title: Molecular population genetics of the Arabidopsis CAULIFLOWER regulatory gene: nonneutral evolution and naturally occurring variation in floral homeotic function.
abstract: The evolution of interspecies differences in morphology requires sufficient within-species variation in developmental regulatory systems on which evolutionary forces can act. Molecular analyses of naturally occurring alleles of the Arabidopsis thaliana CAULIFLOWER locus reveal considerable intraspecific diversity at this floral homeotic gene, and the McDonald-Kreitman test suggests that this gene is evolving in a nonneutral fashion, with an excess of intraspecific replacement polymorphisms. The naturally occurring molecular variation within this floral regulatory gene is associated with functionally different alleles, which can be distinguished phenotypically by their differential ability to direct floral meristem development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, Box 7614, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA. michael_purugganan@ncsu.edu
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Purugganan
authors.forename: J I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Suddith
mesh_terms: D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics*; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D001483:Base Sequence; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005828:Genetics, Population; D026161:MADS Domain Proteins; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; C091536:CAL protein, Arabidopsis; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D026161:MADS Domain Proteins; D010940:Plant Proteins