Abstract Detail

Evolutionary Developmental Biology (Evo-Devo)

Maheepala, Dinusha C. [1], Strahl, Maya [2], Emerling, Christopher A. [3], Baghaei, Arman [4], Litt, Amy [5].

Evolution, and diversification of Solanaceae FRUITFULL genes.

The eudicot FRUITFULL (euFUL) genes are MADS-box transcription factors, which have functions in vegetative and reproductive organ development, and the transition to flowering. A whole genome duplication early in the diversification of core-eudicots split the euFUL lineage into the euFULI, and euFULII gene clades. As a result of further duplication events, Solanaceae has four FUL genes: FUL1 and FUL2 in euFULI, and MBP10 and MBP20 in euFULII. The Arabidopsis euFULI gene FUL is involved in patterning the lignified dehiscence zone in the dry silique. The overexpression of a euFULI gene in tobacco resulted in indehiscent fruit, suggesting a conserved role for these genes in dry fruit. However, all four FUL genes are also expressed in the berry of tomato. The lack of lignified tissue in this fruit suggests a change in the function of these genes in fleshy fruit. Our project is aimed at identifying the duplication events that produced the four FUL genes in Solanaceae, and characterizing any changes in these sequences that are correlated with changes in morphology. Using transcriptomes, Sanger sequencing, and database mining, we are compiling a Solanaceae FUL gene tree to determine whether these genes are products of a whole genome duplication or localized duplication events. There is evidence of a whole genome duplication at the base of Solanaceae but we have been unable to recover MBP10 genes from species that diverged prior to Nicotiana. This may be due to the low expression level of these genes. However, we have effectively used transcriptomes to extract all four FUL sequences from dry-fruited Nicotiana obtusifolia. To determine where in Solanaceae the additional FUL gene duplications may have occurred, we are generating transcriptomes from leaf, inflorescence, and fruit tissue from Schizanthus grahamii, Cestrum nocturnum, Brunfelsia spp., and Goetzia elegans. In addition, we have analyzed the sequence changes in Solanaceae FUL genes to determine if various clades are under purifying or positive selection, and if there was a change in selection with the fruit type. Our preliminary data suggest purifying selection for all clades of Solanaceae FUL genes. We have also identified several euFULI-specific amino acid motifs of unknown function but none specific to euFULII or correlated with any change in trait.

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1 - University of California, Riverside, Botany and Plant Sciences, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
2 - The Mount Sinai Hospital, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY, 10029, USA
3 - University of California, Berkeley, Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
4 - University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
5 - University of California, Riverside, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, CA, 92521, United States

Keywords:
Solanaceae
FRUITFULL
gene duplication
fleshy fruit
Fruit morphology
Dry fruit
Fruit development
Gene tree
Transcriptome.

Presentation Type: Poster
Session: P, Evolutionary Developmental Biology (Evo-Devo) Special Topic:Posters
Location: Exhibit Hall/Savannah International Trade and Convention Center
Date: Monday, August 1st, 2016
Time: 5:30 PM This poster will be presented at 5:30 pm. The Poster Session runs from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm. Posters with odd poster numbers are presented at 5:30 pm, and posters with even poster numbers are presented at 6:15 pm.
Number: PEV001
Abstract ID:218
Candidate for Awards:None