shoot-architecture
Shoot architecture refers to the overall structural organization of a plant's above-ground body, including the arrangement, branching patterns, and orientation of stems, leaves, and lateral organs. Understanding shoot architecture is fundamental to plant science because it governs how plants capture light, allocate resources, and respond to environmental cues. Research in this area reveals the genetic and hormonal mechanisms that shape plant form, with direct implications for crop improvement and our understanding of plant development.
open_in_new WikipediaPubMed · 2026-04-29
Scientists identified a gene called NtMBD1 in tobacco that controls how many side branches a plant grows. When this gene is broken, plants sprout excessive branches from the base — and the same effect was confirmed using CRISPR gene editing, pointing to a promising target for breeding more productive, compact crops.
A single nonsense mutation disabling NtMBD1 (a P450 enzyme gene) causes excessive basal branching and altered plant architecture in tobacco.
CRISPR-based knockout of NtMBD1 in both tobacco and Nicotiana benthamiana reproduced the branching defect, and complementation of an Arabidopsis branching mutant (max1) confirmed conserved function across plant families.
Phylogenetic analysis showed NtMBD1 in cultivated tobacco was inherited from its ancestor N. sylvestris, while the equivalent gene from the other parent species (N. tomentosiformis) appears to have been lost during evolution.
