Evolution of short trichomes and long hairs on Nigella petals through co-option of bHLH and non-MIXTA MYB genes.

ABSTRACT: Conical cells (CCs), trichomes, and hairs are all protrusive epidermal cells of plants, yet the differences and relationships among them remain largely unclear. Here, we show that the unicellular long hairs (LHs) and short trichomes (STs) on Nigella damascena petals differ from CCs in shape, length, number, distribution pattern, relative nuclear size, ploidy level, developmental process, and molecular basis. Specifically, NidaMIXTA, an ortholog of the famous CC/trichome identity gene in many species, is involved in CC development but does not affect STs and LHs. The identities of STs and LHs, however, are specified by genes encoding components in the MYB-bHLH-WDR (MBW) complex-GL2 module. STs, which serve as tiny pillars to prop open the upper and lower petal lips and facilitate pollinator

SUBMITTER: Peng C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12446445 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature