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Predictability and irreversibility of genetic changes associated with flower color evolution in Penstemon barbatus.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Wessinger, CA; Rausher, MD
Published in: Evolution; international journal of organic evolution
April 2014

Two outstanding questions in evolutionary biology are whether, and how often, the genetic basis of phenotypic evolution is predictable; and whether genetic change constrains evolutionary reversibility. We address these questions by studying the genetic basis of red flower color in Penstemon barbatus. The production of red flowers often involves the inactivation of one or both of two anthocyanin pathway genes, Flavonoid 3',5'-hydroxylase (F3'5'h) and Flavonoid 3'-hydroxylase (F3'h). We used gene expression and enzyme function assays to determine that redundant inactivating mutations to F3'5'h underlie the evolution of red flowers in P. barbatus. Comparison of our results to previously characterized shifts from blue to red flowers suggests that the genetic change associated with the evolution of red flowers is predictable: when it involves elimination of F3'5'H activity, functional inactivation or deletion of this gene tends to occur; however, when it involves elimination of F3'H activity, tissue-specific regulatory substitutions occur and the gene is not functionally inactivated. This pattern is consistent with emerging data from physiological experiments indicating that F3'h may have pleiotropic effects and is thus subject to purifying selection. The multiple, redundant inactivating mutations to F3'5'h suggest that reversal to blue-purple flowers in this group would be unlikely.

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Published In

Evolution; international journal of organic evolution

DOI

EISSN

1558-5646

ISSN

0014-3820

Publication Date

April 2014

Volume

68

Issue

4

Start / End Page

1058 / 1070

Related Subject Headings

  • Phylogeny
  • Penstemon
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Plant
  • Flowers
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Evolution, Molecular
  • Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System
  • Color
  • Anthocyanins
  • 3104 Evolutionary biology
 

Citation

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Wessinger, C. A., & Rausher, M. D. (2014). Predictability and irreversibility of genetic changes associated with flower color evolution in Penstemon barbatus. Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution, 68(4), 1058–1070. https://doi.org/10.1111/evo.12340
Wessinger, Carolyn A., and Mark D. Rausher. “Predictability and irreversibility of genetic changes associated with flower color evolution in Penstemon barbatus.Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution 68, no. 4 (April 2014): 1058–70. https://doi.org/10.1111/evo.12340.
Wessinger CA, Rausher MD. Predictability and irreversibility of genetic changes associated with flower color evolution in Penstemon barbatus. Evolution; international journal of organic evolution. 2014 Apr;68(4):1058–70.
Wessinger, Carolyn A., and Mark D. Rausher. “Predictability and irreversibility of genetic changes associated with flower color evolution in Penstemon barbatus.Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution, vol. 68, no. 4, Apr. 2014, pp. 1058–70. Epmc, doi:10.1111/evo.12340.
Wessinger CA, Rausher MD. Predictability and irreversibility of genetic changes associated with flower color evolution in Penstemon barbatus. Evolution; international journal of organic evolution. 2014 Apr;68(4):1058–1070.
Journal cover image

Published In

Evolution; international journal of organic evolution

DOI

EISSN

1558-5646

ISSN

0014-3820

Publication Date

April 2014

Volume

68

Issue

4

Start / End Page

1058 / 1070

Related Subject Headings

  • Phylogeny
  • Penstemon
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Plant
  • Flowers
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Evolution, Molecular
  • Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System
  • Color
  • Anthocyanins
  • 3104 Evolutionary biology