| Abstract Detail
A Colloquium Honoring Leslie D. Gottlieb Martins, Talline [1], Rausher, Mark [1]. From Classical Genetics to RNA-Seq: Determining the Genetic Basis for Floral Pigmentation Patterns in Clarkia. Petal spots are one of the most common patterns of pigmentation seen in flowers, yet our knowledge of how these patterns form remains limited. In Clarkia gracilis (Onagraceae), each petal has a large red-purple spot that contrasts against a light pink background. In 1988, Gottlieb and Ford established that the position and presence of spots are determined by the epistatic interaction between alleles at two, as-yet-unidentified loci, P and I. Previous work established that precise spatio-temporal expression of anthocyanin pathway genes led to the formation of petal spots in C. gracilis. However, the identities of the P and I loci remain elusive. To identify the P locus, we employed whole transcriptome sequencing of petals of two C. gracilis subspecies that differ in their spot morphologies, coupled to differential expression analyses. This approach uncovered genes that are upregulated in spots relative to unspotted sections of the petals. A SNP in one of these genes, an R2R3Myb transcription factor, co-segregates perfectly with spot position. Furthermore, the R2R3Myb is only expressed in sections of the petals where spots are formed, suggesting that this transcription factor may correspond to the P locus. R2R3Myb transcription factors are known regulators of anthocyanin pigment biosynthesis in plants. However, in C. gracilis, this R2R3Myb appears to have been connected to a novel set of regulators expressed in distinct areas of the petal, leading to the evolution of a novel trait. Broader Impacts:
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1 - Duke University, Biology, 137 BioSci Bldg, 130 Science Drive, Box 90338, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
Keywords:
none specified
Presentation Type: Symposium or Colloquium Presentation
Session: C1
Location: Grand Ballroom A/Riverside Hilton
Date: Monday, July 29th, 2013
Time: 9:00 AM
Number: C1003
Abstract ID:547
Candidate for Awards:None |
