A fern AINTEGUMENTA gene mirrors BABY BOOM in promoting apogamy in Ceratopteris richardii

• DOI: 10.1111/tpj.13479
• Publication Date: 2017-01-12T14:59:44Z
• Authors: Linh T. Bui; Dzevida Pandzic; Christopher E. Yo...; Simon Wallace; Erin E. Irish; Péter Szövényi; Chi‐Lien Cheng
• Keywords: Sporophyte; Obligate; Asexual reproduction

Asexual reproduction is widespread in land plants, including ferns where 10% of all species are obligate asexuals. In these ferns, apogamous sporophytes generated directly from gametophytes, bypassing fertilization. the model fern Ceratopteris richardii, a sexual species, apogamy can be induced by culture on high sugar media. BABY BOOM (BBM) genes angiosperms known to promote somatic embryogenesis, which like produce without Here, Brassica napus BBM (BnBBM) was used investigate genetic similarity between and embryogenesis angiosperms. A C. richardii transcriptome constructed one AINTEGUMENTA-LIKE unigene, CrANT, identified. Whole mount situ hybridization showed that CrANT expressed sperm fertilized eggs. Phylogenetic analysis grouped with other non-seed-plant ANT euANT clade but branch separate genes. Overexpression or BnBBM promotes supplement. knockdown gametophytes responded weakly for promotion. Theses results suggest some conservation such asexual may ancient.