Harnessing the role of genes involved in plant architectural changes

Plant architecture is the three dimensional organization of aerial parts of plants that consist of pattern of branching, structure and position of leaves and floral organs. The environmental stresses affect the overall fitness and productivity by changing the architecture of a plant. The architecture of different plants needs modifications for the improvement of crop adaptations in various environmental factors by enhancing the yield and stability of seeds. Literature shows that plant architecture is mainly maintained by a number of genes. Genetics and molecular biology help to understand the function of these genes. These genes work individually or in combination with other genes or transcriptional factors, which turn on or off under certain conditions according to changing environment leading to plant protection against harsh conditions; however, a comprehensive review related to the architectural changes is still missing. We proposed that comprehensive mechanistic studies of these genes (i.e., involved in plant architectural changes) may enable researchers to bring out desirable traits in plants and also helpful to enhance the yield and ornamental values of saplings. In this review, we discuss how these genes are involved in plant architectural changes and how they control leaf features, regulation of flowering, and branching patterns. Furthermore, we also discuss the effect of functional genomics-based approaches on plant development by means of overall yield and performance.

Automated summary

Plant architecture is the three-dimensional organization of aerial parts of plants, including branching pattern, leaf structure and position, and floral organ arrangement. Environmental stresses can alter plant architecture, impacting overall fitness and productivity. Genetic and molecular studies have identified key genes involved in maintaining plant architecture and understanding their function can lead to desired traits and improved crop yield. This review discusses how these genes control leaf features, flowering regulation, and branching patterns, and the impact of functional genomics-based approaches on plant development.