Linking floral symmetry genes to breeding system evolution

Understanding the genetic basis of ecologically important traits is a major focus of evolutionary research. Recent advances in molecular genetic techniques should significantly increase our understanding of how regulatory genes function. By contrast, our understanding of the broader macro-evolutionary implications of developmental gene function lags behind. Here we review published data on the floral symmetry gene network (FSGN), and conduct phylogenetic analyses that provide evidence of a link between floral symmetry and breeding systems in angiosperms via dichogamy. Our results suggest that known genes in the FSGN and those yet to be described underlie this association. We posit that the integration of floral symmetry and the roles of other regulatory genes in plant breeding system evolution will provide new insights about macro-evolutionary patterns and processes in flowering plants.     

Physiological and Molecular Changes during Lily Underground Stem Axillary Bulbils Formation

Lily is regarded as one kind of the most economically important cut flowers in China. In this paper, lily cultivar ‘Aladdin’ (Lilium longiflorum × Lilium asiatic) was chosen as experimental material for its distinct high propagation coefficient in nature and three main conclusions were achieved. Firstly, our observation results revealed that the noticeable propagation coefficient of ‘Aladdin’ depended on strong capacity to form many underground stem axillary bulbils positioned on underground node of plant after 70 days of cultivation and having 1 cm flower buds. Secondly, in terms of physiological changes, zeatin riboside (ZR) relative concentration, soluble sugar and starch content peak when and where such bulbils are forming. Finally, two KNOX family Lilium genes were sequenced completely and one BELL family gene was sequenced partly; besides, there might be an interaction between KNOX-2 and BELL protein to accomplish their functions in bulbils organogenesis according to qRT-PCR results. As far as we know, it is the first time to study the formation mechanism of lily underground stem axillary bulbils. We illustrated physiological and molecular profiles, as well as offered a new prospect to lily molecular breeding in the future.     

What is going on with the hormonal control of flowering in plants?

Molecular genetic studies using Arabidopsis thaliana as a model system have overwhelmingly revealed many important molecular mechanisms underlying the control of various biological events, including floral induction in plants. The major genetic pathways of flowering have been characterized in-depth, and include the photoperiod, vernalization, autonomous and gibberellin pathways. In recent years, novel flowering pathways are increasingly being identified. These include age, thermosensory, sugar, stress and hormonal signals to control floral transition. Among them, hormonal control of flowering except the gibberellin pathway is not formally considered a major flowering pathway per se, due to relatively weak and often pleiotropic genetic effects, complex phenotypic variations, including some controversial ones. However, a number of recent studies have suggested that various stress signals may be mediated by hormonal regulation of flowering. In view of molecular diversity in plant kingdoms, this review begins with an assessment of photoperiodic flowering, not in A. thaliana, but in rice (Oryza sativa); rice is a staple crop for human consumption worldwide, and is a model system of short-day plants, cereals and breeding crops. The rice flowering pathway is then compared with that of A. thaliana. This review then aims to update our knowledge on hormonal control of flowering, and integrate it into the entire flowering gene network.     

Understandings and future challenges in soybean functional genomics and molecular breeding

Soybean(Glycine max) is a major source of plant protein and oil.Soybean breeding has benefited from advances in functional genomics.In particular,the release of soybean reference genomes has advanced our understanding of soybean adaptation to soil nutrient deficiencies,the molecular mechanism of symbiotic nitrogen(N) fixation,biotic and abiotic stress tolerance,and the roles of flowering time in regional adaptation,plant architecture,and seed yield and quality.Nevertheless,many challenges remain...     

不同花期‘西伯利亚’百合花瓣单萜合成途径转录组分析

以‘西伯利亚’百合（Lilium ‘Siberia’）花蕾期、半开期、盛开期、衰败期的花瓣为材料,利用RNA-seq技术对其转录组进行高通量测序,分析单萜合成途径中差异表达的基因并阐明其分子机制。结果显示,‘西伯利亚’百合通过转录组测序分析共得到56.28 Gb clean base,223.40 Mb clean reads和124 233个unigene,其中35 749个基因得到注释。萜骨架合成途径中的基因表达水平在不同花期表现出显著差异。其中,甲基赤藓糖醇磷酸（MEP）中的1-脱氧-D-木酮糖-5-磷酸合成酶（DXS）、1-脱氧-D-木酮糖-5-磷酸还原异构酶（DXR）、4-羟基-3-甲丁-2-烯基二磷酸合成酶（HDS）、4-羟基-3-甲丁-2烯基二磷酸还原酶（HDR）、牻牛儿基二磷酸合成酶（GPS）基因的表达水平随花期变化呈先升高后降低的趋势。罗勒烯合成酶（OCS）基因表现出相似变化规律,在盛开期表达量最高。甲羟戊酸（MVA）途径中的3-羟基-3-甲基戊二酸单酰辅酶A还原酶（HMGR）的基因表达同样出现先升高后降低的趋势。单萜合成下游的分支途径中,茄尼基二磷酸合成酶（SDS）、牻牛儿基牻牛儿基二磷酸合成酶（GGDR）基因的表达则出现相反的趋势,在盛开期的表达量最低。研究结果表明MEP途径中的关键基因可随花期变化规律性的表达,以调控单萜的生物合成,在盛开期有较高释放量,且盛开期MVA途径的活化以及泛醌和萜醌代谢支路基因的低表达也促进了单萜的生物合成。     

Double fertilization - caught in the act

In flowering plants, fertilization is unique because it involves two pairs of male and female gametes, a process known as double fertilization. Here, we provide an overview of the field and a detailed review of the outstanding recent advances, including in vivo imaging of double fertilization and the identification of a signaling pathway controlling the release of the male gametes and of a protein involved in gamete membrane fusion. These recent results are stepping stones for further research; our knowledge of double fertilization is expanding as newly discovered molecular pathways are explored and new mutants are characterized. Controlling plant fertilization is essential for seed production, and molecular understanding of double fertilization will provide the tools to improve crops and breeding programs.     

Molecular mechanisms for the photoperiodic regulation of flowering in soybean

Photoperiodic flowering is one of the most important factors affecting regional adaptation and yield in soybean (Glycine max). Plant adaptation to long-day conditions at higher latitudes requires early flowering and a reduction or loss of photoperiod sensitivity; adaptation to short-day conditions at lower latitudes involves delayed flowering, which prolongs vegetative growth for maximum yield potential. Due to the influence of numerous major loci and quantitative trait loci (QTLs), soybean has broad adaptability across latitudes. Forward genetic approaches have uncovered the molecular basis for several of these major maturity genes and QTLs. Moreover, the molecular characterization of orthologs of Arabidopsis thaliana flowering genes has enriched our understanding of the photoperiodic flowering pathway in soybean. Building on early insights into the importance of the photoreceptor phytochrome A, several circadian clock components have been integrated into the genetic network controlling flowering in soybean: E1, a repressor of FLOWERING LOCUS T orthologs, plays a central role in this network. Here, we provide an overview of recent progress in elucidating photoperiodic flowering in soybean, how it contributes to our fundamental understanding of flowering time control, and how this information could be used for molecular design and breeding of high-yielding soybean cultivars.     

A petal‐specific InMYB1 promoter from Japanese morning glory: a useful tool for molecular breeding of floricultural crops

Production of novel transgenic floricultural crops with altered petal properties requires transgenes that confer a useful trait and petal‐specific promoters. Several promoters have been shown to control transgenes in petals. However, all suffer from inherent drawbacks such as low petal specificity and restricted activity during the flowering stage. In addition, the promoters were not examined for their ability to confer petal‐specific expression in a wide range of plant species. Here, we report the promoter of InMYB1 from Japanese morning glory as a novel petal‐specific promoter for molecular breeding of floricultural crops. First, we produced stable InMYB1_1kb::GUS transgenic Arabidopsis and Eustoma plants and characterized spatial and temporal expression patterns under the control of the InMYB1 promoter by histochemical β‐glucuronidase (GUS) staining. GUS staining patterns were observed only in petals. This result showed that the InMYB1 promoter functions as a petal‐specific promoter. Second, we transiently introduced the InMYB1_1 kb::GUS construct into Eustoma, chrysanthemum, carnation, Japanese gentian, stock, rose, dendrobium and lily petals by particle bombardment. GUS staining spots were observed in Eustoma, chrysanthemum, carnation, Japanese gentian and stock. These results showed that the InMYB1 promoter functions in most dicots. Third, to show the InMYB1 promoter utility in molecular breeding, a MIXTA‐like gene function was suppressed or enhanced under the control of InMYB1 promoter in Arabidopsis. The transgenic plant showed a conspicuous morphological change only in the form of wrinkled petals. Based on these results, the InMYB1 promoter can be used as a petal‐specific promoter in molecular breeding of floricultural crops.     

Molecular mechanisms of self-incompatibility in flowering plants and fungi - different means to the same end

Hermaphrodite flowering plants and fungi face the same sexual dilemma - how to avoid self-fertilization. Both have evolved ingenious recognition systems that reduce or eliminate the possibility of selfing. These self-incompatibility (SI) systems offer unique opportunities to study recognition and signalling in non-animal cells and also represent model systems for studying the evolution of breeding systems at a molecular level. In this review, the authors discuss recent molecular data that predict an astonishing diversity in the cellular mechanisms of SI operating in flowering plants and fungi.     

野百合的研究概况

野百合（Lilium brownii F．E．Brown ex Miellez）是一种常用的百合属杂交亲本。介绍了野百合在细胞学、组织培养、杂交育种等方面的研究概况,为野百合的进一步研究和开发利用提供参考。     

Development of expressed sequence tag derived-simple sequence repeats in the genus Lilium

Although lily is the second largest flower crop in cutting flower commodity, only six simple sequence repeats SSRs have been reported. Thus, we developed expressed sequence tag derived-SSRs (EST-SSRs) for the Lilium genus. Among 2,235 unique ESTs, 754 ESTs contained SSR motifs, among which 165 ESTs were amenable to primer design. Among these 165 EST-SSRs, 131 EST-SSRs showed amplification in at least one Lilium species, and 76 EST-SSRs showed amplification in at least nine species. Of the 76 EST-SSRs, 47 showed amplification in all Lilium species analyzed. Using 10 breeding lines, we selected 21 EST-SSRs that had the highest number of alleles and polymorphism information content. The polymorphism information content values of these selected EST-SSRs ranged from 0.49 to 0.94 with an average of 0.76, which are higher than other plant species. The phylogenetic dendrogram derived from the amplification profiles of the 21 high polymorphic EST-SSRs was congruent with the genetic background of the 84 selected lily accessions and hybrids, which are available in commerce. Thus, the developed EST-SSRs will be very useful in germplasm management, genetic diversity analysis, cultivar finger printing, and molecular breeding in the lily.     

A Homolog of the Substrate Adhesion Molecule Vitronectin Occurs in Four Species of Flowering Plants

The extracellular matrix (ECM) has been implicated in the primary developmental processes of many organisms. A family of secretory adhesive glycoproteins called substrate adhesion molecules (SAMs) is believed to confer these dynamic capabilities to the ECM in animals. In this paper, we report the existence of SAM-like genes and gene products in flowering plants. Hybridizations with a human vitronectin cDNA probe and genomic DNA from broad bean, soybean, and tomato revealed vitronectin-like sequences. Human vitronectin antibodies cross-react with a 55-kilodalton protein in leaf and root protein extracts from lily, broad bean, soybean, and tomato. In addition, immunocytochemical staining of frozen sections of lily leaf and broad bean gynoecium demonstrated that vitronectin-like proteins were localized to the ECM on the cell surface, with the most intense labeling residing in the transmitting tract of broad bean gynoecium.     

广州地区3种睡莲花开放的日变化规律分析

为了解睡莲属(Nymphaea)植物开花的日变化规律,以广州华南农业大学湿地公园的睡莲属植物为对象进行观察和分析。结果显示,晚上开花类的热带睡莲,其日变化是花朵于晚上开放并持续至第二天上午,白天开花类的热带睡莲和耐寒睡莲,其开放时间为白昼,开放时间因种类不同而有所差异。白天开花的热带睡莲‘独立’(Nymphaea‘Independence’)和耐寒睡莲‘科罗拉多’(Nymphaea‘Colorado’)单朵花期3~4 d,耐寒睡莲墨西哥黄睡莲(N.mexicana)单朵花期2 d,雌雄蕊先后成熟以达到异花授粉的目的,单朵睡莲开放期间雄蕊群呈现不同形态。‘独立’睡莲呈现日出而开,日落则合的开花生物钟,10月至12月,光照时间缩短导致‘独立’睡莲开闭节律缩短。观察结果可为园林水景中睡莲属植物配置提供准确的数据支持。