Mechanism of Dioecy Determination in Diospyros

大多数植物是雌雄同体的，这意味着它们同时携带雄性和雌性器官。有些植物，如番茄、水稻、豆类和其他栽培物种，在同一朵花中将花粉从雄性器官投射到雌性器官。其他人则采用巧妙的计划，以确保一个人为另一个人的花授粉。在少数几种植物中，仙人掌、开心果、猕猴桃、啤酒花和菠菜的这些功能是在不同的个体中发现的，这种情况称为异源性。在哺乳动物中，雄性或雌性是由X和Y染色体决定的：雄性有一个X和一个Y，雌性有两个X。Y染色体上的一个基因负责触发男性特征的发育。大多数雌雄异株植物与人类系统相似，雄性为XY，雌性为XX。但是，什么样的基因可能负责决定一种特定的植物是否携带雄花或雌花一直是一个长期的谜。最近，作者梳理了柿子树的基因组，寻找雄性独有的基因，并发现了一对基因，称为OGI和MeGI。在雌性中，MeGI建立到高水平，并像一个绝育剂，抑制花粉形成。在男性中，OGI可防止MeGI的积累。柿中OGI-MeGI系统的发现为植物育种开辟了新的可能性。控制花器官对于促进从所选近交系的受控杂交产生高产杂种也是重要的。更广泛的影响包括旨在提高高中或早期大学生的大数据分析技能和信心的推广活动。此外，由于柿属植物多次独立进化，这项工作提供了一个基础，问植物是否发明了类似或不同的解决方案，以解决同一问题。这些结果投光灯的组织植物Y染色体，并提供了一个工作模型，柿属物种的柿属植物的确定。作者的目标是利用这些发现进一步研究OGI和MeGI基因的分子功能，并提出有关雌雄异株物种中dioxetin决定进化的更一般性问题。具体目标是：1）利用测序和遗传学方法相结合的方法确定柿属植物的Y染色体; 2）利用转基因技术在柿属植物中揭示OGI和MeGI的分子功能; 3）描述柿属和近缘物种中Y染色体雌雄异株决定区的变异，并测试类似系统是否在其他雌雄异株系统中起作用。这项工作提供了一个模型，以解开在经济相关的植物物种，一个重要的人类生计和福祉的领域的diophthalic测定系统。

Most plants are hermaphrodites, which means that they carry both male and female organs. Some, like tomato, rice, beans and other cultivated species, cast pollen from male to female organs in the same flower. Others employ ingenious schemes to ensure that one individual pollinates the flower of another. Persimmon, pistachio, kiwi, hops, and spinach are amongst the few percent of plant species in which these functions are found in separate individuals, a condition called dioecy. In mammals maleness or femaleness are determined by X and Y chromosomes: males have an X and a Y and females have two Xs. A single gene on the Y is responsible for triggering the development of male traits. Most dioecious plants resemble the human system, with XY males and XX females. But what gene(s) may be responsible for determining whether a particular plant carries male or female flowers has been a long-standing mystery. Recently, the authors combed through the genomes of persimmon trees looking for genes that were exclusive to males and found pair of genes, called OGI and MeGI. In females, MeGI builds to high level and acts like a neutering agent, repressing pollen formation. In males, OGI prevents the accumulation of MeGI. Discovery of the OGI-MeGI system in persimmon opens up new possibilities in plant breeding. Controlling flower organs is also important for facilitating production of high yielding hybrids from controlled hybridization of selected inbreds. Broader impacts include an outreach aimed at increasing skills and confidence in Big Data Analysis for high school or early college students of underpresented background. Additionally, because dioecy evolved independently many times in plants, this work provides a foundation to ask whether plants invented similar or different solutions to the same problem.These results cast light on the organization of a plant Y chromosome and provide a working model for dioecy determination in Diospyros species. The authors aim to capitalize on these findings to further investigate the molecular function of the OGI and MeGI genes, as well as ask more general questions about the evolution of dioecy determination in dioecious species. Their specific objectives are to: 1) Define the Y chromosome in Diospyros lotus using a combination of sequencing and genetic approaches 2) Unravel the molecular function of OGI and MeGI using transgenic technology in A. thaliana and genome-wide genomic analyses in Diospryros and 3) Characterize variation in the Y-chromosome dioecy determination region in Diospyros and closely-related species and test whether similar systems are at play in other dioecious systems. This work provides a model for unraveling dioecy determination systems in economically-relevant plant species, an area important for human sustenance and well being.