Developmental Variation in Branch Architecture in Tillering Mutants of Setaria viridis

Branch architecture and tillering within cereals are dynamic processes that are heavily influenced by the environmental cues of a plants immediate surroundings.  Unlike domesticated lineages where these effects are often dampened, the plasticity of wild cereals can generate highly variable outcomes even within genetically identical individuals.  To better explore the plastic nature of branching in wild cereals and its underlying drivers we are studying model Setaria viridis line A10.1 in conjunction with various NMU mutant lines.  Through a combination of image analysis and morphological study across development the manner in which each mutant deviates from WT A10.1 will be identified for future study both of the underlying genetic components of each NMU line as well as for the contribution of these genes to the plastic phenotype of this lineage.