| Abstract Detail
From canonical to new model systems: The future of plant development Hall, Jocelyn [1], Avino, Mariano [2], Mankowski, Peter [3], Sullivan, Sierra [3], Bernard, Kelsey [3]. Examining the genetic basis of fruit diversity in the tribe Brassiceae (Brassicaceae). Remarkable natural variation exists in fruit structures that influence dispersal capabilities of flowering plants. For example, about half the members of tribe Brassiceae (Brassicaceae) exhibit fruits with segmentation and variable dehiscence, called heteroarthrocarpy. The knowledge of genetics of fruit patterning in Arabidopsis offers an excellent opportunity to investigate how this pathway may be conserved and/or modified to produce fruits with drastically different dispersal strategies. Expression studies of six genes (SHATTERPROOF1, SHATTERPROOF2, ALCATRAZ, REPLUMLESS, FRUITFULL, and INDEHISCENT) show conservation of expression patterns between Arabidopsis siliques and dehiscent segments of Erucaria erucarioides,with notable differences in expression patterns of genes that position the valve margin. In contrast, indehiscent segments of Erucaria and Cakile lanceolata are characterized by the lack of expression of the same genes. These findings suggest that modifications in the fruit patterning genes are responsible for differences between heteroarthrocarpic and Arabidopsis-likefruits and support the hypothesis that heteroarthrocarpy evolved via repositioning the valve margin. These results also highlight conservation in gene expression patterns involved in dehiscence across Brassicaceae. In addition, we are pursuing virus-induced gene silencing as a method to test if FRUITFULL (FUL) is involved in morphological differences between Erucaria and Arabidopsis. These experiments are complemented by the generation of a FUL phylogeny across the tribe. Broader Impacts:
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1 - University of Alberta, Biological Sciences, Edmonton, AB, T6E 2E9, Canada 2 - University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada 3 - University of Alberta, Biological Sciences, Edmonton, AB, Canada
Keywords: none specified
Presentation Type: Symposium or Colloquium Presentation Session: SY10 Location: Delaware A/Hyatt Date: Wednesday, July 11th, 2012 Time: 4:15 PM Number: SY10007 Abstract ID:357 |