Coen, Enrico S. and Nugent, Jacqueline M. and Luo, Da and Bradley, Desmond and Cubas, Pilar and Chadwick, Mark and Copsey, Lucy and Carpenter, Rosemary (1995) Evolution of floral symmetry. Philosophical Transactions: Biological Sciences, 350 (1331). pp. 35-38. ISSN 0962-8436

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Abstract

Flowers can be classified into two basic types according to their symmetry: regular flowers have more than one plane of symmetry and irregular flowers have only a single plane of symmetry. The irregular condition is thought to have evolved many times independently from the regular one: most commonly through the appearance of asymmetry along the dorso-ventral axis of the flower. In most cases, the irregular condition is associated with a particular type of inflorescence architecture. To understand the molecular mechanism and evolutionary origin of irregular flowers, we have been investigating genes controlling asymmetry in Antirrhinum. Several mutations have been described in Antirrhinum, a species with irregular flowers, that reduce or eliminate asymmetry along the dorso-ventral axis. We describe the nature of these mutations and how they may be used to analyse the molecular mechanisms underlying floral evolution.

Item Type:	Article
Keywords:	evolution; floral symmetry; inflorescence architecture; Antirrhinum; mutations;
Academic Unit:	Faculty of Science and Engineering > Biology
Item ID:	7417
Depositing User:	Dr. Jacqueline Nugent
Date Deposited:	31 Aug 2016 15:14
Journal or Publication Title:	Philosophical Transactions: Biological Sciences
Publisher:	Royal Society
Refereed:	Yes
URI:
Use Licence:	This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available here

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