title: Comparative Transcriptome Analysis between Gynoecious and Monoecious Plants Identifies Regulatory Networks Controlling Sex Determination inJatropha curcas.
abstract: Most germplasms of the biofuel plantJatropha curcasare monoecious. A gynoecious genotype ofJ. curcaswas found, whose male flowers are aborted at early stage of inflorescence development. To investigate the regulatory mechanism of transition from monoecious to gynoecious plants, a comparative transcriptome analysis between gynoecious and monoecious inflorescences were performed. A total of 3,749 genes differentially expressed in two developmental stages of inflorescences were identified. Among them, 32 genes were involved in floral development, and 70 in phytohormone biosynthesis and signaling pathways. Six genes homologous toKNOTTED1-LIKE HOMEOBOX GENE 6(KNAT6),MYC2,SHI-RELATED SEQUENCE 5(SRS5),SHORT VEGETATIVE PHASE(SVP),TERMINAL FLOWER 1(TFL1), andTASSELSEED2(TS2), which control floral development, were considered as candidate regulators that may be involved in sex differentiation inJ. curcas. Abscisic acid, auxin, gibberellin, and jasmonate biosynthesis were lower, whereas cytokinin biosynthesis was higher in gynoecious than that in monoecious inflorescences. Moreover, the exogenous application of gibberellic acid (GA3) promoted perianth development in male flowers and partly prevented pistil development in female flowers to generate neutral flowers in gynoecious inflorescences. The arrest of stamen primordium at early development stage probably causes the abortion of male flowers to generate gynoecious individuals. These results suggest that some floral development genes and phytohormone signaling pathways orchestrate the process of sex determination inJ. curcas. Our study provides a basic framework for the regulation networks of sex determination inJ. curcasand will be helpful for elucidating the evolution of the plant reproductive system.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Tropical Plant Resources and Sustainable Use, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences Menglun, China.
authors.forename: Mao-Sheng
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Tropical Plant Resources and Sustainable Use, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences Menglun, China.
authors.forename: Bang-Zhen
authors.initials: BZ
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Tropical Plant Resources and Sustainable Use, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences Menglun, China.
authors.forename: Qiantang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Tropical Plant Resources and Sustainable Use, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences Menglun, China.
authors.forename: Yan-Bin
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.affiliation: Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agrícolas y Pecuarias Huimanguillo, Mexico.
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Martínez-Herrera
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Tropical Plant Resources and Sustainable Use, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences Menglun, China.
authors.forename: Longjian
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Niu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Tropical Plant Resources and Sustainable Use, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences Menglun, China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ni
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Tropical Plant Resources and Sustainable Use, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences Menglun, China.
authors.forename: Yuling
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Tropical Plant Resources and Sustainable Use, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences Menglun, China.
authors.forename: Mei-Li
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Tropical Plant Resources and Sustainable Use, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences Menglun, China.
authors.forename: Zeng-Fu
authors.initials: ZF
authors.lastname: Xu
keywords: female plant; floral development; inflorescence; physic nut; phytohormone; sex expression