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CHARACTERIZATION OF DEVELOPMENT IN MAIZE THROUGH THE USE OF MUTANTS. I. THE POLYTYPIC (Pt) AND RAMOSA‐1 (ra 1 ) MUTANTS
Author(s) -
Postlethwait S. N.,
Nelson O. E.
Publication year - 1964
Publication title -
american journal of botany
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.218
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1537-2197
pISSN - 0002-9122
DOI - 10.1002/j.1537-2197.1964.tb06626.x
Subject(s) - meristem , biology , mutant , inflorescence , gene , genetics , botany , microbiology and biotechnology
The origin of morphological differences attributable to mutant genes can be identified at certain switch points in the developmental pathway. The effect of the Polytypic (Pt) gene is a stimulus to meristems in the developing inflorescence to continuous initiation of differentiating structures. The most severe expression is a suppression of meristematic activity. The action of the gene is a superimposition of its effect on the normal developmental pathway. The ramosa ‐1 (ra 1 ) gene interrupts the normal sequence of events, at the switch point, which would normally result in spikelet formation, and there is produced instead a lateral branch. The response of numerous switch points in the developmental pathway of the maize inflorescence supports the conclusion that meristems are a plastic system genetically programmed at successive intervals.