A link between cytokinin and ASL9 (Asymmetric leaves 2 like 9) that belongs to the AS2/LOB (Lateral organ boundaries) family genes in Arabidopsis thaliana

In Arabidopsis thaliana, each member of a large family of AS2/LOB (ASYMMETRIC LEAVES 2/LATERAL ORGAN BOUNDARIES) genes encodes a plant specific protein. They are highly homologous to one other. A mutational lesion in the representative AS2 gene results in the development of anomalous asymmetric leaves, implying that these family members commonly play some roles in plant development. In this study, we found that ectopic overexpression of ASL9 (ASYMMETRIC LEAVES 2 LIKE 9) in transgenic plants displayed a markedly anomalous architecture during the development of adult plants. Then we found that among AS2/LOB family members, ASL9 is distinct from the others in that it is exclusively regulated by the plant hormone cytokinin in a manner dependent on His-Asp phosphorelay signal transduction. We further found that when supplied externally in a medium, cytokinin specifically affected the growth properties of ASL9-ox seedlings. Taken together, the results of this study suggest that the cytokinin-induced ASL9 gene is implicated in regulation of the development of Arabidopsis thaliana.