Although the similarity of the entire protein sequences is not ve

Although the similarity of the entire protein sequences is not very high among different plant species, these CKX proteins have FAD- and CK-binding domains, located at the N and C termini, respectively [31]. These conserved motifs are thought to be related by CKX enzymatic activity  [33]. In order to understand their biological functions in plant

growth and development, CKX genes have been studied extensively. In developing maize kernels, CKX activity is much higher after pollination, and correlated with the increased CK levels [34]. Transgenic CKX tobacco plants displayed stunted shoots and enlarged root meristems with more branched roots compared to the wild-type [5]. In Arabidopsis, ckx3/ckx5 double mutants have higher endogenous CK levels, and the mutants have larger flowers, more siliques, more http://www.selleckchem.com/products/abt-199.html flower primordia, and more seeds; the total seed yield of these mutants was increased by 55%, compared to the wild-type [35]. Furthermore, different Arabidopsis CKX genes showed different expression patterns, which suggests that differential expression of CKX gene family members may play an important role in the control of CK levels [20]. In barley, reduction in HvCKX1 gene expression led to higher plant

productivity and a greater root mass [36]. Most importantly, Ashikari et al. characterized a rice yield quantitative trait locus (QTL), Gn1a or OsCKX2, encoding a CKX protein. Further PF-562271 mouse analysis of Gn1a showed that natural genetic variants of OsCKX2 conferred increased grain numbers per panicle. Reduced MTMR9 expression of OsCKX2 increased the number of flowers, resulting in enhanced grain yield [23]. Genome-wide analyses of the CKX gene family have been conducted following the release of full genome sequences in many plants, There are at least 13 CKX family members

in maize [37], 11 in rice [23], 7 in Arabidopsis [38], 12 in Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa ssp. pekinensis) [39], 5 in potato [40], 13 in Brachypodium distachyon [41], 12 in Sorghum bicolor [41], and at least 4 in Hordeum vulgare [41]. Genome duplication events [37] and [39], phylogenetic and comparative genomic analysis [41], enzymatic properties  [40], and biochemical characterization [38] and [40] have been studied in this gene family. Foxtail millet (Setaria italica) was an important foodstuff in China in the past and continues to be grown in semi-arid areas [42]. The release of foxtail millet genome information [42] and [43] made it possible to identify all the CKX family members in this species. Mameaux et al. previously performed a genome-wide search for the members of this family in foxtail millet [41], but their results lacked a detailed bioinformatic analysis. In this paper, we also conducted a genome-wide search and identified 11 CKX genes.

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