Comparative transcriptome analysis of dioecious, unisexual floral development in Ribes diacanthum pall.

Area of Science:

• Plant genetics
• Developmental biology
• Molecular botany

Background:

• Ribes diacanthum Pall. exhibits dioecious, unisexual flowers, presenting unique developmental challenges.
• Abnormal stigma in male flowers and non-functional stamens in female flowers indicate a complex sex determination process.
• Understanding the genetic basis of sexual dimorphism is crucial for this economically and medicinally valuable species.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify genes regulating dioecious, unisexual floral development in Ribes diacanthum.
• To analyze gene expression patterns during male and female flower development.
• To elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying sexual dimorphism in floral development.

Main Methods:

• High-throughput transcriptome sequencing of male and female inflorescences.
• Bioinformatic analysis of assembled transcripts and unigenes.
• Differential gene expression analysis to identify sex-biased genes.

Main Results:

• A total of 72,791 transcripts and 48,600 unigenes were assembled, with 62% annotated.
• 2,785 annotated differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, with more male-biased than female-biased genes.
• Sex determination was found to be a late developmental event, with MADS-box genes (e.g., AGL11) implicated in sexual dimorphism.

Conclusions:

• Sex-specific transcripts and genes identified play a role in regulating floral development and sexual dimorphism.
• The study provides a valuable transcriptomic resource for future research on dioecious, unisexual flower development.
• This research contributes to understanding the molecular regulation of floral sex determination in plants.