Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Genetics of flower size and nectar volume in Petunia pollination syndromes

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Planta Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The two related Petunia species, P. axillaris and P. integrifolia, are sympatric at various locations in South America but do not hybridise. Divergent pollinator preferences are believed to be in part responsible for their reproductive isolation. The volume of nectar produced and several components of flower morphology might contribute to pollinator-dependant reproductive isolation. In this study, we aimed to identify the genetic changes underlying the quantitative differences observed between these two Petunia species in flower size and nectar volume. We mapped quantitative trait loci (QTL) responsible for the different phenotypes of P. axillaris and P. integrifolia in an inter-specific backcross population. QTL of small to moderate effect control the differences in flower size and volume of nectar. In addition, we observed strong suppression of meiotic recombination in Petunia, even between closely related species, which precluded a fine resolution of QTL mapping. Thus, our data suggest that flower size and nectar volume are highly polygenic. They are likely to have evolved gradually through pollinator-mediated adaptation or reinforcement, and are not likely to have been primary factors in early steps of pollinator isolation of P. axillaris and P. integrifolia.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

QTL:

Quantitative trait locus

PVE:

Percent variance explained

BC1 :

Backcross 1

BIL:

Backcross inbred line

NIL:

Near isogenic line

References

  • Abiracheddarmency M, Tarenghi E, Dejong JH (1992) The effect on meiotic synapsis of a recombination modulator in Petunia hybrida. Genome 35:443–453

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ando T, Nomura M, Tsukahara J, Watanabe H, Kokubun H, Tsukamoto T, Hashimoto G, Marchesi E, Kitching IJ (2001) Reproductive isolation in a native population of Petunia sensu Jussieu (Solanaceae). Ann Bot 88:403–413

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bradshaw HD, Schemske DW (2003) Allele substitution at a flower colour locus produces a pollinator shift in monkeyflowers. Nature 426:176–178

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bradshaw HD, Wilbert SM, Otto KG, Schemske DW (1995) Genetic mapping of floral traits associated with reproductive isolation in monkeyflowers (Mimulus). Nature 376:762–765

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bradshaw HD, Otto KG, Frewen BE, McKay JK, Schemske DW (1998) Quantitative trait loci affecting differences in floral morphology between two species of monkeyflower (Mimulus). Genetics 149:367–382

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cornu A, Farcy E, Mousset C (1988) A genetic basis for variations in meiotic recombination in Petunia hybrida. Genome 32:46–53

    Google Scholar 

  • Coyne JA, Orr HA (2004) Speciation. Library of congress cataloging-in-publication data, Sunderland

    Google Scholar 

  • De Vicente MC, Tanksley SD (1993) QTL analysis of transgressive segregation in an interspecific tomato cross. Genetics 134:585–596

    Google Scholar 

  • Doerge RW, Churchill GA (1996) Permutation tests for multiple loci affecting a quantitative character. Genetics 142:285–294

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fenster CB, Armbruster WS, Wilson P, Dudash MR, Thomson JD (2004) Pollination syndromes and floral specialization. Annu Rev Ecol Evol Syst 35:375–403

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Galen C (1996) Rates of floral evolution: Adaptation to bumblebee pollination in an alpine wildflower, Polemonium viscosum. Evolution 50:120–125

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Galliot C, Stuurman J, Kuhlemeier C (2006) The genetic dissection of floral pollination syndromes. Curr Opin Plant Biol 9:78–82

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gerats T, Vandenbussche M (2005) A model system for comparative research: Petunia. Trends Plant Sci 10:251–256

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Grant V (1994) Modes and origins of mechanical and ethological isolation in angiosperms. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 91:3–10

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hall MC, Willis JH (2005) Transmission ratio distortion in intraspecific hybrids of Mimulus guttatus: implications for genomic divergence. Genetics 170:375–386

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hoballah ME, Stuurman J, Turlings TCJ, Guerin PM, Connétable S, Kuhlemeier C (2005) The composition and timing of flower odour emission by wild Petunia axillaris coincide with the antennal perception and nocturnal activity of the pollinator Manduca sexta. Planta 222:141–150

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Manly KF, Cudmore RHJ, Meer JM (2001) Map Manager QTX, cross-platform software for genetic mapping. Mamm Genome 12:930–932

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mitchell RJ (2004) Heritability of nectar traits: why do we know so little? Ecology 85:1527–1533

    Google Scholar 

  • Proctor M, Yeao P, Lack A (1996) The natural history of pollination. Harper Collins Publishers, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Quattrocchio F, Wing JF, van der Woude K, Mol JN, Koes R (1998) Analysis of bHLH and MYB domain proteins: species-specific regulatory differences are caused by divergent evolution of target anthocyanin genes. Plant J 13:475–488

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Quattrocchio F, Wing J, van der Woude K, Souer E, de Vetten N, Mol J, Koes R (1999) Molecular analysis of the anthocyanin2 gene of Petunia and its role in the evolution of flower color. Plant Cell 11:1433–1444

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Robbins TP, Gerats AGM, Fiske H, Jorgensen RA (1995) Suppression of recombination in wide hybrids of Petunia hybrida as revealed by genetic mapping of marker transgenes. Theor Appl Genet 90:957–968

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Robert N, Farcy E, Cornu A (1991) Genetic control of meiotic recombination in Petunia hybrida—dosage effect of gene Rm1 on segments Hf1-Lg1 and An2-Rt—Role of modifiers. Genome 34:515–523

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Stehmann JR (1987) Petunia exserta (Solanaceae): Uma nova espécie do Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. Napaea Rev Bot 2:19–21

    Google Scholar 

  • Strommer J, Gerats AGM, Sanago M, Molnar SJ (2000) A gene-based RFLP map of Petunia. Theor Appl Genet 100:899–905

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Strommer J, Peters J, Zethof J, De Keukeleire P, Gerats T (2002) AFLP maps of Petunia hybrida: building maps when markers cluster. Theor Appl Genet 105:1000–1009

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Stuurman J, Hoballah ME, Broger L, Moore J, Basten C, Kuhlemeier C (2004) Dissection of floral pollination syndromes in Petunia. Genetics 168:1585–1599

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tanksley SD, Ganal MW, Prince JP, de-Vicente MC, Bonierbale MW, Broun P, Fulton TM, Giovannoni JJ, Grandillo S, Martin GB, Messeguer R, Miller JC, Miller L, Paterson AH, Pineda O, Roder MS, Wing RA, Wu W, Young ND (1992) High density molecular linkage maps of the tomato and potato genomes. Genetics 132:1141–1160

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Torgerson WS (1965) Multidimensional scaling of similarity. Psychometrika 30:379–393

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Verdonk JC, Haring MA, van Tunen AJ, Schuurink RC (2005) ODORANT1 regulates fragrance biosynthesis in Petunia flowers. Plant Cell 17:1612–1624

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vos P, Hogers R, Bleeker M, Reijans M, van de Lee T, Hornes M, Frijters A, Pot J, Peleman J, Kuiper M (1995) AFLP: a new technique for DNA fingerprinting. Nucl Acids Res 23:4407–4414

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang S, Basten CJ, Zeng Z-B (2005) Windows QTL Cartographer 2.5. Department of Statistics. Department of Statistics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC (http://www.statgen.ncsu.edu/qtlcart/WQTLCart.htm)

Download references

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Larissa Broger for technical assistance, Alexandre Dell’Olivo for helpful discussions, and Christopher Ball and Rebecca Alder for their care of a large plant population.

Author information

Author notes

  1. Jeroen Stuurman

    Present address: Keygene NV, P.O. Box 216, 6700AE, Wageningen, The Netherlands

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Berne, Altenbergrain 21, 3013, Berne, Switzerland

    Céline Galliot, Maria Elena Hoballah, Cris Kuhlemeier & Jeroen Stuurman

Authors
  1. Céline Galliot
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Maria Elena Hoballah
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Cris Kuhlemeier
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Jeroen Stuurman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jeroen Stuurman.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Galliot, C., Hoballah, M.E., Kuhlemeier, C. et al. Genetics of flower size and nectar volume in Petunia pollination syndromes. Planta 225, 203–212 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-006-0342-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-006-0342-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation