Use of mutants in understanding seeding development.

Use of mutants in understanding seeding development.

Using Arabidiopsis flower development, we can understand how a group of undifferentiated cells in a floral meristems develop into a complete floral structure with four types of floral organs and many different cell types.

It contains 4 whorls of organs- 4 sepals, 4petals, 6stamens and 2fused carpels. They are known to be affected by three classes (A,B and C) of homeotic genes.

Class A gene is active in whorl 1&2—sepal and petal development

Class C gene is active in whorls 3&4--- stamen and carpel development

Class B gene is active in whorl 2&3—with A in petal development                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             -                                                         ---with C in stamen development

These specific gene classes include genes as AP I, AP2, AP 3, PI And AG. These genes code for specific proteins. When mutants lacking any of these proteins are raised they lack the corresponding floral whorl. These mutants have been proved as an effective tool for decoding the mystery of floral development and differentiation.