Alterations of CorTFL1 and CorAP1 expression correlate with major evolutionary shifts of inflorescence architecture in Cornus (Cornaceae) - a proposed model for variation of closed inflorescence forms.
TFL1-, AP1- and LFY-like genes are known to be key regulators of inflorescence development. However, it remains to be tested whether the evolutionary modifications of inflorescence morphology result from shifts in their expression patterns. We compared the spatiotemporal expression patterns of CorTFL1, CorAP1 and CorLFY in six closely related Cornus species that display four types of closed inflorescence morphology using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and RNA in situ hybridization. Character mapping on the phylogeny was conducted to identify evolutionary changes and to assess the correlation between changes in gene expression and inflorescence morphology. Results demonstrated variation of gene expression patterns among species and a strong correlation between CorTFL1 expression and the branch index of the inflorescence type. Evolutionary changes in CorTFL1 and CorAP1 expression co-occurred on the phylogeny with the morphological changes underpinning inflorescence divergence. The study found a clear correlation between the expression patterns of CorTFL1 and CorAP1 and the inflorescence architecture in a natural system displaying closed inflorescences. The results suggest a role for the alteration in CorTFL1 and CorAP1 expression during the evolutionary modification of inflorescences in Cornus. We propose that a TFL1-like and AP1-like gene-based model may explain variation of closed inflorescences in Cornus and other lineages.
Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695-7612, USA.|Key laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
Qing
Q
Ma
Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695-7612, USA.
Xiang
X
Liu
Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695-7612, USA.
Robert G
RG
Franks
Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695-7612, USA.
Qiu-Yun Jenny
QJ
Xiang
D005075:Biological Evolution; D029767:Cornaceae / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D056626:Inflorescence / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000235:genetics*; D008954:Models, Biological; D008957:Models, Genetic; D010802:Phylogeny; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013045:Species Specificity
D010940:Plant Proteins

CorAP1
; 
CorTFL1
; 
Cornus
; evolutionary development; gene expression; inflorescence; in situ hybridization; quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR)