Abstract Detail

Carnivorous Plants: New Horizons in Hungry Foliage

Miles, Nicholas [1], Soltis, Douglas [2], Soltis, Pamela [3].

Virus-Induced Gene Silencing in Carnivorous Pitcher Plants.

Virus-Induced Gene Silencing (VIGS) is a genetic tool that uses viral vectors to reduce the expression of a target gene. This technique is useful for elucidating the function of genes and perturbing molecular pathways of interest within a plant. Carnivorous plants have relatively few genetic tools; therefore, the development of VIGS for these plants could advance research into their unique structural evolution and medicinally important metabolic pathways. Specifically, our motivation is centered around functionally characterizing the actions of leaf polarity genes that may contribute to the formation of the carnivorous pitcher leaf, which has evolved independently three times in the angiosperms. Leaf polarity gene families such as HDZIPIII, KANADI, and YABBY have been speculated to be important in the origin of the pitcher leaves. Silencing these genes in pitcher plants would help evaluate hypotheses about the evolution and function of those genes. Here we explore the development of the VIGS protocol for a member of each carnivorous pitcher plant lineage, including Cephalotus follicularis (Oxalidales), Sarracenia flava (Ericales), and Nepenthes alata (Caryophyllales).

Broader Impacts:

1 - University Of Florida, Florida Museum Of Natural History, Dickinson Hall, Gainesville, FL, 32611-7800, USA
2 - University of Florida, Dept. Biology, Gainsville, FL, 32611, USA
3 - University Of Florida, Florida Museum Of Natural History, PO BOX 117800, Gainesville, FL, 32611-7800, USA, 352/273-1964

Keywords:
VIGS
carnivorous plants
Functional Genetics
HDZIPIII
YABBY
KANADI
PDS.

Presentation Type: Symposium or Colloquium Presentation
Session: C2
Location: Knox/Hyatt
Date: Monday, July 9th, 2012
Time: 10:15 AM
Number: C2001
Abstract ID:991