Genome-wide characterization of AINTEGUMENTA-LIKE family in Medicago truncatula reveals the significant roles of AINTEGUMENTAs in leaf growth

Abstract

AINTEGUMENTA-LIKE (AIL) transcription factors are widely studied and play crucial roles in plant growth and development. However, the functions of the AIL family in legume species are largely unknown. In this study, 11 MtAIL genes were identified in the model legume Medicago truncatula, of which four of them are MtANTs. In situ analysis showed that MtANT1 was highly expressed in the shoot apical meristem (SAM) and leaf primordium. Characterization of mtant1 mtant2 mtant3 mtant4 quadruple mutants and MtANT1-overexpressing plants revealed that MtANTs were not only necessary but also sufficient for the regulation of leaf size, and indicated that they mainly function in the regulation of cell proliferation during secondary morphogenesis of leaves in M. truncatula. This study systematically analyzed the MtAIL family at the genome-wide level and revealed the functions of MtANTs in leaf growth. Thus, these genes may provide a potential application for promoting the biomass of legume forages.

Functions of the AP2/ERF family transcription factor AIL7 in immunity against soilborne clubroot pathogen in Arabidopsis

“…In the present study, AIL7 overexpression plants displayed enhanced plant, seed size and weight compared to wild-type plants ( Figures 3 and 4 ). It is well-known that AIL TFs are involved in plant growth and development, and several studies have implied their involvement in organ size determination in different plant species (Ding et al, 2018; Krizek, 2009; Nole-Wilson et al, 2005; Wang et al, 2022). For example, the ectopic expression of BrANT-1 in Arabidopsis caused an enhancement in organ size and affected plant height, as well as leaf, silique, and seed size, compared to wild-type plants by promoting cell proliferation (Ding et al, 2018).…”

“…This inherent immunity can manifest as either pre-existing or induced defense strategies. Pre-existing defenses are general, innate responses that include chemical compounds with antimicrobial properties and physical barriers, while induced defenses arise from the detection of specific pathogen-associated or host-derived molecular patterns (microorganism-associated molecular patterns {MAMPs}, damage-associated molecular patterns {DAMPs}), or microbial effectors, which include both apoplastic and intracellular effectors (Dodds et al, 2024; Wang et al, 2022). The detection of MAMPs, DAMPs, or microbial effectors by plant cell surface receptors, known as pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), initiates pattern-triggered immunity (PTI) (Dodds et al, 2024), which broadly counters a wide range of microbes.…”

“…These signaling pathways lead to modifications in post-translational regulation and transcriptional reprogramming through the function of microRNAs (miRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), and transcription factors (TFs) (Zhou & Zhang, 2020), which influences the expression and activity of numerous defense-related genes, including those encoding pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins (Dos Santos & Franco, 2023). While these defense responses are induced in a localized manner, they also trigger the spread of resistance throughout the plant in a process termed systemic acquired resistance (SAR) (Wang et al, 2022).…”

The Roles of the PSEUDO-RESPONSE REGULATORs in Circadian Clock and Flowering Time in Medicago truncatula

“…The PRR proteins were aligned using Clustal X2, and the GeneDoc 2.7 software was used for homology shading [66,67].…”

SCI1 expression and its transcriptional regulation in the floral meristem and flowers of Nicotiana tabacum

“…The floral meristem gives rise to the four whorls, sepals, petals, stamens, and pistil specified by the genes of the ABCDE model of floral development . ANT is characterized as a key regulator of floral organ growth and mutations in this gene result in flowers with smaller organs, while its ectopic expression leads to the development of larger flowers later in development (Krizek, 1999;Mizukami & Fischer, 2000;Wang et al, 2022).…”