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The Mechanism of the Development and Maintenance of Sexual Dimorphism in the Dioecious Mulberry Plant (Morus alba).
Shi, Yisu; Ackah, Michael; Amoako, Frank Kwarteng; Zhao, Mengdi; van der Puije, Grace C; Zhao, Weiguo.
Affiliation
  • Shi Y; Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Sericulture Biology and Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212100, China.
  • Ackah M; Key Laboratory of Silkworm and Mulberry Genetic Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, The Sericultural Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhenjiang 212100, China.
  • Amoako FK; Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Sericulture Biology and Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212100, China.
  • Zhao M; Key Laboratory of Silkworm and Mulberry Genetic Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, The Sericultural Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhenjiang 212100, China.
  • van der Puije GC; Institute of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science, Kiel University, Hermann-Rodewald-Straße 2, 24118 Kiel, Germany.
  • Zhao W; Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215011, China.
Biology (Basel) ; 13(8)2024 Aug 15.
Article in En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39194560
ABSTRACT
Intersexual differentiation is crucial for the speciation and maintenance of dioecious plants, but the underlying mechanisms, including the genes involved, are still poorly understood. Here, we focused on a typical dioicous plant Morus alba, to explore the molecular footprints relevant to sex evolution by revealing the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between two sexes and the testing signals of selection for these DEGs. From the results, we found a total of 1543 DEGs. Interestingly, 333 and 66 genes expression were detected only in male and female inflorescences, respectively. Using comparative transcriptomics, the expression of 841 genes were found to be significantly higher in male than in female inflorescences and were mainly enriched in defense-related pathways including the biosynthesis of phenylpropanoids, cutin, suberine and waxes. Meanwhile, the expression of 702 genes was female-biased and largely enriched in pathways related to growth and development, such as carbohydrate metabolism, auxin signaling and cellular responses. In addition, 16.7% and 17.6% signals of selection were significantly detected in female- and male-biased genes, respectively, suggesting their non-negligible role in evolution. Our findings expanded the understanding of the molecular basis of intersexual differentiation and contribute to further research on sex evolution in dioecious plants.
Key words

Full text: 1 Collection: 01-internacional Database: MEDLINE Language: En Journal: Biology (Basel) Year: 2024 Document type: Article Affiliation country: China Country of publication: Switzerland

Full text: 1 Collection: 01-internacional Database: MEDLINE Language: En Journal: Biology (Basel) Year: 2024 Document type: Article Affiliation country: China Country of publication: Switzerland