Question

Will a pin1 mutant (loss-of-function) plant produce leaves? What would be the expected phenotype of a pin1 mutant plant? Briefly explain your answer

Answer 1

ANSWER -

PIN1 mutant plants do produce leaves even after having loss of function mutation.

if need to be briefly explained, one should know and understand that the PIN1(PIN-FORMED1) is responsible for the arrangement of leaves around the stem which is called as phyllotaxy with the help of auxin hormone in positive feedback mechanism.

the PIN1 mutants gives rise to naked inflorescence stalks with very limited flowers or no flowers which shows that pin1 mutants do produce leaves. but the leaves initiation timings and arrangement around the mutant pin1 is varied that of the normal one.

the timing of leaf initiation in pin1 mutants is variable and divergence angels deviate from the canonical 137degree value, and thus the leaves are not positioned at random during early developmental stages. and thus the positioning and initiation varies completely from that of normal one in the mutant pin1 plant. thus one can say, the phyllotaxy appears to be more complex in the mutant ones as compared to the wild types.

therefore, conclusion is that leaves do produce in the mutants ones but the arrangement and variation and timing are compleletly dfferent from the wild type