Genetic and Molecular Control of Floral Organ Identity in Cereals

• Published in: International journal of molecular sciences Vol. 20; no. 11; p. 2743
• Main Authors: Ali, Zulfiqar, Raza, Qasim, Atif, Rana Muhammad, Aslam, Usman, Ajmal, Muhammad, Chung, Gyuhwa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 04-06-2019; MDPI
• Subjects: ABCDE model; Barley; Biodiversity; Biological evolution; Cereals; Cloning; Combinatorial analysis; Corn; Crop yield; Developmental biology; E protein; Edible Grain - classification; Edible Grain - physiology; Evolution, Molecular; evolutionary relationships; floral speciation; flower organ identity; Flowers & plants; Flowers - physiology; Food security; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Genes; Genes, Plant; Genetics; Genomes; Genomics; Grasses; MADS-box genes; Morphology; Organogenesis; Organs; Phylogeny; Plant Development - genetics; Review; Rice; Sorghum; Wheat; Pakistan; MADS-box genes; ABCDE model; flower organ identity; cereals; evolutionary relationships; floral speciation
• ISSN: 1422-0067; 1661-6596; 1422-0067
• DOI: 10.3390/ijms20112743

Grasses represent a major family of monocots comprising mostly cereals. When compared to their eudicot counterparts, cereals show a remarkable morphological diversity. Understanding the molecular basis of floral organ identity and inflorescence development is crucial to gain insight into the grain development for yield improvement purposes in cereals, however, the exact genetic mechanism of floral organogenesis remains elusive due to their complex inflorescence architecture. Extensive molecular analyses of Arabidopsis and other plant genera and species have established the ABCDE floral organ identity model. According to this model, hierarchical combinatorial activities of A, B, C, D, and E classes of homeotic genes regulate the identity of different floral organs with partial conservation and partial diversification between eudicots and cereals. Here, we review the developmental role of A, B, C, D, and E gene classes and explore the recent advances in understanding the floral development and subsequent organ specification in major cereals with reference to model plants. Furthermore, we discuss the evolutionary relationships among known floral organ identity genes. This comparative overview of floral developmental genes and associated regulatory factors, within and between species, will provide a thorough understanding of underlying complex genetic and molecular control of flower development and floral organ identity, which can be helpful to devise innovative strategies for grain yield improvement in cereals.