Genetic control of various and stable double-flower trait in cyclamen

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K15833
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 39030:Horticultural science-related
• Research Institution: Kyushu University
• Principal Investigator: Mizunoe Yuki 九州大学, 農学研究院, 助教 (50759206)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: シクラメン / 八重咲き / 花器形態形成 / ABCモデル / エピジェネティクス

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Segregation ratio of BC1 and F1 progenies indicated that the petaloidy of sepals in cyclamen cultivars are regulated by single dominant gene. Their petaloid sepals were well developed in later flowering season, and the degree of seasonal changes were different among accessions and plants. The degree of petaloidy affected appearance of floral pattern, well developed petaloid sepals showed similar floral characteristics to normal petals. Although expression levels of MADS-box genes were different between single- and double-flowered cyclamen, base sequences of MADS-box promoter regions were not unique to double-flowered cyclamen. These results indicated that epigenetic gene regulation influences gene expression level and morphogenesis of double-flower.

Free Research Field

園芸科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究より，遺伝的背景だけでなく，後天的な遺伝的制御機構が花器形態変異（八重咲き）の多様性と安定性に関与している可能性が示唆された．八重咲きには本研究で対象とした萼弁化だけでなく，雄蕊弁化，通常花弁数増加といった多様な花器形態変異が存在する．本研究は，他の花器形態変異の遺伝的制御機構を解明するための重要な足掛かりとなるだけでなく，新規八重咲き花を作出する際の貴重な知見となると考えられる．また，日本において最も生産量の多い鉢花であるシクラメンを研究対象としており，学術だけでなく農業生産上の応用が期待できる．