Abstract
Changes in flower morphology may influence the frequency and specificity of animal visitors. In Petunia (Solanaceae), adaptation to different pollinators is one of the factors leading to species diversification within the genus. This study provides evidence that differential expression patterns of MAWEWEST (MAW) homologs in different Petunia species may be associated with adaptive changes in floral morphology. The Petunia × hybrida MAW gene belongs to the WOX (WUSCHEL-related homeobox) transcription factor family and has been identified as a controller of petal fusion during corolla formation. We analyzed the expression patterns of P. inflata and P. axillaris MAW orthologs (PiMAW and PaMAW, respectively) by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), reverse transcription–quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) and in situ hybridization in different tissues and different developmental stages of flowers in both species. The spatial expression patterns of PiMAW and PaMAW were similar in P. inflata and P. axillaris. Nevertheless, PaMAW expression level in P. axillaris was higher during the late bud development stage as compared to PiMAW in P. inflata. This work represents an expansion of petunia developmental research to wild accessions.
Highlights
The great morphological variation seen in flowers is associated with the different pollinators of each species
Petunia × hybrida MAW (PhMAW) orthologs were identified in wild P. axillaris and P. inflata and were denoted PaMAW and PiMAW, respectively
The broad expression of MAW orthologs detected by our reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), qRT-PCR and in situ hybridization in both P. inflata and P. axillaris flowers corroborates the role of this gene in the formation of reproductive organs, as in P. × hybrida [7]
Summary
The great morphological variation seen in flowers is associated with the different pollinators of each species. It is known that some floral characteristics (such as those resulting from the fusion of floral parts, shape and size) arise after organ initiation, the developmental mechanisms associated with these processes are poorly understood [4]. Post-initiation fusion occurs in petals, carpels, and stamen filaments of Petunia flowers: the petal primordia partially fuse to form the corolla tube, the stamen filaments fuse to the proximal part of the corolla tube, and the two carpel primordia fuse to form the pistil [5,6]. The flowers of the different species have distinct shape and size [6]
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