Bios Departmental Seminar- “The Causes and Consequences of Self-incompatibility” by Boris Igic
September 1, 2020
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Abstract:
Flowering plants are hyper-diverse. Their lack of motility and hermaphroditism, however, places important constraints on mating patterns. Mating patterns determine virtually every aspect of genetic diversity. Despite the close proximity of male and female reproductive parts, most plants recognize and reject their own pollen, and individuals cannot reproduce on their own. This phenotype is called "self-incompatibility" (SI).
I will provide an overview and highlight and array of empirical data from the lab to show that SI is frequently lost in flowering plants despite being associated with evolutionary success. The loss and gain of SI is limited by a combination of ecological and genetic factors. Our lab has previously shown that species with functional SI diversify at a significantly higher rate than those without it.
Recently, we demonstrated that inexpensive and simple RNA-seq and molecular evolutionary methods can bypass labor-intensive genetic work to rapidly establish the genetic basis of this trait. We showcase one example, the discovery that T2/S-Ribonucleases control SI response in the cactus family (Cactaceae). Our recent data cement the long-held belief that this specific genetic system operated in distant ancestor of most flowering plants.
Zoom information:
Topic: Boris Igic
Time: Sep 1, 2020 12:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://uic.zoom.us/j/93224104608?pwd=ejZIVEJXOEVwT1RkcG8wMGx5ZkNnQT09
Meeting ID: 932 2410 4608
Passcode: .iUm66^d
Date posted
Aug 5, 2020
Date updated
Aug 25, 2020