Abstract Detail



Characteristics of nectar, nectaries, and nectar spurs

Edwards, Molly [1], Choi, Gary [2], Min, Ya [3], Mahadevan, Lakshminarayanan [2], Hodges, Scott [5], Kramer, Elena [6], Ballerini, Evangeline [7].

Genetic architecture of nectar spur traits in bee- and hummingbird-pollinated sister species of Aquilegia (columbine).

The petals of Aquilegia (columbine) form elongated, three-dimensional nectar spurs that vary in length, shape, color, and nectar composition depending on their pollinators (bee, hummingbird, or hawkmoth). The bee syndrome is ancestral, and there have been multiple independent transitions from bee to hummingbird, and hummingbird to hawkmoth pollination syndromes. The transition from bee to hummingbird pollination is of particular interest from a developmental perspective, because petal morphology shifted dramatically from short, curved nectar spurs to long straight spurs to accommodate the hummingbird beak. To understand the genetic architecture underlying these complex traits, we have conducted a QTL mapping experiment on F2 hybrids of A. brevistyla and A. canadensis, the only pair of sister species in the genus with bee and hummingbird pollination, respectively. We have gained a wealth of insight into the genetic intricacies of nectar spurs, including some surprising results that challenge the notion that the architecture underlying morphological features is more complex than that of biochemical traits.


1 - Harvard University, Biolabs Room 1119, 16 Divinity Ave, Cambridge, MA, 02138, United States
2 - Harvard University John A. Paulson School Of Engineering And Applied S, 29 Oxford St, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
3 - Harvard University, Harvard University Biolabs Rm 1119, 16 Divinity Ave, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
4 - Harvard University John A. Paulson School Of Engineering And Applied S, 29 Oxford St, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
5 - Department Of Ecology & Marine Biology, Department Of Ecology & Marine Biology, University Of California, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, United States
6 - Harvard Univ., OEB, 16 Divinity Avenue, BL 1119, Cambridge, MA, 02138, United States
7 - California State University, Sacramento, Biological Sciences, 6000 J St. , TSC 4015, Sacramento, CA, 95819, United States

Keywords:
Aquilegia
nectar spur
QTL
Pollination syndrome.

Presentation Type: Colloquium Presentations
Session: COL02, Characteristics of nectar, nectaries and nectar spurs
Location: Virtual/Virtual
Date: Monday, July 27th, 2020
Time: 1:30 PM
Number: COL02012
Abstract ID:414
Candidate for Awards:Katherine Esau Award


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