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Sexual devolution in plants: apomixis uncloaked?

Richard D Noyes1

  • 1Department of Biology, University of Central Arkansas, 180 Lewis Science Center, Conway, AR 72035, USA. rnoyes@uca.edu

Bioessays : News and Reviews in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology
|August 12, 2008
PubMed
Summary

A mutation in the DYAD gene initiates apomixis, a form of asexual reproduction in plants, by altering meiosis. This discovery provides insights into the genetic basis of apomixis and potential applications in crop improvement.

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Area of Science:

  • Plant genetics
  • Developmental biology
  • Evolutionary biology

Background:

  • Apomixis, or asexual reproduction via seeds, evolves from sexual ancestors across diverse plant taxa.
  • Diplospory, a form of apomixis, involves altered meiosis producing unreduced egg cells, leading to maternal inheritance.
  • The genetic underpinnings of apomixis, particularly the disruption of meiosis, have remained largely unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the genetic basis of apomixis initiation.
  • To understand how mutations affect meiosis and lead to asexual reproduction.
  • To identify key genes involved in the developmental pathways of apomixis.

Main Methods:

  • Genetic analysis of Arabidopsis mutants, specifically focusing on the DYAD gene.
  • Molecular investigation of meiosis in plants, examining sister chromatid cohesion and synapsis.
  • Cytological and genetic characterization of mutant phenotypes, including egg cell viability and progeny ploidy.

Main Results:

  • A weak mutation in the DYAD gene disrupts sister chromatid cohesion in meiosis I, preventing synapsis and producing unreduced cells.
  • DYAD mutants generate a small proportion of viable unreduced egg cells (2n) capable of fertilization by haploid pollen (1n).
  • Fertilization results in triploid (3n) progeny, demonstrating that a single gene mutation can initiate apomixis-like development.

Conclusions:

  • Single-gene mutations can initiate apomixis, offering a genetic model for studying this reproductive strategy.
  • The study narrows the focus for identifying apomixis genes to specific developmental events in meiosis.
  • Findings suggest potential for manipulating meiosis and recombination for crop improvement in agriculture.