AUTHOR=Li Xin , Sun Mingzhu , Jia Yahui , Qiu Dan , Peng Qincheng , Zhuang Lili 

TITLE=Genetic control of the lateral petal shape and identity of asymmetric flowers in mungbean (Vigna radiata L.)

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Plant Science

VOLUME=13

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2022.996239

DOI=10.3389/fpls.2022.996239

ISSN=1664-462X

ABSTRACT=<p>Broad diversity of flowers in Fabaceae provides a good system to investigate development and evolution of floral symmetry in higher plants. Many studies have demonstrated a conserved mechanism controlling development of zygomorphic flower during last decades. However, the molecular basis of how asymmetric flower established is largely unknown. In this study, we characterized mutants named <italic>keeled wings</italic> (<italic>kw</italic>) in mungbean (<italic>Vigna radiata</italic> L.), which is a legume species with asymmetric flowers. Compared to those in the wild type plants, the lateral petals were ventralized in the <italic>kw</italic> mutants. Map-based cloning showed that <italic>KW</italic> was <italic>VrCYC3</italic> gene in mungbean, the ortholog of <italic>Lotus japonicus CYC3</italic> (<italic>LjCYC3</italic>) and <italic>Pisum sativum CYC3</italic> (<italic>PsCYC3</italic>). In addition, another two <italic>CYC</italic>-like genes named <italic>VrCYC1</italic> and <italic>VrCYC2</italic> were identified from mungbean genome. The three <italic>CYC</italic>-like genes displayed distinct expression patterns in dorsal, lateral and ventral petals. It was found that VrCYC3 was located in nucleus. Further analysis showed that VrCYC3 had transcription activity and could interact with VrCYC1 and VrCYC2 in yeast cell. Moreover, the deletion of two amino acid residues in the R domain of VrCYC3 protein could decrease its interaction with VrCYC1 and VrCYC2 proteins. Our results suggest that LjCYC3/VrCYC3 orthologs play conserved roles determining the lateral petal shape and identity of zygomorphic flower as well as asymmetric flower in Papilionoideae.</p>