ASYMMETRIC LEAVES1 and REVOLUTA are the key regulatory genes associated with pitcher development in Nepenthes khasiana.

ABSTRACT: Nepenthes develops highly specialized insect-eating organs called pitchers that provide adequate insect-derived nutrients to the plants to offset low nutrient availability in their natural habitat. But so far, the molecular basis of Nepenthes pitcher development remains largely unknown. In an attempt to unravel the underlying mechanisms of pitcher formation, we made morphological observations of the developing N. khasiana leaf and performed RNA-seq to identify genes controlling pitcher development. Histology and scanning electron microscopy photomicrographs show that pitcher formation in N. khasiana occurs early in development and shares anatomical features with the young in-rolled leaf base lamina. Analysis of the RNA-seq data indicated that the modification of the leaf into a pitcher is

SUBMITTER: Dkhar J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6474907 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature