A putative miR172-targeted CeAPETALA2-like gene is involved in floral patterning regulation of the orchid Cymbidium ensifolium
APETALA2 plays critical roles in establishing meristem and organ identity during plant floral development. In this study, we obtained a CeAP2-like gene by using the mRNA differential display technique to analyze the wild type and a multitepal mutant of the orchid Cymbidium ensifolium. The full-length cDNA encoding the CeAP2-like transcription factor shows significant similarity to the cDNA of AP2 from Erycina pusilla and contains nucleotides complementary to miR172.