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He L, Fan Y, Zhang Z, Wei X, Yu J. Identifying Genes Associated with Female Flower Development of Phellodendron amurense Rupr. Using a Transcriptomics Approach. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:661. [PMID: 36980934 PMCID: PMC10048520 DOI: 10.3390/genes14030661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Phellodendron amurense Rupr., a species of Rutaceae, is a nationally protected and valuable medicinal plant. It is generally considered to be dioecious. With the discovery of monoecious P. amurense, the phenomenon that its sex development is regulated by epigenetics has been revealed, but the way epigenetics affects the sex differentiation of P. amurense is still unclear. In this study, we investigated the effect of DNA methylation on the sexual development of P. amurense. The young inflorescences of male plants were treated with the demethylation agent 5-azaC, and the induced female flowers were obtained. The induced female flowers’ morphological functions and transcriptome levels were close to those of normally developed plants. Genes associated with the development of female flowers were studied by comparing the differences in transcriptome levels between the male and female flowers. Referring to sex-related genes reported in other plants, 188 candidate genes related to the development of female flowers were obtained, including sex-regulating genes, genes related to the formation and development of sexual organs, genes related to biochemical pathways, and hormone-related genes. RPP0W, PAL3, MCM2, MCM6, SUP, PIN1, AINTEGUMENTA, AINTEGUMENTA-LIKE6, AGL11, SEUSS, SHI-RELATED SEQUENCE 5, and ESR2 were preliminarily considered the key genes for female flower development. This study has demonstrated that epigenetics was involved in the sex regulation of P. amurense, with DNA methylation as one of its regulatory modes. Moreover, some candidate genes related to the sexual differentiation of P. amurense were obtained with analysis. These results are of great significance for further exploring the mechanism of sex differentiation of P. amurense and studying of sex differentiation of plants.
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Cascales J, Acevedo RM, Paiva DI, Gottlieb AM. Differential DNA methylation and gene expression during development of reproductive and vegetative organs in Ilex species. J Plant Res 2021; 134:559-575. [PMID: 33759060 DOI: 10.1007/s10265-021-01279-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Differential epigenetic (DNA cytosine methylation) and gene expression patterns were investigated in reproductive and vegetative organs from Ilex paraguariensis and I. dumosa, at distinct developmental stages. We aimed at contributing towards elucidating major molecular changes underlying the sexual differentiation processes which, in these dioecious species, are completely unknown. Simultaneously, as a first step towards the development of an early sexing system, we searched for promising molecular markers. This was assessed through Methylation Sensitive Amplified Polymorphism (MSAP) and Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism on cDNA (cDNA-AFLP) techniques, applying discriminant multivariate analyses, and bioinformatic characterization of differential fragments. A significant positive correlation was found between epigenetic and indirect 'genetic' information for both species, indicating influence of the genetic background on the epigenetic variation. Higher epigenetic than genetic diversities were estimated. Our outcomes showed up to 1.86 times more representation of mCG subepiloci than mCCG in all organs sampled. Along the maturing stages of floral buds, the frequency of mCG evidenced an incremental trend, whereas mCCG and unmethylated conditions showed opposite tendencies. Reproductive and vegetative samples tended to cluster apart based on epigenetic patterns; at gene expression level, organs exhibited clear-cut distinctive patterns, nonetheless profiles of young leaves and floral primordia resemble. Epigenetic and expression data allowed discrimination of I. dumosa´s samples according to the gender of the donor; more elusive patterns were observed for I. paraguariensis. In total, 102 differentially methylated and expressed fragments were characterized bioinformatically. Forty-three were annotated in various functional categories; four candidate markers were validated through qPCR, finding statistical differences among organs but not among sexes. The methylation condition of epilocus C13m33 appears as indicative of gender in both species. Thirty-three organ-specific and 34 gender-specific methylated markers were discriminated and deserve further research, particularly those expressed in leaves. Our study contributes concrete candidate markers with potential for practical application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jimena Cascales
- Laboratorio de Citogenética y Evolución, Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires (IEGEBA, CONICET-UBA), Universidad de Buenos Aires, Intendente Güiraldes 2160, Pabellón II, Ciudad Universitaria, C1428EHA, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Godoy Cruz 2290, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, C1425FQB, Argentina
| | - Raúl Maximiliano Acevedo
- Laboratorio de Biotecnología Aplicada y Genómica Funcional, Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Instituto de Botánica del Nordeste (IBONE, UNNE-CONICET), Universidad Nacional del Nordeste, Sargento Juan Bautista Cabral 2131, Corrientes, W3402BKG, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Godoy Cruz 2290, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, C1425FQB, Argentina
| | - Daniela Ivana Paiva
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Montecarlo (INTA EEA Montecarlo), Av. El Libertador 2472, Misiones, N3384, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Godoy Cruz 2290, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, C1425FQB, Argentina
| | - Alexandra Marina Gottlieb
- Laboratorio de Citogenética y Evolución, Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires (IEGEBA, CONICET-UBA), Universidad de Buenos Aires, Intendente Güiraldes 2160, Pabellón II, Ciudad Universitaria, C1428EHA, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Godoy Cruz 2290, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, C1425FQB, Argentina.
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Feng G, Sanderson BJ, Keefover-Ring K, Liu J, Ma T, Yin T, Smart LB, DiFazio SP, Olson MS. Pathways to sex determination in plants: how many roads lead to Rome? Curr Opin Plant Biol 2020; 54:61-68. [PMID: 32106015 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2020.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2019] [Revised: 01/13/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
The presence of thousands of independent origins of dioecy in angiosperms provides a unique opportunity to address the parallel evolution of the molecular pathways underlying unisexual flowers. Recent progress towards identifying sex determination genes has identified hormone response pathways, mainly associated with cytokinin and ethylene response pathways, as having been recruited multiple times independently to control unisexuality. Moreover, transcriptomics has begun to identify commonalities among intermediate sections of signal transduction pathways. These recent advances set the stage for development of a comparative evolutionary development research program to identify the shared and unique aspects of the genetic pathways of unisexual flower development in angiosperms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guanqiao Feng
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA
| | - Brian J Sanderson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA
| | - Ken Keefover-Ring
- Departments of Botany and Geography, University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, WI 53795, USA
| | - Jianquan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China; State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystem, Institute of Innovation Ecology & College of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Tao Ma
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China; State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystem, Institute of Innovation Ecology & College of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Tongming Yin
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
| | - Lawrence B Smart
- Horticulture Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, New York State Agricultural Experiment Station, Geneva, NY 14456, USA
| | - Stephen P DiFazio
- Department of Biology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA
| | - Matthew S Olson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA.
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Zerpa-Catanho D, Wai J, Wang ML, Yu L, Nguyen J, Ming R. Differential gene expression among three sex types reveals a MALE STERILITY 1 (CpMS1) for sex differentiation in papaya. BMC Plant Biol 2019; 19:545. [PMID: 31818257 PMCID: PMC6902354 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-019-2169-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2019] [Accepted: 11/27/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Carica papaya is a trioecious plant species with a genetic sex-determination system defined by sex chromosomes. Under unfavorable environmental conditions male and hermaphrodite exhibit sex-reversal. Previous genomic research revealed few candidate genes for sex differentiation in this species. Nevertheless, more analysis is still needed to identify the mechanism responsible for sex flower organ development in papaya. RESULTS The aim of this study was to identify differentially expressed genes among male, female and hermaphrodite flowers in papaya during early (pre-meiosis) and later (post-meiosis) stages of flower development. RNA-seq was used to evaluate the expression of differentially expressed genes and RT-qPCR was used to verify the results. Putative functions of these genes were analyzed based on their homology with orthologs in other plant species and their expression patterns. We identified a Male Sterility 1 gene (CpMS1) highly up-regulated in male and hermaphrodite flower buds compared to female flower buds, which expresses in small male flower buds (3-8 mm), and that might be playing an important role in male flower organ development due to its homology to MS1 genes previously identified in other plants. This is the first study in which the sex-biased expression of genes related to tapetum development in the anther developmental pathway is being reported in papaya. Besides important transcription factors related to flower organ development and flowering time regulation, we identified differential expression of genes that are known to participate in ABA, ROS and auxin signaling pathways (ABA-8-hydroxylases, AIL5, UPBEAT 1, VAN3-binding protein). CONCLUSIONS CpMS1 was expressed in papaya male and hermaphrodite flowers at early stages, suggesting that this gene might participate in male flower organ development processes, nevertheless, this gene cannot be considered a sex-determination gene. Due to its homology with other plant MS1 proteins and its expression pattern, we hypothesize that this gene participates in anther development processes, like tapetum and pollen development, downstream gender specification. Further gene functional characterization studies in papaya are required to confirm this hypothesis. The role of ABA and ROS signaling pathways in papaya flower development needs to be further explored as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dessireé Zerpa-Catanho
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801 USA
| | - Jennifer Wai
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801 USA
| | - Ming Li Wang
- Hawaii Agriculture Research Center, Kunia, HI 96759 USA
| | - Li’ang Yu
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801 USA
| | - Julie Nguyen
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801 USA
| | - Ray Ming
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801 USA
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Bräutigam K, Cronk Q. DNA Methylation and the Evolution of Developmental Complexity in Plants. Front Plant Sci 2018; 9:1447. [PMID: 30349550 PMCID: PMC6186995 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2018.01447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2018] [Accepted: 09/12/2018] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
All land plants so far examined use DNA methylation to silence transposons (TEs). DNA methylation therefore appears to have been co-opted in evolution from an original function in TE management to a developmental function (gene regulation) in both phenotypic plasticity and in normal development. The significance of DNA methylation to the evolution of developmental complexity in plants lies in its role in the management of developmental pathways. As such it is more important in fine tuning the presence, absence, and placement of organs rather than having a central role in the evolution of new organs. Nevertheless, its importance should not be underestimated as it contributes considerably to the range of phenotypic expression and complexity available to plants: the subject of the emerging field of epi-evodevo. Furthermore, changes in DNA methylation can function as a "soft" mutation that may be important in the early stages of major evolutionary novelty.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Bräutigam
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada
| | - Quentin Cronk
- Department of Botany, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- *Correspondence: Quentin Cronk,
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