In core eudicots, euAP3-type MADS-box genes encode a PISTILLATA (PI)-derived motif, as well as a C-terminal euAP3 motif that originated from a paleoAP3 motif of an ancestral APETALA3 (AP3)-like protein through a translational frameshift mutation. To determine the functional and evolutionary relevance of these motifs, a series of point mutation and domain-swap constructs were generated, involving CsAP3, a paleoAP3-type gene from the basal angiosperm Chloranthus spicatus encoding a truncated paleoAP3 motif, and AtAP3, a euAP3-type gene from the core eudicot Arabidopsis thaliana. The chimeric constructs were expressed in A. thaliana under the control of the AP3 promoter or the CaMV 35S promoter in an ap3 mutant or wild-type background, respectively. Significant recovery of AP3 function was obtained in both complementation and ectopic expression experiments whenever the region upstream of the C-terminal motifs (MIK region) from A. thaliana was taken, even when the PI-derived motif and the truncated paleoAP3 motif of CsAP3 substituted for the corresponding sequences from AtAP3. However, no or very weak complementation or gain-of-function was seen when the MIK region was from CsAP3. Our data suggest that changes in the MIK region rather than mutations in the C-terminal domain were of crucial importance for the evolution of the functional specificity of euAP3-type proteins in stamen and petal development.

SUMMARY Duplicate genes may be retained by sub‐ and/or neofunctionalization through changes in gene expression and/or coding sequence, and therefore have the potential to contribute to the genetic robustness and diversification of an organism. In this study, two MADS‐box genes were isolated from Taihangia rupestris, a core eudicot species belonging to the Rosaceae. Sequence and phylogenetic analyses revealed that they are clade members of the euAG and PLE lineages, respectively, and hence the two genes are named TrAG (Taihangia rupestris AGAMOUS) and TrSHP (Taihangia rupestris SHATTERPROOF). Southern blot analysis shows that TrSHP is a single‐copy gene in the T. rupestris genome. In situ hybridization analyses show that both TrAG and TrSHP are mainly expressed in the stamens, carpels, and ovules. When the stamen primordia are firstly observed, TrAG is initially expressed in the floral meristem domain that will initiate stamens and carpels. In contrast, no TrSHP signal is observed at this developmental stage. At late stages of carpel development, TrAG expression is detected in the ovules, ovaries, and developing styles and stigmas, whereas TrSHP expression is tightly restricted to the ovules. The transgenic Arabidopsis plants containing 35S::TrAG and 35S::TrSHP, respectively, showed similar phenotypes, including homeotic conversions of sepals into carpelloid structures bearing ovules and petals into staminoid organs, and the fruits shattering prematurely along the dehiscence zone. In addition, the phenotype of the transgenic 35S::TrSHP Arabidopsis plants revealed that perianth abscission was inhibited. Yeast two‐hybrid assays indicated that TrAG can interact with TrSEP3, whereas TrSHP cannot. The data suggest that the euAG and PLE paralogs, TrAG and TrSHP, may have subfunctionalized and/or neofunctionalized through changes in expression patterns and accumulating variations in the coding regions. Taking these findings together with those available expression and functional data from Arabidopsis and other species, we conclude that the compensatory ways vary among the euAG and PLE lineage pairs in eudicot species.

Studies in model plants showed that SEPALLATA (SEP) genes are required for the identification of floral organs and the determination of floral meristems in Arabidopsis. In this paper a SEP homolog, TrSEP3, was isolated from a China-specific species, Taihangia rupestrisi Yu et Li. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the gene belongs to the SEP3-clade of SEP (previous AGL2) subfamily. In situ hybridization was used to reveal the potential functional specification, and the results showed that TrSEP3 expression was first observed in floral meristems and then confined to the floral primordia of the three inner whorls. In the matured flower, TrSEP3 was strongly expressed in the tips of pistils and weak in stamens and petals. The evolution force analysis shows that TrSEP3 might undergo a relaxed negative selection. These results suggested that TrSEP3 may not only function in determining the identity of floral meristems and the primordia of three inner whorls, but also function in matured reproductive organs.

There is evidence that gene duplication and diversification within the MADS-box gene family had significant impact on floral architecture. In this study, we report the isolation of four class B homologous genes from Akebia trifoliata, termed AktAP3_1, AktAP3_2, AktAP3_3, and AktPI. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that the three AktAP3 paralogs were produced by two gene duplication events and AktAP3_2 and AktAP3_3 are recent paralogs, which are yielded by the duplication before the origin of the genus Akebia. In situ hybridization demonstrates that these genes are mainly expressed in the stamens and carpels of A. trifoliata, but in differential patterns, similar to those in other basal eudicot and basal angiosperm species. AktAP3_3 and AktPI are expressed in the developing petaloid perianth, suggesting that the petaloidy of the perianth is caused by the expression of class B genes. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction analyses indicate that these genes are expressed in both male and female flowers, but at different levels. We explore the interaction behavior of the class B proteins in the basal eudicots using yeast two-hybrid system for the first time. The AktAP3_1/2/3 proteins and the AktPI protein can form obligate heterodimers, but at different strength. From the mRNA expression and protein interaction patterns of the duplicated copies of the AktAP3 genes, we conclude that subfunctionalization very likely contributes to the maintenance of multiple AP3-like gene copies in A. trifoliata.

Various individual organs (tepal, flower bud, inflorescence branch, inflorescence, adult vegetative bud and juvenile vegetative bud) were directly regenerated respectively by callus in Dracaena fragrans cv. massangeana Hort. During the regeneration of these individual organs some regularity phenomena were observed. Firstly, the kind range of the individual organs, which are directly regenerated in vitro, is in close relationship to the differentiated stages of the organs used for explant excision during plant ontogeny. The explants excised from the epigeous organ that is differentiated at some stage (stage A) during plant ontogeny must be able to separately regenerate all of those individual epigeous organs: ones differentiated slightly later than the stage A, ones differentiated at the stage A and all ones differentiated earlier than the stage A. Secondly, within this range which kind of organ is regenerated depends on the exogenous auxin concentrations in medium. With the gradual increase of 2,4-D concentration from 0.005 mg/L to 0.5 mg/L, the kinds of regenerated organs will change by the order as follows: vegetative bud, inflorescence, inflorescence branch, flower bud, tepal. These regularities will be able to be used for inducing the direct regeneration of a given epigeous organ in angiosperms.

以花叶千年木(Dracaena fragrans cv. Massangeana Hort.)的花被筒、花序分枝轴和花序轴为外植体成功地诱导了花序的直接再生. 3种外植体首先在MS附加1.0 mg/L 6-BA和0.5-0.8mg/L 2,4-D的培养基上诱导形成愈伤组织,然后转移到MS附加0.5 mg/L 6-BA和0.005～0.5 mg/L 2,4-D的培养基上分别诱导了花序的直接再生.观察了愈伤组织形成和花序分化的形态学过程.

By precisely controlling exogenous hormones applied in the cultural process,particular type of floral organs, such as tapels, stamens, or ovules, can be regenerated from perianth explant of Hyacinthus orientalis L. To further study the molecular mechanism of the specific organgenesis in the system, an AP2 homolog, HAP2 was isolated from regenerated tepals by using RT-PCR. Results from RT-PCR combined with Southern hybridization showed that H4P2 was expressed in leaves, perianth, regenerated tepals and regenerated stamens. The possible functions of HAP2 on hormone-regulated floral organ regeneration are discussed.

HAG1 gene was isolated from the floral organs of Hyacinthus orientalis L. by using RT-PCR. Sequence analysis showed that this gene was homologous to AGAMOUS. Northern hybridization indicated that HAG1 was specifically expressed in floral organs using 3' end of HAG1 as a probe. Further, transcript of this gene was not detected in differentiating tepals induced by lower concentration of hormones, however, it was detected in differentiating stemans by higher concentration of hormones in vitro. It is possible that there is a close relationship between the concentration of hormones, homeotic genes and identities of floral organs.

根据AG同源基因MADS Box的保守性, 设计简并引物, 进行RT-PCR, 从风信子的花器官中分离出HAG1基因. 分析表明, 该基因与AG的同源基因具有较高的同源性. 以HAG1 MADS Box以外的3′端序列为模板合成探针, 进行Northern杂交分析, 在根和叶片中未检测到HAG1 mRNA的积累, 但在处于花粉母细胞和单核花粉时期的花器官中其RNA的积累水平则相当高. 利用PCR技术, 并结合序列测定方法, 从低激素浓度条件下分化再生雄蕊的花芽中检测到HAG1的片断, 而从高激素浓度条件下分化再生花被片的花芽中未检测到该片断, 推测激素浓度、同源异形基因及花器官特征之间存在密切联系.

Continuous differentiation of tepals was successively induced from regenerated flower buds in Hyacinthus orientalis L. cv. White Pearl by controlling the exogenous hormones and explant ages. In 250 days of subculture, each flower bud differentiated an average of more than 70 tepals, with a maximum of over 140 tepals. Studies on the morphogenesis and characteristics of growth and development of the flower buds indicate that the first whorled organ of the flower bud was perianth which consisted of perianth tube and tepals grown at the top of the perianth tube, which is the same as the flower bud of the wild type in H, orentalis. The second and third whorls of the flower bud, which should be stamen and pistil in the wild type, but remained as the tepals in the regenerated flower bud. Growth of the regenerated flower bud was faster in the first several months of culture, then slowed down gradually with time. After 150 days in culture the flower bud growth and organ differentiation became very slow. Other than the tepal differentiation the regenerated flower buds also differentiated at random positions some small flower buds that also differentiated the tepals only. Histological observation revealed that the origin of the regenerated flower buds was jointly participated by some cells in the epidermal and subepidermal layers at the inner surface of the perianth explant, and the inner small flower buds were originated from the meristem which was formed by the transformation of the parenchyma at the base of the very young tepal, The authors also compared and discussed the similarities and differences of the phenotypes between the regenerated flower bud in Hyacinthus and agamous flower in Arabidopsis, from which, they have hypothesized on the role of the hormones in the promotion and termination of the gene expressions by an order of development in plant.

Flower buds were directly regenerated from calli in vitro in the woody plant Dracaena fragrans cv. massangeana Hort. On modified MS medium supplemented with 1.0 mg/L 6_BA and 1.0 mg/L IBA, two kinds of calli, A and B, were formed from the peduncle explants cultured for 5 months. Calli A were loose and on their surface there were many irregular granule_like structures (GLC); Calli B were compact and had bigger tumor_like structures (TLC) on their surface. When the GLC and TLC were transferred onto the medium respectively with 0.4 mg/L 6_BA and 1.0 mg/L IBA, flower buds were differentiated directly from the GLC but only vegetative buds and roots were differentiated from the TLC after culturing for 4 weeks. The GLC could be partly transformed into TLC in the continuous passage culture. Assays on hormones revealed that at a fixed IBA concentration of 0.4 mg/L the defferentiation frequency of flower budding was increased as the 6_BA concentration was decreased from 2.0 mg/L to 10 mg/L. Alternatively, at a fixed 6_BA concentration of 2.0 mg/L, the flower budding frequency was increased when the IBA concentration was changed from 0.4 mg/L to 1.0 mg/L. Moreover, the addition of 2.0 mg/L zeatin to the culture medium containing 2.0 mg/L 6_BA and 0.4 mg/L IBA was favorable to the regeneration of the flower buds. Nevertheless supplementing 1.0 mg/L GA 3 into the medium on which the calli had differentiated into flower buds, the flower buds would gradually wither after 2 weeks in culture.

The present paper introduces the new progress on induction of regeneration of flower organs and sexual organs in China. It mainly includes four parts: 1. Regeneration of tepals, stamens and ovules in hyacinth. 2. Maturity of the regenerative stamens and ovules. 3. Regeneration of spikelet and pistil of wheat. 4. Regeneration of style-stigma-like structure.