A maize glutaredoxin gene, Abphyl2, regulates shoot meristem size and phyllotaxy

Phyllotaxy describes the geometric arrangement of leaves and is important for plant productivity. Auxin is well known to regulate phyllotactic patterns via PIN1-dependent auxin polar transport, and studies of Zea mays (maize) aberrant phyllotaxy 1 (abph1) mutants suggest the importance of auxin and cytokinin signaling for control of phyllotaxy. However, whether additional regulators control these patterns is poorly understood. Here, we report a new dominant maize mutant, Aberrant phyllotaxy 2 (Abph2), in which the shoot meristems are enlarged and the phyllotactic pattern switches from alternate to decussate. Map-based cloning revealed that the Abph2 mutation was caused by transposition of a glutaredoxin gene, MALE STERILE CONVERTED ANTHER1 (MSCA1), which gained an altered expression pattern in Abph2 mutant embryos. msca1 loss-of-function mutants have reduced meristem size and revealed a novel function of glutaredoxins in meristem growth. In addition, MSCA1 interacts with a TGA transcription factor, FASCIATED EAR 4 (FEA4), suggesting a novel regulatory module for regulating shoot meristem size.