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草业学报 ›› 2015, Vol. 24 ›› Issue (11): 206-217.DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2015046

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单性花植物性别分化研究进展

高暝, 陈益存, 杨素素, 刘英冠, 朱慧萍, 汪阳东*   

  1. 中国林业科学研究院亚热带林业研究所,浙江 杭州 311400
  • 收稿日期:2015-01-21 出版日期:2015-11-20 发布日期:2015-11-20
  • 通讯作者: E-mail:wyd11111@126.com
  • 作者简介:高暝(1984-),女,陕西蒲城人,助理研究员,博士。
  • 基金资助:
    中央级公益性科研院所基本科研业务费专项资金(RISF2014003)和中央级公益性科研院所基本科研业务费专项资金 (CAFYBB2014QA005)资助

Progress on sex differentiation in unisexual flower plants

GAO Ming, CHEN Yi-Cun, YANG Su-Su, LIU Ying-Guan, ZHU Hui-Ping, WANG Yang-Dong*   

  1. Research Institute of Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Hangzhou 311400, China
  • Received:2015-01-21 Online:2015-11-20 Published:2015-11-20

摘要: 性别分化是生物界普遍存在的一个自然现象。单性花由于仅含一种有功能的性器官,通过对其研究有助于解释植物性别分化和性别决定调控机制。植物性别决定方式多样且复杂,既有通过性别决定基因决定性别,又有性染色体,通过阻止性别决定基因重组确保稳定的性别分离;同时表观遗传由于影响基因表达活性,对性别分化也发挥重要作用。此外,植物激素、遗传因子、表观遗传修饰等之间存在相互作用,共同决定单性花性别。本文从单性花分类、雌雄花表型性状差异、遗传基础、表观遗传修饰、激素调控等方面综述单性花性别分化和决定调控机理,并提出未来研究中将面临的挑战和应对策略,为揭示植物性别分化和决定的机理提供有效参考。

Abstract: Sexual reproduction is a universal phenomenon in the world of eukaryotes, and sex differentiation and determination are major events in the evolutionary history of angiosperms. The production of unisexual flowers has evolved numerous times from hermaphroditic ancestors, resulting in dioecious (5%) and monoecious (7%) plant taxa. Through developmental process, two broad categories of unisexual flowers have been recognized; the former results from flowers that are bisexual at initiation and become unisexual by termination of the development of the androecium (or the male reproductive organs) or gynoecium (or the female reproductive organs) and the latter results from sex differentiation occurring before initiation of stamens and carpels. Attempts have been made to understand regulatory mechanisms for plant sex determination by investigating unisexual flowers. The determinants of sexual phenotype in plants are diverse and complicated, including sex-determining genes in monoecious plants, Zea mays (corn) and Cucumis sp. (cucumber and its relatives); sex chromosomes in Silene latifolia and Carica papaya, which ensure the stable segregation of sexual phenotypes by preventing the recombination of sex determining genes; epigenetic regulatory mechanism, which alter gene expression, and hormonal regulation in Z. mays and Cucumis sativus. Sex determination is generally regulated by interactions between hormones, genetics and epigenetic modification. However, many important questions remain to be answered on the regulatory mechanisms of sex determination and sex differentiation, for example why few sex determination genes have been cloned, why the proportion of species with sex chromosomes is low, the relatively small portion of the dioecious species that have sex chromosomes, and the major epigenetic maintainers in genotypic sex determination (GSD). The recent research aimed at understanding the regulatory mechanisms of sex determination and sex differentiation in unisexual flowers, including phenotype traits, genetic base, epigenetics and physiological mechanisms were reviewed in this paper. Challenges and strategies are proposed to provide an effective contribution to elucidate the regulatory mechanisms of sex determination and sex differentiation in plants.