Morphogenesis in pinoid mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana

Abstract

A series of mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana was selected in which the inflorescence stem elongates but loses the ability to produce flower primordia on its flanks. Mutants fell into two classes, further occurrences of pin-formed mutants and mutations at a new locus named pinoid. As well as causing inflorescence defects, pinoid mutations result in pleiotropic defects in the development of floral organs, cotyledons and leaves. Most changes involve the number of organs produced rather than their differentiation suggesting that PINOID controls an early general step in meristem development. pinoid mutant defects are similar to those seen in pin-formed mutants for inflorescences and flowers, but d..