010   Accepted 30 June 2010
© 2009 Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences

 

 

  
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