[Final report for DOE contract FG03-88ER13882]

The female reproductive organ, the gynoecium, is the most complex structure that plants produce. The molecular mechanisms that coordinate its development are unknown, but can be dissected by molecular genetics. The ettin (ett) mutation provides a remarkable window for viewing gynoecium development. ett induced alterations result from misinterpretation of positional information along longitudinal and transverse gynoecial axes. Molecular cloning revealed the ETT encoded amino acid sequence is homologous to transcriptional factors involved in signaling by the plant hormone auxin. Early ETT gene expression marks the site of the future outgrowth of the gynoecium. The primary gene sequence and pattern of expression of ETT fits with a role in hormone mediated signaling for regional development in the female organ