Identification and expression of genes related to floral pigmentation in Utricularia (Lentibulariaceae) with an evolutionary approach

• Grant number: 13/05144-0
• Support type: Regular Research Grants
• Duration: June 01, 2013 - October 31, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Genetics - Plant Genetics
• Principal researcher: Vitor Fernandes Oliveira de Miranda
• Grantee: Vitor Fernandes Oliveira de Miranda
• Home Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias (FCAV). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Jaboticabal. Jaboticabal , SP, Brazil
• Assoc. researchers: Jackson Antônio Marcondes de Souza ; Janete Apparecida Desidério ; Rogério Falleiros Carvalho

Abstract

Anthocyanins are produced by the synthesis via of flavonoids that is related to the protection against UV radiation, but that has acquired by evolution new functions as protection against herbivores, pathogens and also production of pigments. In reason of relationship between the color of flowers with the attraction of pollinators and their behavior for recognizing flower patterns (as size, shape and color), any flower change may result in pollinator shift or negative selection of the flower phenotype. Those changes in color can straightforwardly be traced in phylogenetic hypotheses and may be the result of mutations that prevent the translation of coding genes of crucial enzymes of the synthesis via or suppression of the same genes by transcription factors. Anyway, the effects of these mechanisms can be as deleterious as adaptive to the evolution of some lineages. To Utricularia the ancestral state of corolla color is purple or lilac. From this plesiomorphic condition, based on the phylogenies proposed to the genus, several independent transformations (homoplasies) resulted in yellow and white flowers. Interestingly to Utricularia species intraspecific polymorphism can also occur, as the case to Utricularia amethystina that presents purple flowers (more common pattern) and also yellow and white ones (more rare conditions). Anthocyanins express colors from red to dark blue. Nevertheless the yellow and white condition can result from inactivation or suppression of some of the genes related to the synthesis via, thus the resulted color - yellow or white - will depend on the location in the via of the inactivated gene. Thus this project has as principal aim to investigate with a phylogenetic approach four genes (CHS, CHI, FLS and DFR) that can be related to the color transitions in flowers of Utricularia. Considering that the patterns of flower colors in Utricularia are similar to those of genus Genlisea and Pinguicula, the results will be applied as an attempt to propose a generalized hypothesis to Lentibulariaceae and also to other related groups. (AU)

Scientific publications

(4)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

SILVA, SAURA R.; MORAES, ANA PAULA; PENHA, HELEN A.; JULIAO, MARIA H. M.; DOMINGUES, DOUGLAS S.; MICHAEL, TODD P.; MIRANDA, VITOR F. O.; VARANI, ALESSANDRO M. The Terrestrial Carnivorous Plant Utricularia reniformis Sheds Light on Environmental and Life-Form Genome Plasticity. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES, v. 21, n. 1 JAN 1 2020. Web of Science Citations: 0.

SILVA, SAURA R.; PINHEIRO, DANIEL G.; PENHA, HELEN A.; PLACHNO, BARTOSZ J.; MICHAEL, TODD P.; MEER, ELLIOTT J.; MIRANDA, VITOR F. O.; VARANI, ALESSANDRO M. Intraspecific Variation within the Utricularia amethystina Species Morphotypes Based on Chloroplast Genomes. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES, v. 20, n. 24 DEC 2019. Web of Science Citations: 0.

PTACHNO, BARTOSZ J.; SWIATEK, PIOTR; ADAMEC, LUBOMIR; CARVALHO, SAMANTA; MIRANDA, VITOR F. O. The Trap Architecture of Utricularia multifida and Utricularia westonii (subg. Polypompholyx). FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE, v. 10, MAR 26 2019. Web of Science Citations: 1.

SILVA, SAURA R.; MICHAEL, TODD P.; MEER, ELLIOTT J.; PINHEIRO, DANIEL G.; VARANI, ALESSANDRO M.; MIRANDA, VITOR F. O. Comparative genomic analysis of &ITGenlisea&IT (corkscrew plants-Lentibulariaceae) chloroplast genomes reveals an increasing loss of the &ITndh&IT genes. PLoS One, v. 13, n. 1 JAN 2 2018. Web of Science Citations: 2.