InterPro domain: IPR039618

The CLE proteins share a C-terminal CLE domain with CLV3, a small secreted polypeptide that is active as a ligand and has a function in shoot apical meristem maintenance [ 1 ]. In general, the CLE-related proteins are C-terminally processed to generate an active CLE peptide [ 2 ]. These small secreted peptide hormones then function in a variety of developmental and physiological processes [ 3 , 4 ]. CLV3 and other A-type CLE peptides are involved in the suppression of stem cell development in root and shoot development, in contrast to the B-type CLE peptides, CLE41 and CLE44, in the case of Arabidopsis, which are not [ 5 ].

This entry includes CLAVATA3/ESR (CLE)-related protein 9-13 (CLE9-13) from Arabidopsis and FON2 SPARE1 (FOS1) form from rice. FOS1, a CLE-related protein, regulates floral meristem maintenance [ 6 ].

1. The Arabidopsis CLV3-like (CLE) genes are expressed in diverse tissues and encode secreted proteins. Plant Mol. Biol. 51, 415-25
2. Evidence for functional conservation, sufficiency, and proteolytic processing of the CLAVATA3 CLE domain. Plant Physiol. 140, 726-33
3. CLE signaling systems during plant development and nematode infection. Plant Cell Physiol. 53, 1989-99
4. Gain-of-function phenotypes of many CLAVATA3/ESR genes, including four new family members, correlate with tandem variations in the conserved CLAVATA3/ESR domain. Plant Physiol. 140, 1331-44
5. Plant CLE peptides from two distinct functional classes synergistically induce division of vascular cells. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 105, 18625-30
6. FON2 SPARE1 redundantly regulates floral meristem maintenance with FLORAL ORGAN NUMBER2 in rice. PLoS Genet. 5, e1000693