The dicerlike1 homologue, fuzzy tassel, is required for the regulation of meristem determinacy in the inflorescence and vegetative growth in maize

We have characterized a maize mutant, fuzzy tassel (fzt) with striking inflorescence and pleiotropic defects. fzt contains a mutation in the maize dicer-like1 homolog, a key enzyme required for microRNA (miRNA) biogenesis. By profiling the small RNA population in fzt mutants, we investigated the impact of fzt mutation on miRNA abundance in seedling and tassel primordia. We also investigated the transcript abundance of potential target genes of miRNA that were impacted in fzt mutant by transcriptome profiling. The result provides an avenue for future research to link specific miRNAs and their targets to discrete phenotypes and developmental roles. Genome-wide small RNA profiling was done by Illumina TruSeq sample preparation followed by high-throughput sequencing with Illumina HiSeq 2000 platform.