ALTERED MERISTEM PROGRAM 1 (AMP1) encodes a putative glutamate-carboxypeptidase important for plant growth and development. In this study, by comparing the growth of Arabidopsis wild-type, amp1-10 and amp1-13 mutants, and AMP1-GFP/OX2- and AMP1-GFP/OX7-overexpressing seedlings in vitro and in soil, we uncover the role of AMP1 in biomass accumulation in Arabidopsis. AMP1-overexpressing plants had longer primary roots and increased lateral root number and density than the WT, which correlated with improved root, shoot, and total biomass accumulation. AMP1-overexpressing seedlings had an enhanced rate of growth of primary roots, and accordingly, sucrose supplementation restored primary root growth and promoted lateral root formation in amp1 mutants, while reproductive development, fruit size, and seed content were also modified according to disruption or overexpression of AMP1. We further found that AMP1 plays an important role for stomatal development, guard cell functioning, and carbon assimilation. These data help explain the pleiotropic functions of AMP1 in both root and shoot system development, possibly acting in a sugar-dependent manner for regulation of root architecture, biomass accumulation, and seed production.
Keywords: Carbon fixation; Plant biomass; Root architecture; Stomata; Sugars.