SEP-class genes in Prunus mume and their likely role in floral organ development

BMC Plant Biology

Research Article

Yuzhen Zhou¹  Zongda Xu¹  Jia Wang¹  Sagheer Ahmad¹  Weiru Yang¹  Xue Yong¹  Tangren Cheng¹  Qixiang Zhang¹ 

[1] Beijing Key Laboratory of Ornamental Plants Germplasm Innovation & Molecular Breeding, National Engineering Research Center for Floriculture, Beijing Laboratory of Urban and Rural Ecological Environment, Key Laboratory of Genetics and Breeding in Forest Trees and Ornamental Plants of Ministry of Education, School of Landscape Architecture, Beijing Forestry University, 100083, Beijing, China;

关键词: SEP genes;    Prunus mume;    Floral organ development;    Expression analysis;    Yeast two-hybrid assay;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12870-016-0954-6

 received in 2016-07-28, accepted in 2016-12-16,  发布年份 2017

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundFlower phylogenetics and genetically controlled development have been revolutionised during the last two decades. However, some of these evolutionary aspects are still debatable. MADS-box genes are known to play essential role in specifying the floral organogenesis and differentiation in numerous model plants like Petunia hybrida, Arabidopsis thaliana and Antirrhinum majus. SEPALLATA (SEP) genes, belonging to the MADS-box gene family, are members of the ABCDE and quartet models of floral organ development and play a vital role in flower development. However, few studies of the genes in Prunus mume have yet been conducted.ResultsIn this study, we cloned four PmSEPs and investigated their phylogenetic relationship with other species. Expression pattern analyses and yeast two-hybrid assays of these four genes indicated their involvement in the floral organogenesis with PmSEP4 specifically related to specification of the prolificated flowers in P. mume. It was observed that the flower meristem was specified by PmSEP1 and PmSEP4, the sepal by PmSEP1 and PmSEP4, petals by PmSEP2 and PmSEP3, stamens by PmSEP2 and PmSEP3 and pistils by PmSEP2 and PmSEP3.ConclusionWith the above in mind, flower development in P. mume might be due to an expression of SEP genes. Our findings can provide a foundation for further investigations of the transcriptional factors governing flower development, their molecular mechanisms and genetic basis.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© The Author(s). 2017