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Seminar: Ceres Hahnni: How Is the Shoot Apical Meristem Organized and Maintained in Zea mays?
June 25 | 11:00 am - 12:00 pm
How Is the Shoot Apical Meristem Organized and Maintained in Zea mays?
Ceres Hahnni, MHS Presentation
Tuesday, June 25, 2024, 11:00 am
(Under the direction of Dr. Wusheng Liu and Dr. Craig Yencho, Co-Chairs)
Location: 121 Kilgore / Hybrid
Join Zoom Meeting
https://ncsu.zoom.us/j/92489930745?pwd=zsYxKkCVn5Ylcxn0NW9cNQO0JjYfxB.1
Meeting ID: 924 8993 0745
Passcode: 847294
Abstract:
The shoot apical meristem (SAM) is crucial for the development of all above-ground tissues in higher plants, making it essential for studying and manipulating plant morphology. However, due to its enclosure within leaf tissues, the study of the SAM morphology in monocots is limited. Using Zea mays, also known as maize or corn, as a model, we developed a fast and effective histology method associated with 5-ethynyl-2’-deoxyuridine (EdU) and propidium iodide (PI) co-staining for microanatomy of maize embryotic SAM. This approach revealed a similar organizing model to that found in eudicots. Attempts to use expressive fluorescence labeling to mark the same SAM region were unsuccessful due to maize’s gene expression characteristics. Notably, substantial evidence highlighted the role of homeobox genes in SAM morphology maintenance. Our investigation in transcriptome level identified Homeobox 46 (HB46) as highly expressed in maize SAM. Surprisingly, hb46 knockouts did not display typical SAM or plant morphology changes seen in other homeobox knockouts. Instead, a decline in germination rate was observed, suggesting a potential role for HB46 in germination that warrants further research.
The shoot apical meristem (SAM) is crucial for the development of all above-ground tissues in higher plants, making it essential for studying and manipulating plant morphology. However, due to its enclosure within leaf tissues, the study of the SAM morphology in monocots is limited. Using Zea mays, also known as maize or corn, as a model, we developed a fast and effective histology method associated with 5-ethynyl-2’-deoxyuridine (EdU) and propidium iodide (PI) co-staining for microanatomy of maize embryotic SAM. This approach revealed a similar organizing model to that found in eudicots. Attempts to use expressive fluorescence labeling to mark the same SAM region were unsuccessful due to maize’s gene expression characteristics. Notably, substantial evidence highlighted the role of homeobox genes in SAM morphology maintenance. Our investigation in transcriptome level identified Homeobox 46 (HB46) as highly expressed in maize SAM. Surprisingly, hb46 knockouts did not display typical SAM or plant morphology changes seen in other homeobox knockouts. Instead, a decline in germination rate was observed, suggesting a potential role for HB46 in germination that warrants further research.