Recent mating-system evolution in Eichhornia is accompanied by cis-regulatory divergence.

Area of Science:

• Evolutionary Biology
• Plant Genetics
• Molecular Ecology

Background:

• The transition from cross-fertilization to self-fertilization in plants involves significant genetic and regulatory changes.
• Gene expression regulation is a key factor in plant adaptation and evolution of mating systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate changes in gene expression during the early stages of the transition to selfing in Eichhornia paniculata.
• To identify allele-specific expression (ASE) as an indicator of cis-regulatory changes associated with mating system evolution.

Main Methods:

• Crossed plants from outcrossing and selfing populations of Eichhornia paniculata.
• Analyzed allele-specific expression (ASE) in floral buds and leaf tissue of F1 offspring.
• Compared nonsynonymous and synonymous diversity in genes exhibiting ASE within selfing populations.

Main Results:

• Identified 1365 genes with allele-specific expression (ASE) in floral and leaf tissues.
• Genes with ASE preferentially expressed alleles from outcrossing parents.
• Genes exhibiting ASE showed higher nonsynonymous diversity in selfing parents, suggesting potential regulatory divergence.

Conclusions:

• The transition to self-fertilization can shape the cis-regulatory genomic landscape in angiosperms.
• Changes in allele-specific expression (ASE) during the early stages of selfing may be moderate.
• Understanding regulatory changes is crucial for comprehending the evolution of plant mating systems.