title: Transition from two to one integument in Prunus species: expression pattern of INNER NO OUTER (INO), ABERRANT TESTA SHAPE (ATS) and ETTIN (ETT).
abstract: While gymnosperm ovules have one integument, in most angiosperms two integuments surround the ovules. Unitegmic ovules have arisen independently several times during the evolution of angiosperms, but the ultimate genetic cause of the presence of a single integument remains elusive. We compared species of the genus Prunus that have different numbers of integuments: bitegmic species, such as Prunus armeniaca (apricot) and Prunus persica (peach), and unitegmic species, such as Prunus incisa, analyzing the expression pattern of genes that are involved in integument development in Arabidopsis thaliana: INNER NO OUTER (INO), ABERRANT TESTA SHAPE (ATS) and ETTIN (ETT). Bitegmic and unitegmic species showed similar INO expression patterns, indicative of the conservation of an outer integument. However, expression of ETT, which occurs in the boundary of the outer and inner integuments, was altered in unitegmic ovules, which showed lack of ETT expression. These results strongly suggest that the presence of a single integument could be attributable to the amalgamation of two integuments and support the role of ETT in the fusion of the outer and inner integuments in unitegmic ovules, a situation that could be widespread in other unitegmic species of angiosperms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pomology, Estación Experimental Aula Dei, CSIC, Apdo. 13034, 50080, Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lora
authors.affiliation: Department of Subtropical Fruit Crops, Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterránea 'La Mayora' (IHSM-UMA-CSIC), 29750, Algarrobo-Costa, Málaga, Spain.
authors.forename: José I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Hormaza
authors.affiliation: Department of Pomology, Estación Experimental Aula Dei, CSIC, Apdo. 13034, 50080, Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Herrero
mesh_terms: D001499:Bayes Theorem; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D017343:Genes, Plant; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D056771:Ovule / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D010802:Phylogeny; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D058526:Plant Vascular Bundle / Q000378:metabolism; D027861:Prunus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development*; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D010940:Plant Proteins
keywords: ABERRANT TESTA SHAPE (ATS); ETTIN (ETT); INNER NO OUTER (INO); Prunus; integument development; ovule evolution