Characterization of TrcMADS1 gene of Trillium camtschatcense (Trilliaceae) reveals functional evolution of the SOC1/TM3-like gene family.

Plant MADS-box genes encode transcriptional regulators that are critical for a number of developmental processes, such as the establishment of floral organ identity, flowering time, and fruit development. It appears that the MADS-box gene family has undergone considerable gene duplication and divergence within various angiosperm lineages. SUPPRESSOR OF OVEREXPRESSION OF CONSTANS 1 (SOC1)/Tomato MADS-box gene 3 (TM3)-like genes are members of the MADS-box gene family and have undergone repeated duplication events. Here, we isolated and characterized the SOC1/TM3-like gene TrcMADS1 from Trillium camtschatcense (Trilliaceae) to infer the ancestral function of SOC1/TM3-like genes. The alignment of SOC1/TM3-like genes revealed the presence of a highly conserved region in the C-terminal of predicted protein sequences, designated the SOC1 motif. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that TrcMADS1 is at the basal position of the SOC1/TM3-like gene family. The TrcMADS1 mRNA was detected in both vegetative and reproductive organs by RT-PCR. Our results suggest that duplicated copies of SOC1/TM3-like gene evolved to become variously functionally specialized.