Fig. 1.

Hd3a protein localization in the rice shoot apex during the transition from vegetative to reproductive stage. GFP fluorescence (A–D, I–L, and P) and bright-field images (E–H and M–O) of SAMs in pHd3a:Hd3a-GFP transgenic plants are shown. Development of the mature vegetative meristem (at 20–27 DAG) and different stages (R1–R4) of the inflorescence meristem (observed at 30–38 DAG and assigned to each stage by morphological characteristics) and FM (observed at >40–45 DAG) were analyzed. (A, B, E, and F) V, vegetative-stage plants at 27 DAG. At this time the plants display a meristem before the transition to reproductive development. Vas, stem vasculature. (C and G) R1, initial stage of floral transition with first bract formation. im, inflorescence meristem. (D, H, L, and P; L is an enlarged image of the area indicated by the red square in P) R2, early stage of primary branch meristem initiation. br, bract; pbm, primary branch meristem. (I and M) R3, late stage of primary panicle branch initiation. (J and N) R4, final stage of primary branch formation and initiation of secondary branch meristem (sbm). (K and O) Fl., floral organ development after R4. e.g., empty glume; fm, floret meristem; le, lemma; sl, sterile lemma. The red staining in the images indicates autofluorescence. (Scale bars, 50 µm.)