Genetic basis and dual adaptive role of floral pigmentation in sunflowers
Variation in floral displays, both between and within species, has been long known to be shaped by the mutualistic interactions that plants establish with their pollinators. However, increasing evidence suggests that abiotic selection pressures influence floral diversity as well. Here, we analyse th...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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eLife Sciences Publications Ltd
2022-01-01
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| Series: | eLife |
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| Online Access: | https://elifesciences.org/articles/72072 |
| _version_ | 1811199873467285504 |
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| author | Marco Todesco Natalia Bercovich Amy Kim Ivana Imerovski Gregory L Owens Óscar Dorado Ruiz Srinidhi V Holalu Lufiani L Madilao Mojtaba Jahani Jean-Sébastien Légaré Benjamin K Blackman Loren H Rieseberg |
| author_facet | Marco Todesco Natalia Bercovich Amy Kim Ivana Imerovski Gregory L Owens Óscar Dorado Ruiz Srinidhi V Holalu Lufiani L Madilao Mojtaba Jahani Jean-Sébastien Légaré Benjamin K Blackman Loren H Rieseberg |
| author_sort | Marco Todesco |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Variation in floral displays, both between and within species, has been long known to be shaped by the mutualistic interactions that plants establish with their pollinators. However, increasing evidence suggests that abiotic selection pressures influence floral diversity as well. Here, we analyse the genetic and environmental factors that underlie patterns of floral pigmentation in wild sunflowers. While sunflower inflorescences appear invariably yellow to the human eye, they display extreme diversity for patterns of ultraviolet pigmentation, which are visible to most pollinators. We show that this diversity is largely controlled by cis-regulatory variation affecting a single MYB transcription factor, HaMYB111, through accumulation of ultraviolet (UV)-absorbing flavonol glycosides in ligules (the ‘petals’ of sunflower inflorescences). Different patterns of ultraviolet pigments in flowers are strongly correlated with pollinator preferences. Furthermore, variation for floral ultraviolet patterns is associated with environmental variables, especially relative humidity, across populations of wild sunflowers. Ligules with larger ultraviolet patterns, which are found in drier environments, show increased resistance to desiccation, suggesting a role in reducing water loss. The dual role of floral UV patterns in pollinator attraction and abiotic response reveals the complex adaptive balance underlying the evolution of floral traits. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T01:54:49Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-761188283ff6488c8c0218253feba0bb |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2050-084X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T01:54:49Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | eLife Sciences Publications Ltd |
| record_format | Article |
| series | eLife |
| spelling | doaj.art-761188283ff6488c8c0218253feba0bb2022-12-22T03:52:49ZengeLife Sciences Publications LtdeLife2050-084X2022-01-011110.7554/eLife.72072Genetic basis and dual adaptive role of floral pigmentation in sunflowersMarco Todesco0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6227-4096Natalia Bercovich1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7703-2858Amy Kim2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2623-4118Ivana Imerovski3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1164-3664Gregory L Owens4https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4019-5215Óscar Dorado Ruiz5Srinidhi V Holalu6https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1948-8216Lufiani L Madilao7https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4161-2540Mojtaba Jahani8https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1844-1464Jean-Sébastien Légaré9https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1483-9643Benjamin K Blackman10https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4936-6153Loren H Rieseberg11https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2712-2417Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, CanadaDepartment of Botany and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, CanadaDepartment of Botany and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, CanadaDepartment of Botany and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, CanadaDepartment of Botany and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada; Department of Biology, University of Victoria, Victoria, CanadaDepartment of Botany and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, CanadaDepartment of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, United StatesMichael Smith Laboratory and Wine Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, United StatesDepartment of Botany and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, CanadaDepartment of Botany and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, CanadaDepartment of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, United StatesDepartment of Botany and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, CanadaVariation in floral displays, both between and within species, has been long known to be shaped by the mutualistic interactions that plants establish with their pollinators. However, increasing evidence suggests that abiotic selection pressures influence floral diversity as well. Here, we analyse the genetic and environmental factors that underlie patterns of floral pigmentation in wild sunflowers. While sunflower inflorescences appear invariably yellow to the human eye, they display extreme diversity for patterns of ultraviolet pigmentation, which are visible to most pollinators. We show that this diversity is largely controlled by cis-regulatory variation affecting a single MYB transcription factor, HaMYB111, through accumulation of ultraviolet (UV)-absorbing flavonol glycosides in ligules (the ‘petals’ of sunflower inflorescences). Different patterns of ultraviolet pigments in flowers are strongly correlated with pollinator preferences. Furthermore, variation for floral ultraviolet patterns is associated with environmental variables, especially relative humidity, across populations of wild sunflowers. Ligules with larger ultraviolet patterns, which are found in drier environments, show increased resistance to desiccation, suggesting a role in reducing water loss. The dual role of floral UV patterns in pollinator attraction and abiotic response reveals the complex adaptive balance underlying the evolution of floral traits.https://elifesciences.org/articles/72072sunflowerfloral pigmentationpollinationabiotic stressadaptationtranscription factors |
| spellingShingle | Marco Todesco Natalia Bercovich Amy Kim Ivana Imerovski Gregory L Owens Óscar Dorado Ruiz Srinidhi V Holalu Lufiani L Madilao Mojtaba Jahani Jean-Sébastien Légaré Benjamin K Blackman Loren H Rieseberg Genetic basis and dual adaptive role of floral pigmentation in sunflowers eLife sunflower floral pigmentation pollination abiotic stress adaptation transcription factors |
| title | Genetic basis and dual adaptive role of floral pigmentation in sunflowers |
| title_full | Genetic basis and dual adaptive role of floral pigmentation in sunflowers |
| title_fullStr | Genetic basis and dual adaptive role of floral pigmentation in sunflowers |
| title_full_unstemmed | Genetic basis and dual adaptive role of floral pigmentation in sunflowers |
| title_short | Genetic basis and dual adaptive role of floral pigmentation in sunflowers |
| title_sort | genetic basis and dual adaptive role of floral pigmentation in sunflowers |
| topic | sunflower floral pigmentation pollination abiotic stress adaptation transcription factors |
| url | https://elifesciences.org/articles/72072 |
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