THE FUS3 GENE OF ARABIDOPSIS-THALIANA IS A REGULATOR OF GENE-EXPRESSION DURING LATE EMBRYOGENESIS

The fus3 mutation of Arabidopsis thaliana affects several aspects of s eed development. Mutant seeds are desiccation intolerant, viviparous a nd accumulate anthocyanins. Two major classes of storage proteins, the 12S cruciferins and the 2S albumins, are nearly absent, storage lipid s are reduced and their composition is changed. The transcription of h eterologous storage protein gene promoters in a fus3 genetic backgroun d is similarly affected. Our data suggest that the FUS3 gene is togeth er with other genes like ABI3 and LEC1 central to the regulation of de velopmental processes during late embryogenesis.