APETALA2 control of barley internode elongation

Abstract

Many plants dramatically elongate their stems during flowering, yet how this response is coordinated with the reproductive phase is unclear. We demonstrate that microRNA (miRNA) control of APETALA2 (AP2) is required for rapid, complete elongation of stem internodes in barley, especially of the final 'peduncle' internode directly underneath the inflorescence. Disrupted miR172-targeting of AP2 in the Zeo1.b barley mutant caused lower mitotic activity, delayed growth dynamics and premature lignification in the peduncle leading to fewer and shorter cells. Stage and tissue-specific comparative transcriptomics between Zeo1.b and its parent cultivar showed reduced expression of proliferation-associated genes, ectopic expression of maturation-related genes and persistent, elevated expression of genes associated with jasmonate and stress responses. We further show that applying methyl JA (MeJA) phenocopied the stem elongation of Zeo1.b, while Zeo1.b itself was hypersensitive to inhibition by MeJA but less responsive to promotion by gibberellin (GA). Taken together, we propose that miR172-restriction of AP2 may modulate the JA pathway to facilitate GA-promoted stem growth during flowering.