Abstract Detail

Evolutionary Developmental Biology (Evo-Devo)

Gao, Ao [1], Zhang, Wenheng [2].

Evolution of RADIALIS-like genes in Solanaceae.

Developmental genetic studies of Antirrhinum majus L. provides a foundation for deeper understanding evolutionary shifts in floral symmetry during angiosperm evolution. Transcription factors, including CYCLOIDEA (CYC), DICHOTOMA (DICH) and RADIALIS (RAD), play important roles in regulating floral dorsal identity in A. majus. In particular, RAD, a member of the MYB gene family, is a downstream target of CYC and DICH, which belong to the CYC2 lineage of the TCP gene family. In Solanaceae, we recently demonstrated that CYC2-like genes express during floral development in Schizanthus pinnatus Ruiz & Pav., Nicotiana obtusifolia M.Martens & Galeotti, and Solanum lycopersicum L. In this study, we examined the evolution of RAD-like genes in Solanaceae by reconstructing the genealogy of RAD-like genes from our newly cloned sequences from species of Solanaceae and Convolvulaceae and published sequences from GenBank, Sol Genomics Network, and Phytozome 11.0. We included RAD-like sequences from 29 taxa representing major lineages of core eudicots in our phylogenetic reconstruction. The results indicate that all RAD-like sequences fall into three major clades: RL1, RL2, and RL3. RAD of A. majus belongs to the RL2 clade. All RAD-like genes from Solanaceae fall into RL2 and RL3 clades. In the RL2 clade, 48 distinct sequences from 13 species of five solanaceous genera were further clustered into three clades: sRL2-I, sRL2-II, and sRL2-III. Gene duplications that give arise to these paralogs appear to have occurred in the most recent common ancestor of Solanaceae. We are focusing on increasing sampling to further clarify the timing of the two major gene duplication events within the sRL2 clade and on expression studies to demonstrate whether expression of sRL2 paralogs overlaps with the expression of CYC2 paralogs in Solanaceae.

1 - Virginia Commonwealth University, Department of Biology, 1000 W Carry St, Room 334, Richmond, VA, 23284, USA
2 - Virginia Commonwealth University, Biology, 1000 West Cary Street, Richmond, VA, 23284, USA

Keywords:
RADIALIS-like genes
gene duplication
gene evolution
Solanaceae
floral symmetry
phylogeny.

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 6:15 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: PEV004
Abstract ID:484
Candidate for Awards:Katherine Esau Award