THE ROL OF DEPRESSED PALEA1 (DP1) IN THE ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION OF THE PALEA IN GRASSES

REINHEIMER R.; LUCERO L.E.

Congreso; Reunión Conjunta de Sociedades de Biociencias; 2017

Grasses (Poaceae) with more than 11,000 species are the secondlargest family of monocots. The diversity of this family is particularlyevident in the enormous variety of their reproductive structures,particularly in two exclusive pieces of grasses such as the lemmaand palea. There have been postulated different hypotheses aboutthe origin of both, suggesting that they can be modified floral piecesor even extra floral pieces such as glumes. Some efforts has beenmade in order to understand the molecular mechanisms involvedin the development of their flowers, but the information is still verylimited and fragmented, preventing elucidate a general mechanismabout the origin, development and evolution of lemma and palea. Inparticular, we study the role of DP1, a transcription factors (AT-hookfamily) involved in the normal development of the palea in Oryzasativa (rice). The molecular evolution of DP1 is being studied, andalso its expression pattern in various representatives of the family. Inaddition, reverse genetics strategies will be used to understand thefunction of DP1 in the model grass species Setaria viridis. The informationgathered will be very useful to know the origin and functionof DP1, and to determine if its function has diversified into grasses.