Cell number explains the intraspecific spur-length variation in an Aquilegia species.

ABSTRACT: Variations of nectar spur length allow pollinators to utilize resources in novel ways, leading to the different selective pressures on spurs and allowing taxa to diversify. However, the mechanisms underlying spur length variation remain unclear. Interspecific comparisons of spur length suggest that both cell division and anisotropic expansion could explain the changes of spur length, and that hormone-related genes contribute to the process of spur formation. In contrast, little is known about intraspecific spur length variation. In Aquilegia rockii, spur length varies strikingly, ranging from 1 mm to 18 mm. To examine the potential mechanisms underlying spur length variation in A. rockii, we observed cell morphology and analyzed RNA-seq of short- and long-spurred flowers. Sca

SUBMITTER: Zhou ZL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6951270 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature