Figure 3.

Effect of tab1-1 Mutation on the Axillary Buds.

(A) to (C) Basal region of the culm of 3-week-old plants after the removal of leaves. Arrowheads indicate the axillary buds in the wild type (A) and abnormal buds in tab1-1 ([B] and [C]). Complete absence of an axillary bud (type I) and putative type II axillary buds are indicated by the dashed and solid lines, respectively.

(D) to (F) Scanning electron microscopy images of the region where the axillary bud is formed. Arrowheads indicate a normal prophyll in the wild type (D) and a highly reduced prophyll in tab1-1 (E). No prophyll-like structure is observed in (F).

(G) and (H) Cross sections of the axillary bud in the wild type (G) and a type II axillary bud in tab1-1 (H).

(I) to (L) Longitudinal sections of the axillary bud in the wild type ([I] and [J]) and an abnormal bud in tab1-1 ([K] and [L]). Note that the images in (I), (K), and (L) are shown at the same magnification.

(M) and (N) Schematic representations of tiller bud production in each leaf axil of the wild type and tab1-1 in 2-week-old seedlings (M) and 4-week-old seedlings (N). Each column stands for a single plant, and each row stands for a leaf axil in order from bottom to top. Green, normal axillary bud; dark green, elongated axillary bud after release from dormancy; yellow, absence of axillary bud (type I); gray, putative type II axillary bud; brown, type III axillary bud showing an abnormally elongated prophyll.

am, axillary meristem; lvb, large vascular bundle. Bars in (A) to (C) = 1 mm; bars in (G) to (L) = 200 μm; bars in (D) to (F) = 500 μm.