Sex Transition Regulation Networks in Alpinia mutica
This project reveal the advantages of outcrossing in the sexual reproduction of flowering plants and its impact on the diversity and evolution of these plants. It also highlights the importance of understanding the regulatory mechanism of dichogamy, a reproductive trait that has been of great interest since Darwin's time but remains unknown due to a lack of research materials. However, the species Aplinia mutica, a wild ginger with two sexes within the same population, provides excellent research material for studying dichogamy. The study conducted gene analysis and screening to identify the underlying causes and potential regulatory networks involved in flower sex transition and the maturity of two sex organs, anther and stigma. The findings suggest that genes, plant hormones, environmental factors, and other biological processes may all affect the sex transition process of A. mutica. The regulation of sex transition and dichogamy is a complex process, and this study contributes to understanding its transcriptional regulation at the molecular level. This finding holds immense importance for further investigations in this area.