High impact information on CLF

• Analysis in yeast further indicates a potential for the CLF and SWN proteins to interact with the other VEFS domain proteins VRN2 and FIS2 [1].
• Consistent with this, we demonstrate that EMF2 and CLF interact genetically and that this reflects interaction of their protein products through two conserved motifs, the VEFS domain and the C5 domain [1].
• We have identified a weak emf2 allele that reveals a novel phenotype with striking similarity to that of severe mutations in another Pc-G gene, CURLY LEAF (CLF), suggesting that the two genes may act in a common pathway [1].
• CURLY LEAF (CLF) represses the expression of a floral homeotic gene in vegetative tissues but does not appear to have a role in plant embryogenesis [6] [2].
• CLF is over expressed in ago1, showing that the RNAi pathway regulates polycomb-type epigenetic modifiers [3].

Biological context of CLF

• We propose that, as flowers evolved, a new major class of genes, including CLF and ICU2, may have been recruited to prevent the expression of floral homeotic genes in the leaves [4].
• A decrease both in the extent of cell elongation and in the number of cells was evident in the clf mutant leaves, suggesting that the CLF gene might be involved in the division and elongation of cells during leaf morphogenesis [5].
• Thus, the CLF gene appears to affect cell division at an earlier stage and cell elongation throughout the development of leaf primordia [5].
• The Icu phenotype was inherited as a single recessive trait in 10 mutants, with semidominance in 2 mutants and with complete dominance in the remaining 1 [4].
• Moreover, the transcriptional activation activity of PIF1 is reduced in a phy-dependent manner [6].

Associations of CLF with chemical compounds

• Further, de novo protein synthesis is not required for degradation of PIF1, as the presence of cycloheximide does not prevent degradation of PIF1 in the light [6].

Physical interactions of CLF

• Yeast two-hybrid and pull-down assays demonstrate that FIE interacts with CLF [7].

Regulatory relationships of CLF

• We have shown that icu1 mutations are alleles of the Polycomb group gene CURLY LEAF (CLF) and that the leaf phenotype of the icu2 mutant is suppressed in an agamous background, as is known for clf mutants [4].

Other interactions of CLF

• Although most double-mutant combinations displayed additivity of the Icu phenotypes, those of icu1 icu2 and icu3 icu4 double mutants were interpreted as synergistic, which suggests that the five genes studied represent three independent genetic operations that are at work for the leaf to acquire its final form at full expansion [4].
• Heynh. is required for stable repression of a floral homeotic gene, AGAMOUS in leaves and stems To clarify the function of CLF in organ development, we characterized clf mutants using an anatomical and genetic approach [5].

Analytical, diagnostic and therapeutic context of CLF

• In addition, we have tested by means of multiplex RT-PCR the transcription of several floral genes in Icu leaves [4].

References