RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Genetic basis and dual adaptive role of floral pigmentation in sunflowers
JF bioRxiv
FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
SP 2021.06.26.449999
DO 10.1101/2021.06.26.449999
A1 Marco Todesco
A1 Natalia Bercovich
A1 Amy Kim
A1 Ivana Imerovski
A1 Gregory L. Owens
A1 Óscar Dorado Ruiz
A1 Srinidhi V. Holalu
A1 Lufiani L. Madilao
A1 Mojtaba Jahani
A1 Jean-Sébastien Légaré
A1 Benjamin K. Blackman
A1 Loren H. Rieseberg
YR 2021
UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2021/06/27/2021.06.26.449999.abstract
AB 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 pollinators1. However, increasing evidence suggests that abiotic selection pressures influence floral diversity as well2–6. Here we analyze 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 pollinators7, 8. We show that this diversity is largely controlled by cis-regulatory variation at a single MYB transcription factor, HaMYB111, through accumulation of UV-absorbing flavonol glycosides. As expected, different patterns of ultraviolet pigments in flowers have a strong effect on pollinator preferences. However, variation for floral ultraviolet patterns is also associated with environmental variables, especially relative humidity, across populations of wild sunflowers. Larger ultraviolet patterns, which are found in drier environments, limit transpiration, therefore reducing water loss. The dual role of floral UV patterns in pollination attraction and abiotic responses reveals the complex adaptive balance underlying the evolution of floral traits.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.