This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Supplemental Data All Versions of this Article: 19/3/779    most recent tpc.106.048694v1 Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Web of Science (29) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Hoballah, M. E. Articles by Kuhlemeier, C. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Hoballah, M. E. Articles by Kuhlemeier, C. Agricola Articles by Hoballah, M. E. Articles by Kuhlemeier, C.

Single Gene–Mediated Shift in Pollinator Attraction in Petunia^[W]

Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, 3013 Bern, Switzerland

⁴ To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail cris.kuhlemeier{at}ips.unibe.ch; fax 41-31-631-4942.

Animal-mediated pollination is essential in plant reproductive biology and is often associated with pollination syndromes, sets of floral traits, such as color, scent, shape, or nectar content. Selection by pollinators is often considered a key factor in floral evolution and plant speciation. Our aim is the identification and characterization of the genetic changes that caused the evolution of divergent pollination syndromes in closely related plant species. We focus on ANTHOCYANIN2 (AN2), a well-defined myb-type transcription factor that is a major determinant of flower color variation between Petunia integrifolia and Petunia axillaris. Analysis of sequence variation in AN2 in wild P. axillaris accessions showed that loss-of-function alleles arose at least five times independently. DNA sequence analysis was complemented by functional assays for pollinator preference using genetic introgressions and transgenics. These results show that AN2 is a major determinant of pollinator attraction. Therefore, changes in a single gene cause a major shift in pollination biology and support the notion that the adaptation of a flowering plant to a new pollinator type may involve a limited number of genes of large effect. Gene identification and analysis of molecular evolution in combination with behavioral and ecological studies can ultimately unravel the evolutionary genetics of pollination syndromes.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S. Knapp On 'various contrivances': pollination, phylogeny and flower form in the Solanaceae Phil Trans R Soc B, February 12, 2010; 365(1539): 449 - 460. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Venail, A. Dell'Olivo, and C. Kuhlemeier Speciation genes in the genus Petunia Phil Trans R Soc B, February 12, 2010; 365(1539): 461 - 468. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. M. Thomas, P. J. Rudall, A. G. Ellis, V. Savolainen, and B. J. Glover Development of a complex floral trait: The pollinator-attracting petal spots of the beetle daisy, Gorteria diffusa (Asteraceae) Am. J. Botany, December 1, 2009; 96(12): 2184 - 2196. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P.-A. Christin and G. Besnard Two independent C4 origins in Aristidoideae (Poaceae) revealed by the recruitment of distinct phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase genes Am. J. Botany, December 1, 2009; 96(12): 2234 - 2239. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Vandenbussche, A. Horstman, J. Zethof, R. Koes, A. S. Rijpkema, and T. Gerats Differential Recruitment of WOX Transcription Factors for Lateral Development and Organ Fusion in Petunia and Arabidopsis PLANT CELL, August 1, 2009; 21(8): 2269 - 2283. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. A. Hodges and N. J. Derieg Colloquium Papers: Adaptive radiations: From field to genomic studies PNAS, June 16, 2009; 106(Supplement_1): 9947 - 9954. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Brunet Pollinators of the Rocky Mountain columbine: temporal variation, functional groups and associations with floral traits Ann. Bot., June 1, 2009; 103(9): 1567 - 1578. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. E. Osborne, D. Walthers, A. M. Tomljenovic, D. T. Mulder, U. Silphaduang, N. Duong, M. J. Lowden, M. E. Wickham, R. F. Waller, L. J. Kenney, et al. Pathogenic adaptation of intracellular bacteria by rewiring a cis-regulatory input function PNAS, March 10, 2009; 106(10): 3982 - 3987. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. A. Streisfeld and M. D. Rausher Altered trans-Regulatory Control of Gene Expression in Multiple Anthocyanin Genes Contributes to Adaptive Flower Color Evolution in Mimulus aurantiacus Mol. Biol. Evol., February 1, 2009; 26(2): 433 - 444. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. J. Majetic, R. A. Raguso, and T.-L. Ashman The Impact of Biochemistry vs. Population Membership on Floral Scent Profiles in Colour Polymorphic Hesperis matronalis Ann. Bot., December 1, 2008; 102(6): 911 - 922. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. B Lowry, J. L Modliszewski, K. M Wright, C. A Wu, and J. H Willis The strength and genetic basis of reproductive isolating barriers in flowering plants Phil Trans R Soc B, September 27, 2008; 363(1506): 3009 - 3021. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Lexer and A. Widmer The genic view of plant speciation: recent progress and emerging questions Phil Trans R Soc B, September 27, 2008; 363(1506): 3023 - 3036. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. Kessler, K. Gase, and I. T. Baldwin Field Experiments with Transformed Plants Reveal the Sense of Floral Scents Science, August 29, 2008; 321(5893): 1200 - 1202. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				Compiled by, F. Tooke, T. Chiurugwi, and N. Battey Flowering Newsletter bibliography for 2007 J. Exp. Bot., July 18, 2008; (2008) ern109v1. [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. J. Waterman and M. I. Bidartondo Deception above, deception below: linking pollination and mycorrhizal biology of orchids J. Exp. Bot., March 2, 2008; (2008) erm366v1. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]