Molecular characterization of two soybean homologs of Arabidopsis thaliana CLAVATA1 from the wild type and fasciation mutant.

Arabidopsis thaliana CLAVATA1 (CLV1)-like genes were isolated from the wild type and fasciation mutant of soybean (Glycine max). Two soybean homologs of CLV1, designated GmCLV1A and GmCLV1B, are similar in sequence. No missense mutations in GmCLV1A and GmCLV1B between the wild type and mutant were found. GmCLV1 was mapped at 7. 1 cM from a restriction fragment length polymorphism marker on the linkage group H of the soybean molecular map. DNA fingerprinting using bacterial artificial chromosome clones identified two contigs indicating there are two loci for GmCLV1 in the soybean genome. One locus contains GmCLV1A and the other locus contains GmCLV1A and GmCLV1B. Relative multiplex quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction analysis indicates that the two genes are transcribed in all organs and at higher levels in floral apices. Differential expression patterns of the two genes suggest that the function of the two genes is slightly different in different organs.