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Updated: Sep 29, 2025
12:18
A Strategy to Validate the Role of Callose-mediated Plasmodesmal Gating in the Tropic Response
Published on: April 17, 2016
10.4K
ARR17 controls dioecy in Populus by repressing B-class MADS-box gene expression
Ana P Leite Montalvão1, Birgit Kersten1, Gihwan Kim1
1Thünen Institute of Forest Genetics, Sieker Landstrasse 2, 22927 Grosshansdorf, Germany.
Summary
The sex determinant gene ARR17 in aspen controls flower development through a small genetic network, not cytokinin signaling. This highlights minimal genetic differences between male and female aspen, impacting floral organ development.
Area of Science:
- Plant genetics
- Molecular biology
- Evolutionary biology
Background:
- Genetic basis of sex determination is increasingly understood in dioecious species.
- Molecular mechanisms downstream of sex determinants remain largely unknown.
- Aspen (Populus tremula) is a model for studying sex determination.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate the molecular mechanisms controlled by the sex determinant gene ARR17 in aspen.
- Determine if ARR17 functions in cytokinin signaling or directly in floral development.
- Identify downstream genes regulated by ARR17.
Main Methods:
- RNA-sequencing of isogenic aspen lines differing in ARR17.
- CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing to create arr17 knockout mutants.
- Analysis of gene expression changes related to floral development.
Main Results:
- ARR17 regulates a narrow genetic network controlling female and male flower development.
- CRISPR-Cas9-mediated arr17 knockout affected a small number of genes, suggesting a specific role.
- Key floral development genes, UNUSUAL FLORAL ORGANS (UFO) and PISTILLATA (PI), were de-repressed in arr17 mutants.
- ARR17's role appears to be independent of cytokinin (CK) hormone signaling.
Conclusions:
- The poplar response regulator ARR17 plays a CK-independent role in floral development.
- Minimal genetic differences exist between female and male aspen individuals.
- This study advances understanding of sex determination and floral organogenesis in plants.
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