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| Author(s): |
Ana Paula de Souza Caetano
Total Authors: 1
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| Document type: | Doctoral Thesis |
| Press: | Campinas, SP. |
| Institution: | Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Instituto de Biologia |
| Defense date: | 2014-08-18 |
| Examining board members: |
Simone de Pádua Teixeira;
André Olmos Simões;
Daniela Guimarães Simão;
Juliana Lischka Sampaio Mayer;
Karen Lúcia Gama de Toni
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| Advisor: | Simone de Pádua Teixeira; Sandra Maria Carmello Guerreiro |
| Abstract | |
Melastomataceae comprise ~4,500 species found in tropical and subtropical regions. This is the sixth largest family of flowering plants in Brazil. The group has been highlighted for its high proportion of apomictic species, clearly concentrated in Miconieae. Despite of the supported monophyly of the family, their intrafamily relationships and morphological evolution are still now poorly understood. The objectives of this study were twofold. The first aim was to investigate the apomixis type and to verify the occurrence of sexual reproduction in six species of Miconieae: Clidemia hirta, Leandra aurea, L. melastomoides, Miconia leucocarpa, Ossaea amygdaloides and O. confertiflora. Sporogenesis, gametogenesis and embryogenesis anatomy, and pollen grain viability and germination measurement were used. The second aim of this study was to test the systematic importance of two embryological characters in Melastomataceae: druses occurrence in the anther wall cells and the thickness of the outer ovule integument from 180 and 144 species, respectively. For this purpose, we used anatomical analyses from herborized and spirit samples. The results show abnormal meiosis and heterochrony as cause of pollen inviability. Diplosporic apomixis was observed in all species and thus, the sexual embryo sac development is affected. Furthermore, aposporic apomixis was observed in C. hirta and adventitious embryony in L. melastomoides. Sexual reproduction appears to be an uncommon event in the investigated species, which can be classified as obligate apomitics. Druses in the anther wall cells were observed in 89 from 180 analysed species. The druses occurrence delimits Blakea (Blakeeae), Henrietteeae and a subclade in "Conostegia s.l." (Miconieae). The role of druses in the anther wall is uncertain. The bi-layered outer ovule integument was the most common character state in the family, observed in 11 from 14 sampled groups. Variations were detected in Melastomeae, Merianieae and Miconieae. The three-layered outer integument is pointed as a synapomorphy for "Marcetia & allies" (Melastomeae) and it is a character state most common in Miconieae, although more than three layers were observed in lineages with large seeds. We propose that the outer ovule integument may be related to the endozoochorous fruits in Miconieae. A bi-layered outer integument delimits Physeterostemon and a subclade in "Conostegia s.l." (Miconieae). The embryological data comparison for different groups of Melastomataceae highlights the importance of this study in the systematic works and provides information for future evolutionary discussions (AU) | |
| FAPESP's process: | 10/15077-0 - Apomixis, sexuality, polyploidy and pollen viability in the Neotropical tribe Miconieae (Melastomataceae) |
| Grantee: | Ana Paula de Souza Caetano |
| Support Opportunities: | Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate |