Figure 3.

erg28 Plants Exhibit PAT Inhibition Phenotypes.

Phenotypes resulting from the RNAi knockdown (erg28R1-1 to erg28R1-6) and knockout (erg28T1-1 to erg28T1-6) of ERG28 were categorized into six phenotypic classes according to their vegetative development and compared with wild-type (WT) and complemented (Com1) plants. Bars = 0.5 cm.

(A) and (B) Class 1 erg28R1-1 (A) and erg28T1-1 (B) compacted plants with epinastic leaves and almost rootless. 45-day-old plants.

(C) to (E) Class 2 erg28R1-2 (C) and erg28T1-2 (D) plants have reduced axillary inflorescence, short roots, epinastic leaves, and pendulous stature (E). Thirty-five-day-old ([C] and [D]) and 90-d-old (E) plants.

(F) to (I) Class 3 erg28R1-3 (F) and erg28T1-3 (G) plants develop shorter shoots and roots and have reduced apical dominance ([H] and [I]). Thirty-five-day-old ([F] and [G]) and 90-d-old ([H] and [I]) plants.

(J) to (L) Class 4 erg28R1-4 (J) and erg28T1-4 (K) plants show elongated and asymmetric overgrowth of leaf blades, altered root growth, and reduced apical dominance (L). Forty-day-old ([J] and [K]) and 90-d-old (L) plants.

(M) to (O) Class 5 erg28R1-5 (M) and erg28T1-5 (N) plants display asymmetric leaf blades and leaf fusions (arrowhead). Adult plants show nonerect upright growth (O). Forty-day-old ([M] and [N]) and 90-d-old (O) plants.

(P) and (Q) Class 6 erg28R1-6 (P) and erg28T1-6 (Q) plants show irregular leaf margins and perturbed apical meristems leading to pin-like shoot (arrowhead and close-up view below) and inhibition of root elongation. Fifty-day-old plants.

(R) to (U) Wild-type ([R] and [T]) and erg28T-DNA knockout plants complemented (Com1) with Arabidopsis ERG28 cDNA ([S] and [U]). Twenty-day-old ([R] and [S]) and 50-d-old ([T] and [U]) plants.