The Quest for Molecular Regulation Underlying Unisexual Flower Development
Rómulo Sobral1, Helena G Silva1, Leonor Morais-Cecílio2
1Biosystems and Integrative Sciences Institute, Plant Functional Biology Centre, University of Minho Braga, Portugal.
Frontiers in Plant Science
|March 1, 2016
Summary
Understanding unisexual flower development in plants, including monoecious and dioecious species, is crucial. Comparative transcriptomic studies reveal conserved gene regulatory networks controlling stamen and carpel development, alongside species-specific differences in organ arrest.
Area of Science:
- Plant Biology
- Developmental Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- Unisexual flower development in monoecious and dioecious plants is a key area in plant biology.
- Understanding these mechanisms is essential for comprehending plant sexual systems, which occur in approximately 10% of angiosperms.
- The development of floral organs involves complex genetic and hormonal regulatory networks.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review and discuss the comparative transcriptomic analysis of male and female flowers in monoecious Quercus suber.
- To contextualize these findings within recent high-throughput transcriptomic studies of other unisexual flowers.
- To identify conserved and divergent molecular pathways underlying unisexual flower development across different plant species.
Main Methods:
- Comparative transcriptomic analysis of male and female flowers.
- Review of recent high-throughput transcriptomic studies on unisexual flowers in various plant species.
- Analysis of gene regulatory networks, including transcription factors, microRNAs, and hormonal regulators.
Main Results:
- Transcriptomic studies reveal parallelisms in molecular processes underlying unisexual flower development across monoecious, dioecious, and hermaphroditic individuals.
- Identified conserved gene regulatory hubs involved in stamen and carpel development.
- Highlighted species-specific differences in the developmental stages where male or female organ development arrests or is lost.
Conclusions:
- Comparative transcriptomics is a powerful approach to unraveling the molecular basis of unisexual flower development.
- Conserved gene regulatory modules likely orchestrate fundamental aspects of stamen and carpel development.
- Understanding variations in organ arrest provides insights into the evolutionary diversification of plant sexual systems.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
02:19Morphogenesis
30.8K
Plant morphogenesis—the development of a plant’s form and structure—involves several overlapping developmental processes, including growth and cell differentiation. Precursor cells differentiate into specific cell types, which are organized into the tissues and organ systems that make up the functional plant.
30.8K
02:45The Ratio of X Chromosome to Autosomes
10.1K
In most organisms, sex is determined by the ratio of X and Y chromosomes. However, in some organisms, such as Drosophila and C.elegans, sex is determined by the ratio of the number of X chromosomes to the number of sets of autosomes. The Y chromosome in Drosophila is active but does not determine sex. It contains genes responsible for the production of sperms in adult flies.
Normal male Drosophila has a ratio of one X chromosome to two sets of autosomes. In contrast, normal female...
Normal male Drosophila has a ratio of one X chromosome to two sets of autosomes. In contrast, normal female...
10.1K
02:50Dosage Compensation
7.8K
In animals, gender is determined by the number and type of sex chromosome. For example, human females have two X chromosomes, and males have one X and one Y chromosome, whereas C.elegans with one X chromosome is a male, and the one with two X chromosomes is a hermaphrodite.
In addition to sexual development, the X chromosome has genes involved in autosomal functions such as brain development and the immune system. Therefore, males and females with distinct numbers of X chromosomes will...
In addition to sexual development, the X chromosome has genes involved in autosomal functions such as brain development and the immune system. Therefore, males and females with distinct numbers of X chromosomes will...
7.8K
02:40Pollination and Flower Structure
80.6K
Flowers are the reproductive, seed-producing structures of angiosperms. Typically, flowers consist of sepals, petals, stamens, and carpels. Sepals and petals are the vegetative flower organs. Stamens and carpels are the reproductive organs.
80.6K
01:28Yeast Signaling
18.4K
Yeasts are single-celled organisms, but unlike bacteria, they are eukaryotes (cells with a nucleus). Cell signaling in yeast is similar to signaling in other eukaryotic cells. A ligand, such as a protein or a small molecule released from a yeast cell, attaches to a receptor on the cell surface. The binding stimulates second-messenger kinases to activate or inactivate transcription factors that further regulate gene expression. Many of the yeast intracellular signaling cascades have similar...
18.4K
01:17Gene Regulation During Sporulation
631
Sporulation is a complex developmental process that allows certain Gram-positive bacteria, such as Bacillus subtilis and Clostridium species, to survive extreme environmental conditions. This process is tightly regulated by a series of signaling cascades and transcriptional controls, ensuring the formation of a highly resistant endospore.Sporulation is triggered by unfavorable conditions, such as nutrient depletion, and is governed by a phosphorelay system. One of the sensor kinases, such as...
631