Publications by authors named "Diane C Vik"
Article Synopsis
- Balanced mating type polymorphisms provide insight into the evolution of sexual reproduction strategies in plants, particularly within the Juglandaceae family (like walnuts and hickories).
- Researchers have identified two distinct Mendelian inheritance mechanisms linked to ancient DNA polymorphisms that dictate whether flowers develop male or female first, showing a 1:1 genetic ratio.
- A dominant haplotype associated with female-first flowering is linked to a gene related to trehalose-6-phosphate metabolism, suggesting complex regulation of gene expression and hints at sex chromosome-like evolution in these plants.
The maintenance of stable mating type polymorphisms is a classic example of balancing selection, underlying the nearly ubiquitous 50/50 sex ratio in species with separate sexes. One lesser known but intriguing example of a balanced mating polymorphism in angiosperms is heterodichogamy - polymorphism for opposing directions of dichogamy (temporal separation of male and female function in hermaphrodites) within a flowering season. This mating system is common throughout Juglandaceae, the family that includes globally important and iconic nut and timber crops - walnuts (), as well as pecan and other hickories ().
View Article and Find Full Text PDF