Global identification of target genes regulated by APETALA3 and PISTILLATA floral homeotic gene action

Identifying the genes regulated by the floral homeotic genes APETALA3 (AP3) and PISTILLATA (PI) is crucial for understanding the molecular mechanisms that lead to petal and stamen formation. We have used microarray analysis to conduct a broad survey of genes whose expression is affected by AP3 and PI activity. DNA microarrays consisting of 9216 Arabidopsis ESTs were screened with probes corresponding to mRNAs from different mutant and transgenic lines that misexpress AP3 and/or PI. The microarray results were further confirmed by RNA gel blot analyses. Our results suggest that AP3 and PI regulate a relatively small number of genes, implying that many genes used in petal and stamen development are not tissue specific and likely have roles in other processes as well. We recovered genes similar to previously identified petal- and stamen-expressed genes as well as genes that were not implicated previously in petal and stamen development. A very low percentage of the genes recovered encoded transcription factors. This finding suggests that AP3 and PI act relatively directly to regulate the genes required for the basic cellular processes responsible for petal and stamen morphogenesis.