The role of recently derived FT paralogs in sunflower domestication.

ABSTRACT: Gene duplication provides an important source of genetic raw material for phenotypic diversification, but few studies have detailed the mechanisms through which duplications produce evolutionary novelty within species. Here, we investigate how a set of recently duplicated homologs of the floral inducer FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) has contributed to sunflower domestication. We find that changes in expression of these duplicates are associated with differences in flowering behavior between wild and domesticated sunflower. In addition, we present genetic and functional evidence demonstrating that a frameshift mutation in one paralog, Helianthus annuus FT 1 (HaFT1), underlies a major QTL for flowering time and experienced a selective sweep during early domestication. Notably, this dominant-negative

SUBMITTER: Blackman BK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2898918 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature