Yeo May T S, Fairnie Alice L M, Travaglia Valentina, Walker Joseph F, Riglet Lucie, Zeyrek Selin, Moyroud Edwige
Sainsbury Laboratory, University of Cambridge, 47 Bateman Street, Cambridge, CB2 1LR, UK.
Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EH, UK.
New Phytol. 2025 Jul;247(2):863-883. doi: 10.1111/nph.70168. Epub 2025 May 20.
Colorful petal patterns fulfill important functions and constitute excellent systems to illuminate the evolutionary processes that generate morphological diversity or instead support the repetitive emergence of similar forms. Here, we combined phylogenomic approaches, genetic manipulations, molecular techniques, and bee behavioral experiments to (i) solve the species relationships across the Trionum complex, a small Hibiscus clade that displays bullseye petal patterns varying in size, hue, and composition, (ii) identify key genes involved in the production of bullseye pigmentation, and (iii) reveal molecular events underpinning pattern variation during the evolution of the group. We found that epidermal cell shape, texture, and pigmentation are genetically distinct and that pigmentation is the most labile feature across the group. We demonstrate that repetitive bullseye reduction events primarily occur through independent modifications of a single genetic locus encoding BERRY1, an R2R3 MYB (myeloblastosis) that regulates anthocyanin pigment production in petals. We also found that buff-tailed bumblebees discriminate against flowers with smaller bullseye sizes, suggesting that changing bullseye proportions impact plant-pollinator interactions. Our results demonstrate how repeated mutations in a single locus led to morphological variation in petal patterning, a trait shown to impact plant fitness in other species and contribute to angiosperm reproductive isolation and speciation.
色彩斑斓的花瓣图案具有重要功能,构成了极佳的系统,用以阐明产生形态多样性或相反支持相似形态重复出现的进化过程。在此,我们结合了系统基因组学方法、基因操作、分子技术和蜜蜂行为实验,以(i)解决三角葵复合体(一个小型木槿属分支,其呈现出大小、色调和组成各异的靶心花瓣图案)中的物种关系,(ii)鉴定参与靶心色素沉着产生的关键基因,以及(iii)揭示该类群进化过程中图案变异背后的分子事件。我们发现表皮细胞形状、质地和色素沉着在基因上是不同的,并且色素沉着是整个类群中最不稳定的特征。我们证明,重复性的靶心缩小事件主要通过对一个编码BERRY1的单一基因座的独立修饰而发生,BERRY1是一种R2R3 MYB(成髓细胞瘤),可调节花瓣中花青素色素的产生。我们还发现,黄尾熊蜂会区分靶心尺寸较小的花朵,这表明靶心比例的变化会影响植物与传粉者之间的相互作用。我们的结果表明,单个基因座中的重复突变如何导致花瓣图案的形态变异,这一性状在其他物种中已显示会影响植物适应性,并有助于被子植物的生殖隔离和物种形成。