science

Scientists have mapped the complete genome of the humble plant – Daily Mail


The beauty of Darwin’s beloved primrose is finally decoded: Scientists have unravelled complete genome sequence that gives the flower TWO separate blooms

  • Primula vulgaris plants flower in one of two ways; they either have a long style and low anthers, or a short style and elevated anthers
  • Charles Darwin was intrigued as to why some species, such as the primrose, develop two different forms of flowers
  • He concluded from his studies that they provided a mechanism to promote outcrossing between individuals

Joe Middleton For Mailonline

British scientists have succeeded in unravelling the complete genome sequence of the common primrose.

The research team has identified, for the first time, the landscape of genes which operate within the primrose’s two different flowering forms that are involved in the reproductive process.

The discovery adds fresh insight to a puzzle that scientists have been grappling with for over 150 years, and fascinated Charles Darwin.

Landscape of genes which operate within the primrose's two different flowering forms that are involved in the reproductive process have been identified

Landscape of genes which operate within the primrose's two different flowering forms that are involved in the reproductive process have been identified

 Darwin was intrigued as to why some species, such as the primrose, develop two different forms of flowers, and devoted a whole book the subject

Primrose plants – scientifically known as Primula vulgaris – flower in one of two ways; they either have a long style and low anthers, or a short style and elevated anthers – known as pins or thrums.

Darwin was intrigued as to why some species, such as the primrose, develop two different forms of flowers, and devoted a whole book to the subject.

He concluded from his studies that they provided a mechanism to promote outcrossing between individuals.

More recently, a cluster of genes known as the S (Style length) locus have been shown to be the control centre for the development of the flowers.

Primula vulgaris plants flower in one of two ways; they either have a long style and low anthers (pictured right), or a short style and elevated anthers (pictured left) - known as pins or thrums

Primula vulgaris plants flower in one of two ways; they either have a long style and low anthers (pictured right), or a short style and elevated anthers (pictured left) - known as pins or thrums

Primula vulgaris plants flower in one of two ways; they either have a long style and low anthers (pictured right), or a short style and elevated anthers (pictured left) – known as pins or thrums

The S locus is absent from half the individuals of this species, this cluster switches some genes on and others off, giving different patterns of gene expression in pin and thrum flowers.

The University of East Anglia (UEA) team, based at the neighbouring genome focused Earlham Institute, has previously sequenced the S-locus and described aspects of its evolution.

The new paper, published in the journal Scientific Reports, describes the full sequence of the P. vulgaris genome and shows that the S locus controls hundreds of genes across the genome.

Charles Darwin was intrigued as to why some species, such as the primrose, develop two different forms of flowers, and devoted a whole book the subject

Charles Darwin was intrigued as to why some species, such as the primrose, develop two different forms of flowers, and devoted a whole book the subject

Charles Darwin was intrigued as to why some species, such as the primrose, develop two different forms of flowers, and devoted a whole book the subject

The team also identify genes that are activated in its absence, in the pin form of the flower.

Professor Philip Gilmartin, of UEA and Earlham Institute, has been fascinated by primrose biology throughout his career.

Prof Gilmartin said: ‘We started many years ago with a packet of seeds and a vision to understand the molecular genetics and developmental biology of the reproductive system Darwin described in 1862.

‘Completion of the genome sequence paves the way to identify the genes that are regulated by the S locus, and adds more pieces to the puzzle.

‘A long line of scientists, from Darwin in the 1860s through Bateson in the early 1900s, to Haldane and Fisher in the mid 1900’s have been gripped and we continue to unravel the mystery piece by piece.’

Now the UEA team aim to continue their investigations, and to understand how the two different architectures of pin and thrum flowers are orchestrated by the S locus and the genes that they regulate.

They are also collaborating with researchers in Japan investigating a similar mechanism in buckwheat, the only crop plant with these two distinct forms, to see if there are similar genomics at work.



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