TaEPFL1, an EPIDERMAL PATTERNING FACTOR-LIKE (EPFL) secreted peptide gene, is required for stamen development in wheat

Members of the EPIDERMAL PATTERNING FACTOR-LIKE (EPFL) family play diverse roles in plant growth and development, including the guidance of inflorescence architecture and pedicel length. In this work, we identified and characterized the EFPL gene TaEPFL1 from the wheat pistillody mutant HTS-1. Sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis indicated that TaEPFL1 belongs to the EPFL1 gene. Quantitative real-time RT-PCR analysis showed that the TaEPFL1 gene is expressed at an abnormally high level in pistillody stamens compared with that in pistils and stamens. Heterologous expression of the TaEPFL1 gene in Arabidopsis caused shortened filaments and pedicels and might reduce the level of AtACO2 gene expression. These results suggest that TaEPFL1 plays an important role in the development of stamen and that overexpression of TaEPFL1 results in abnormal stamens. We deduced that the overexpression of the TaEPFL1 gene may contribute to the homeotic transformation of stamens into pistils or pistil-like structures in wheat. These data offer insights into the molecular mechanism of pistillody mutation in wheat.