Abstract Detail



Evolutionary Developmental Biology (Evo-Devo)

Sengupta, Aniket [1], Hileman, Lena [2].

A CYC-RAD interaction pre-dates the origin of Lamiales zygomorphy.

An outstanding question in evolutionary biology is how genetic interactions that define novel phenotypes evolve. They may evolve either by de novo assembly of previously non-interacting genes or by en bloc co-option of interactions from other functions. We test these hypotheses in the context of a novel phenotype—flower monosymmetry in Lamiales defined by the interaction of CYCLOIDEA, RADIALIS, DIVARICATA, and DRIF genes. We test whether this interaction is likely present beyond petals and stamens in Lamiales (represented by snapdragon) and their close relatives with putative ancestrally polysymmetric flowers, the Solanales (represented by tomato). We test whether, like in snapdragons, a CYCLOIDEA-RADIALIS interaction is present in tomato by estimating RADIALIS transcription in CYCLOIDEA-downregulated lines. We find that RADIALIS, DIVARICATA, and DRIF are transcribed in ovaries and fruits of snapdragons, consistent with a previously reported interaction among their homologs in tomato fruit-wall. Literature survey suggests that CYCLOIDEA and RADIALIS were ancestrally expressed in the ovaries of Lamiales. We report that a tomato CYCLOIDEA ortholog transcriptionally regulates a RADIALIS ortholog. The genetic interaction defining Lamiales flower monosymmetry was co-opted en bloc from a different function, likely fruit development. Evolution of novel phenotypes is likely facilitated by co-option of existing regulatory interactions. 


1 - St. John's University, Biological Sciences, 8000 Utopia Parkway, Albert Hall Room 257, Jamaica, NY, 11366, United States
2 - University Of Kansas, Ecology And Evolutionary Biology, 1200 Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, KS, 66045, United States

Keywords:
CYCLOIDEA
Solanales
flower symmetry
gene regulatory interactions.

Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: EVDV1, Evolutionary Developmental Biology (Evo-Devo)
Location: Virtual/Virtual
Date: Thursday, July 30th, 2020
Time: 12:45 PM
Number: EVDV1011
Abstract ID:97
Candidate for Awards:None


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