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Understanding natural expression of cytoplasmic male sterility in flowering plants using a wildflower Lobelia siphilitica L. (Campanulaceae)

Adhikari, Binaya
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1532954470078823

Abstract Details

2018, PHD, Kent State University, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Biological Sciences.
ADHIKARI, BINAYA, Ph. D., August 2018 BIOLOGY Understanding natural expression of cytoplasmic male sterility in flowering plants using a wildflower Lobelia siphilitica L. (Campanulaceae) Dissertation Advisor: Andrea L. Case, Ph. D. Cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) is an interesting form of cytonuclear incompatibility found in flowering plants. Plants are male-sterile (or female) when mitochondrial CMS genes are expressed, but can produce viable pollen (hermaphrodites) if matching nuclear restorer genes suppress them. Because both CMS genes and their restorer genes are common in angiosperms, female plants are relatively rare. However, female plants have evolved hundreds of times, being found in about a third of plant families, creating questions about why the expression of male sterility is rare but taxonomically widespread. In theory, females should be found wherever multiple unique CMS genes are maintained within populations, either by natural selection or frequent invasion by new CMS genes. Empirical tests of these predictions are limited. Here, I evaluated CMS expression in Lobelia siphilitica (Campanulaceae). Populations of this species range from 0–100% female across eastern North America, making it useful for studying the evolution of female plants. I investigated whether and how variation in female frequency among populations relates to patterns of cytoplasmic gene sequence, mitochondrial gene expression and sex expression in controlled matings. I found that mitochondrial genomes of L. siphilitica evolve rapidly and show high diversity in populations with many females. Crossing experiments showed that high mitochondrial diversity reflected high CMS gene diversity within populations. Furthermore, some CMS types were widespread across populations, consistent with long-term maintenance by natural selection. Further research should study mitochondrial genomes to characterize CMS genes and understand if specific mitochondrial genomes have unique CMS genes.
Andrea Case (Advisor)
Oscar Rocha (Committee Member)
Christina Caruso (Committee Member)
Srinivasan Vijayaraghavan (Committee Member)
Soumitra Basu (Committee Member)
John Portman (Committee Member)
179 p.
Biology; Botany; Ecology; Evolution and Development; Genetics; Molecular Biology; Organismal Biology; Plant Biology; Plant Sciences
Lobelia siphilitica, Cytoplasmic male sterility, CMS, mitochondrial genome, plastid genome, recombination, cytonuclear interaction, LD, cytoplasmic discordance, crossing experiment, Northern blotting

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Citations

  • Adhikari, B. (2018). Understanding natural expression of cytoplasmic male sterility in flowering plants using a wildflower Lobelia siphilitica L. (Campanulaceae) [Doctoral dissertation, Kent State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1532954470078823

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Adhikari, Binaya. Understanding natural expression of cytoplasmic male sterility in flowering plants using a wildflower Lobelia siphilitica L. (Campanulaceae) . 2018. Kent State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1532954470078823.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Adhikari, Binaya. "Understanding natural expression of cytoplasmic male sterility in flowering plants using a wildflower Lobelia siphilitica L. (Campanulaceae) ." Doctoral dissertation, Kent State University, 2018. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1532954470078823

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

kent1532954470078823
230
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This open access ETD is published by Kent State University and OhioLINK.