Abstract:
According to our previous genome-wide association analysis (GWAS) and prediction of gene expression, we identified
AtMES1 as a potential gene that may participate in regulating seed number per silique (SNS). We identified the loss-of-function mutants of
AtMES1 and analyzed their phenotypes.
AtMES1 had significantly reduced SNS and seed density compared with the wild-type control. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that multiple important genes involved in hormone-related ovule initiation and development were down-regulated, suggesting that
AtMES1 positively regulated SNS by modulating hormone signals. The ectopic expression of
AtMES1 by placenta-specific promoter STK led to shorter siliques but significantly increased seed density, further demonstrating that
AtMES1 positively regulated ovule initiation and seed density. In conclusion, our study suggests that
AtMES1 is a new positive regulator of
Arabidopsis ovule initiation and SNS.