Abstract Detail

Evolutionary Developmental Biology (Evo-Devo)

Landis, Jacob [1], Gredler, Marissa [2], Soltis, Douglas [3], Soltis, Pamela [4].

Corolla length does matter: investigating the phenotypic and genetic underpinnings of flower size in Polemoniaceae.

Corolla length has been shown to have strong implications for pollinator success. Having long corollas discourages or inhibits some insects from attempting to pollinate a flower if they are not the optimal pollinators. Even with such strong relationships understood, the phenotypic and genetic underpinnings of corolla elongation are not well known. A large reason for this is a lack of good candidate genes for potential genetic exploration, and more importantly, a lack of functional work for the few possible candidate genes available. In this study, we investigate both the cellular phenotypic differences in corolla length, as well as the genetic control of this trait, in Saltugilia (Polemoniaceae). Saltugilia, with seven taxa, was chosen for investigating corolla elongation based on the results of character mapping of corolla length and width on a densely sampled phylogeny of Polemoniaceae. Flowers of each species were collected from multiple individuals during four stages of flower development in order to determine if cell number or cell size was the most important factor in flower size, as well as to determine how much variation exists between individuals from a given population of a species. Using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), quantitative differences in cell number and cell size were identified for three different taxa, each with a unique pollinator type and varying sizes of flowers. The selfing representative (S. australis) has mature flowers 8 mm long, while the bee-pollinated flower (S. caruifolia) has mature flowers 1.4 cm long. The largest flowers of the group belong to the hummingbird-pollinated flowers of S. splendens subsp. grantii with flowers 2.5 cm long. The candidate gene approach involved identifying and isolating possible genes responsible for corolla elongation, setting the foundation for future gene expression analyses during flower development.

Broader Impacts:

1 - University of Florida, Dept of Biology, 1659 Museum Road, Florida Museum of Natural History - Dickinson Hall, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
2 - University of Florida, Dept of Biology, 2033 Mowry Rd, Cancer/Genetics Research Complex, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
3 - University of Florida, Biology/FLMNH, Dickinson Hall , MUseum Road, Gainesville, FL, 32611-7800, USA
4 - University of Florida, Florida Museum of Natural History, PO BOX 117800, Gainesville, FL, 32611-7800, USA

Keywords:
corolla size
cell shape
pollination
Polemoniaceae.

Presentation Type: Oral Paper:Papers for Topics
Session: 47
Location: Jasperwood/Riverside Hilton
Date: Wednesday, July 31st, 2013
Time: 2:00 PM
Number: 47003
Abstract ID:249
Candidate for Awards:None