Kalisz Susan, Ree Richard H, Sargent Risa D
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, 4249 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA.
Trends Plant Sci. 2006 Dec;11(12):568-73. doi: 10.1016/j.tplants.2006.10.005. Epub 2006 Nov 9.
Understanding the genetic basis of ecologically important traits is a major focus of evolutionary research. Recent advances in molecular genetic techniques should significantly increase our understanding of how regulatory genes function. By contrast, our understanding of the broader macro-evolutionary implications of developmental gene function lags behind. Here we review published data on the floral symmetry gene network (FSGN), and conduct phylogenetic analyses that provide evidence of a link between floral symmetry and breeding systems in angiosperms via dichogamy. Our results suggest that known genes in the FSGN and those yet to be described underlie this association. We posit that the integration of floral symmetry and the roles of other regulatory genes in plant breeding system evolution will provide new insights about macro-evolutionary patterns and processes in flowering plants.
了解具有重要生态意义的性状的遗传基础是进化研究的一个主要重点。分子遗传技术的最新进展应能显著增进我们对调控基因功能的理解。相比之下，我们对发育基因功能更广泛的宏观进化意义的理解则较为滞后。在此，我们回顾已发表的关于花对称性基因网络（FSGN）的数据，并进行系统发育分析，这些分析通过雌雄异熟现象提供了被子植物花对称性与繁殖系统之间存在联系的证据。我们的结果表明，FSGN中已知的基因以及那些尚未被描述的基因是这种关联的基础。我们认为，花对称性与其他调控基因在植物繁殖系统进化中的作用的整合，将为开花植物的宏观进化模式和过程提供新的见解。
