Transcript Document

Physiology of flowering plant
Molecular level
Molecular studies on flowering crops
Basic knowledge
genes, gene expression profile
control of gene expression
Practical aspect
e.g. breeding/improvement
Flowering
At shoot apex
Induction to Initiation to Specification
Vegetative to Reproductive
Indeterminate to Determinate
Shoot apical meristem to
Inflorescence meristem to
Floral meristem (primordia)
Flowering Signal
Hormone
Temperature
Photoperiod
Autonomous
environment/endogenous
Floral stimulus production
following inducing signal
flowering switch to turn on
florigen
Site of flowering commitment
shoot apex: require sufficient amount of
floral stimulus for continuous flower production
leaf: commit to continuously production of
floral stimulus (irreversible)
Florigen: shoot apex or leaf
Impatiens purple flower
Short day for flowering
5 SD: flowering
SD to LD: continue flowering
SD to remove leaves to LD:
leaves with purple petals
Florigen: shoot apex or leaf
Impatiens red flower
Short day for flowering
5 SD: flowering
Return to LD: vegetative stage at inner whorls
Require continuous supply of inducing signal
Flowering genes expressed in young leaf
Maize: intermediate
Arabidopsis: constans
Genes in Flower Development
Structural gene
Flower organ
Flower color
Flower scent
Regulatory gene
Protein product involved in controlling
expression of other genes
Via protein-DNA interaction
Flowering genes
Timing
Meristem identity
Organ identity
Approaches
Flowering mutant
Gene identification
Transformation
Mutant complementation
Why flowering?
Evolutionary diversification of organisms
Alteration of developmental events
Variation in structure and regulation of genes
controlling developmental mechanism
Why flowering?
Flowers: invariant pattern and organization
Perianth/Reproductive organs
Varied number, size and position
Flowering genes
Study model: Arabidopsis and Snapdragon
Common characteristics:
Floral-specific expression with different roles
Identified as homeotic genes
Control specification of meristem
and organ identity of flower
Flowering genes
2 classes: meristem identity genes
eg, LFY CAL AP1
organ identity genes
eg, AP2 AP3 PI AG
Most genes encode proteins with
homologous regions of ~ 260 amino acid
sequence similarity : common ancestor
Flowering genes
Highly conserved region about 57 amino acid
called MADS box
also found in yeast and human
Regulatory gene family: transcription factor
MADS box gene in other crops:
tomato tobacco potato petunia
Homeotic gene: identity of organs/body parts
pattern and position
Sequence-specific DNA-binding moiety:
animal: homeodomain (homeobox gene)
plant leaf: homeodomain protein
floral organ: MADS box protein / gene
Meristem identity genes
Meristem: SAM (indeterminate) for shoot
IM (indeterminate) for inflorescence
FM (determinate) for flower
Meristem identity genes
Inflorescence meristem
Mutant: early flowering in Arabidopsis
Conversion of IM to FM
Terminal flower
tfl
TFL protein
Negative regulator of LFY and AP genes
Meristem identity genes
Floral meristem
Mutant: partial conversion of FM to IM
Leafy in Arabidopsis
Floricaula in Snapdragon
LFY and FLO protein
Positive regulator of AF3 and PI genes
Meristem identity genes
Floral meristem
Mutant: indeterminate flower within flower
(sepal, petal, petal etc)
Agamous (AG) in Arabidopsis
Plena (PLE) in Snapdragon
Protein: putative transcription factor
Meristem maintenance genes
Meristem: - small, dense, large nuclei
- to supply new cells
- undifferentiated cells (central)
- daughter cells with
specific developmental fates (subdistal)
Meristem maintenance genes
Mutant:
no meristem (strong allele)
Reduced number of meristematic cells
No effect of root meristem
Shoot meristemless, stm
stm-5 mutant: 1-2 leaves then terminate
leaf primordia consume central zone
Meristem maintenance genes
STM protein:
Produced throughout development
Maintain shoot and floral meristem
Inhibit differentiation in central zone
Activate cell division/proliferation
Floral Initiation Process (FLIP)
Arabidopsis structural development
- rosette leaves with compact internode
- elongated internode with cauline leaves
and lateral inflorescence (bolting)
- nodes without leaves and flowers
Floral Initiation Process (FLIP)
Transition from early to late inflorescence
Loss of indeterminate growth
Inhibit inflorescence program
Inhibit leaf, lateral shoot development
Initiate specific floral organ
Activate perianth development
Inhibit reproductive organ development
FLIP genes
TFL LFY AP1 AP2
TFL: timing of phase transition
Tfl mutant: correct sequence of development
early bolting
early flowering
reduced number of inflorescence internode
LFY/AP1/AP2:
Mutant:
required in combination
rapid and complete transition
gradual transition from inflo. to flower
flower-like lateral shoot
leaf in first whorl
reproductive organs in outer whorls
etc.
Late in flower development
Reduce FLIP genes, increase gamete genes
Floral Organ Identity
Organs with appropriate identity for their positions
ABC model
3 classes of genes: A, B and C
working individual and in pair
A and C inhibit/antagonize each other
(no simultaneous functions)
B
A
1
A
A+B
B+C
C
C
2
3
sepals
petals
stamens
carpel and determinacy
4
whorl 1
whorl 2
whorl 3
whorl 4
ABC model:
Developed from floral homeotic mutants
of Arabidopsis and Antirrhinum
(flowers with abnormal organ pattern)
Genes identified: MADS-box family
(transcription factor with conserved domain)
Also work well in petunia, tomato and maize
A mutant
abnormal in whorl =
abnormal in organ =
B mutant
abnormal in whorl =
abnormal in organ =
C mutant
abnormal in whorl =
abnormal in organ =
AP1, SQUA
Mutant
sepal to leaves and no petal
Class =
AP2
Mutant
sepals to leaves or carpels
petals to stamens
Class=
AP3, DEF
Mutant
petals to sepals and stamens to carpels
Class=
AG, PLE
Mutant
stamens to petals and carpels to sepals
Class=
A-class mutant with different phenotypes
Varied from predicted pattern
Some floral homeotic genes (MADS box)
not follow ABC model: new E-class
control 3 inner whorls and determinacy
ABC model necessary but not sufficient
**D-class for ovule identity**
E-class or Identity mediating factors
Im genes: MADS box genes
Transcription factor
arabidopsis SEP
petunia
FBP2
tomato
TM5
Mutants: changes in organ identity
in 3 inner whorls
loss of determinacy
Arabidopsis triple mutant (sep1 sep2 sep3)
4 sepals
4 sepals
6 sepals
new mutant flower
petunia FBP2: functional equivalent to SEP protein
(complementation of sep mutant)
E-class essential for function of B and C class
Revised ABC model
B
Im/E class
A and C
Other factors
sepal petal stamen carpel
Quartet model of floral organ identity
interaction between MADS-domain proteins
to form DNA binding dimers
B-class protein form dimer with each other
or with A-class protein
C-class protein with E-class protein
ternary or quaternary complex
B- and C-class protein with
A-class and E-class protein
Floral organ identity
controlled by 4 different combinations of
4 floral homeotic proteins
e.g. Arabidopsis
whorl 1: A-class AP1 homodimer
whorl 2: A-class AP1, B-class AP3 and PI, E-class SEP
whorl 3: B-class AP3 and PI, C-class AG, E-class SEP
whorl 4: C-class AG, E-class SEP heterodimer
Blooming gene
When to flower
winter spring summer
too early: no pollinating insect
too late: not enough time to make seed (winter)
one gene: CONSTANS in Arabidopsis
control flowering time
CONSTANS protein helps measure day length
Quality of light
perceived by 2 light receptors
cryptochrome 2 responds to blue light
phytochrome A responds to red light
CONSTANS protein:
amount above threshold
Light receptors:
activated
Sunlight:
late afternoon
time for flowering
**hundreds of genes involved to build flower**
Color and Color pattern
Flower color: important for pollination
Different perception of color
red flower – visible to hummingbird
-- colorless to bee
Changes in petal color : effect on pollinator type
Color pattern: differential accumulation of pigment
Color and Color pattern
Flower color:
Accumulation of flavonoids
Major pigments: anthocyanins
orange, red and purple
Vacuole: site of anthocyanin accumulation
Transport as glutathione conjugate
Flower Color
Anthocyanin
synthesis
pathway
Biosynthesis
enzymes/genes
identified
Flower Color
Anthocyanin synthesis pathway
regulation at transcriptional level
Different colors: different enzyme activities or
substrate/precursor availability in different steps
Mutations: accumulation of intermediates
new color
Flower Color
Factors on flower perception
co-pigmentation
vacuolar pH
cell shape
Flower Color
Co-pigmentation
anthocyanin and flavonols / flavones
shift in absorption spectrum
differential gene expression:
different enzyme activities
changes in pigment ratio
Flower Color
Vacuolar pH
pH increase  blueing
seven loci (ph1-ph7) control pH in petunia
mutation of the ph loci
effect on pH in petal extract
but not on anthocyanin composition
regulatory genes?
Flower Color
Cell shape
effect on optical properties
conical shape: higher light absorption
appear velvet sheen
flat shape: faint color
Flower Color
Cell-shape controlling gene: mixta
homolog of gene for Myb-domain protein
proposed function: regulatory gene
molecular mechanism: still not known
Color and Color pattern
Color pattern
cell-specific accumulation of pigments
specified by expression pattern of
regulatory genes that control
anthocyanin-synthesis genes
Color pattern
mutant with altered pigment synthesis
mutated structural (enzyme) genes
mutated regulatory genes
Two classes of regulatory genes identified
TF with MYB domain
TF with bHLH motif
Color pattern
Target genes to be regulated
specific cis (responsive) elements
essential for protein-DNA interaction
resulting in transcription activation
species-specific sequence
spatial / temporal specific sequence
Color and color pattern
Many factors still unknown
More information leads to applied research
Genetic engineered cutflowers
with novel color and color pattern
Ornamental crop Improvement
Color
Fragrance
Nectar
Shape
Vase life
Disease resistance
Transformation
(cocultivation with Agrobacterium)
Rose
Chrysanthemum
Carnation Tulip
Lily
Freesia
Snapdragon Anthurium
Embryogenic callus
Leaf Peduncle Petal
Stem
Molecular breeding
Gene transformation then Selection
Flower color
Maize dfr to petunia: brick-red petunia
Petunia mum gerbera rose chs
Cosuppression/Antisense technique
Various pattern and color
white pale pink cream etc.
Regulatory gene for anthocyanin pathway
Maize Lc to petunia: red plant
Snapdragon del to gerbera:
red leaf and flower scape not in flower
Vase life:
ethylene
Scent:
s-linalool synthase (monoterpene)