| Abstract Detail
Monday Afternoon Morphology and Taxonomy GERATS, TOM [1], Rijpkema, Anneke [1], Zethof, Jan [1], Vandenbussche, Michiel [1]. Variations in the classical ABC model for flower development: a comparative analysis in Petunia hybrida. IN both higher eudicot model species snapdragon and Arabidopsis, DEF respectively AP3 MADS-box proteins are required to (co)specify petal identity in the second whorl and stamen identity in the third whorl. Because the function and mode of action of DEF and AP3 appeared to be highly similar, it was assumed that the function of these genes would be exemplary for all DEF/AP3 proteins in higher eudicots. A broad sampling of DEF/AP3 homologs in a wide range of eudicot species revealed that actually two types of DEF/AP3 proteins exist, called euAP3 and paleoAP3 type proteins, of which the euAP3 proteins are restricted to the higher eudicot species. Moreover, sequence analysis indicates that the modern euAP3 genes (to which DEF and AP3 belong) are derived from the ancestral paleoAP3 gene by a gene duplication event that maps close to the base of higher eudicot radiation; euAP3 genes exhibit a frameshift mutation in their C-terminal region. While euAP3 proteins have been studied extensively, little is known of the function of these ancestral paleoAP3 type proteins in higher eudicots (called TM6 proteins after the founding member in tomato). Studying TM6 function therefore might help to understand the evolution of the modern eudicot flower. Unlike Arabidopsis, Petunia has maintained both euAP3 and TM6 type proteins, making it an ideal model to study this phenomenon. Here we present a functional analysis of PhTM6, together with previous work demonstrating that the expression and function of PhTM6 differs significantly from the known euAP3-type DEF/AP3 like B-class proteins. Currently, we are cloning and analyzing expression patterns of DEF and TM6 homologues from some other Solanaeceous species (http://www.bgard.science.ru.nl/) to investigate the conservation of TM6 function within the Solanaceae.
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Related Links:
the site of the Petunia lab in Nijmegen, the Netherlands
the petuniaworldwebsite
1 - Radboud University, IWWR/Plant Genetics, toernooiveld 1, nijmegen, 6525ED, the netherlands
Keywords:
Petunia
MADS box genes
flower development.
Session: SOL03-6
Location: Ballroom AB/Monona Terrace
Date: Monday, July 24th, 2006
Time: 4:30 PM
Abstract ID:392 |
