EVOLUTIONARY AND POLYMORPHIC ORGANIZATION OF THE KNOTTED1 HOMEOBOX INCEREALS

Homeobox genes are the master control genes harbouring the homeobox wh ich is crucial for developmental associated functions. One homeobox ge ne, knotted1, which has a role in leaf development, is conserved in pl ants and might have arisen from a single ancestral gene. Using PCR, we identified multiple kn1 homeoboxes in diverse cereals and showed a ce real/species-specific organization correlating them to evolutionary ch anges. We postulate the insertion of a large intron preceded by duplic ation of the kn1 homeobox in the lineage leading to rice.