Influence of Switchgrass TDIF-like Genes on Arabidopsis Vascular Development

As a member of the CLAVATA3 (CLV3)/EMBRYO SURROUNDING REGION (CLE) family, dodecapeptide tracheary element differentiation inhibitory factor (TDIF) has major impact on vascular development in plants. However, influence polymorphisms TDIF peptide motif activity remains poorly understood. The model plant, Arabidopsis provides fast and effective tool for assaying homologs. Five homologs from group 93 CLE genes switchgrass ( Panicum virgatum ), perennial biomass crop, named PvTDIF-like PvTDIFL ) were studied. expression levels PvTDIFL1, PvTDIFL3 MR 3 , 2 relatively high all them expressed at highest rachis switchgrass. precursor proteins MR3 MR2 contained one, three, two TDIFL motifs, respectively. Treatments with exogenous peptides increased number stele cells hypocotyls seedlings, exception PvTDIFL_4p. Heterologous PvTDIFL1 strongly inhibited plant growth, cell division tissue hypocotyl, disrupted cellular organization hypocotyl. Although heterologous also affected growth development, was not enhanced by multiple motifs encoded . These data indicate that general, PvTDIFLs are functionally similar to but processing activities more complex.