{
  "abstract": "Zea mays (maize) flowering time is genetically determined and a critical yield determinant. Yet mechanistic understanding of maize flowering remains poor. Indeterminate1 (Id1), a zinc-finger transcription factor (TF), is a monocot-conserved master regulator of maize flowering. Epistasis between Id1 and the ZeaCentroradialis-Delayed Flowering1 (Zcn-Dlf1) inductive pathway partly explains ID1 floral control; however, the strong mutant id1- floral delay is not explained by this pathway alone. To better characterize Id1 actions, we performed single-cell assay for transposase-accessible chromatin and single nucleus RNA sequencing (scATAC-seq and snRNA-seq) comparing Id1+ and id1- developing leaves. These analyses reveal id1- chromatin remodeling via TEOSINTE BRANCHED1 CYCLOIDEA PROLIFERATING CELL FACTOR (TCP) and APETALA2/ETHYLENE RESPONSEFACTOR (AP2/ERF) transcription factors and provide candidate direct targets that include AP2/ERF genes. These candidate direct targets include the family of {beta}-glucosidase genes that lose expression in id1-. Unexpectedly, CRISPR/Cas9 {beta}-glucosidase edits produced plants that phenocopied terminal ear1- (te1-) mutants. This phenocopy prompted an investigation into the genetic relationship between id1-, te1- and flowering. Surprisingly, id1- te1- plants exhibited a synergistic floral delay, producing ~90 leaves before inflorescence production. Beyond highlighting hitherto unappreciated Te1 autonomous flowering roles, this genetic synergy raises the hypothesis that meristem leaf primordia cessation underpins maize flowering.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "University of Georgia"
  ],
  "article_type": "New results",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 7,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "M. A. A. Minow"
    },
    {
      "name": "Z. Ali"
    },
    {
      "name": "A. Sangra"
    },
    {
      "name": "N. J. Behrendt"
    },
    {
      "name": "L. Lukens"
    },
    {
      "name": "J. Colasanti"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "R. J. Schmitz"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4eapjk60daj37.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.64898/2026.09.23.753879",
  "fulltext_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.23.753879v1.full",
  "id": "4eapjk60daj37",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.23.753879v1",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "biorxiv",
      "plant biology"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "1110|Plant Molecular Biology Research"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7214209633",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.23.753879v1.full.pdf",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-09-23",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4eapjk60daj37.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:24:18Z",
      "native_id": "10.64898/2026.09.23.753879",
      "source": "biorxiv",
      "url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.23.753879v1"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "biorxiv:plant biology",
      "subfield": "plant-biology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Multimodal single cell analysis reveals a link between flowering and leaf initiation",
  "title_text": "Multimodal single cell analysis reveals a link between flowering and leaf initiation",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:24:18Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4eapjk60daj37",
  "venue": "bioRxiv",
  "versions": []
}