Two genes quietly control how bushy plants grow
Luo Z, Janssen B, Cooney J, Jensen D, Putterill J
Plant Signaling
The difference between a leggy, sparse houseplant and a full, bushy one often comes down to hormone signals like these, so understanding them could lead to better pruning advice or new compact plant varieties for small gardens.
Plants decide how many side shoots to grow based on a mix of hormone signals, and this study found two genes in a small mustard-family plant that act like brakes on branching. When scientists disabled either gene, the plant grew fewer side branches because it ramped up production of a branch-suppressing hormone called strigolactone. The same genes also affected flowering time, but through a completely separate pathway, showing that plants have modular genetic switches for different growth decisions.
Key Findings
Mutating either SCL28 or the CKX3/CKX5 gene pair significantly reduced rosette branching in Arabidopsis compared to wild-type plants
Both mutants showed up-regulated strigolactone biosynthesis genes, linking SCL28 and CKX3/5 to branching suppression via the strigolactone signaling pathway
Both mutants also had altered flowering time, but genetic data showed this effect is independent of the strigolactone pathway, indicating separate regulatory routes for branching and flowering
chevron_right Technical Summary
Scientists found two genes that act as hidden brakes on branching in a mustard-family plant, working through the same hormone pathway that controls how bushy or tall a plant grows. Understanding these genetic switches could eventually help breeders design crops and ornamentals with more desirable shapes.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Mutation of SCARECROW-LIKE28 or CYTOKININ OXIDASE3/5 suppresses rosette branching in Arabidopsis.
Shoot branching is an important trait that influences plant architecture and crop productivity, and it is regulated by multiple plant hormones including strigolactones (SLs), auxin, and cytokinin; ...
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