Analysis of ecological characteristics and molecular mechanisms related to reproductive strategy in marine angiosperm Zostera marina

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The intertidal seagrass Zostera marina is one of the major components of Zostera beds which are distributed along the coastline of Japan. In general, Z. marina shows two types of reproductive strategy, annual-type and perennial-type. Although morphological characteristics of annual Z. marina shoots were greatly affected by environmental water temperature during seed and germination periods, the influence of environmental water temperature on those of perennial Z. marina shoots was not observed. These results suggest that the reproductive strategy of annual Z. marina is different at individual level from that of perennial Z. marina. Candidate genes including floral homeotic MADS-box genes, which may be responsible for the reproductive strategy of Z. marina, were isolated and identified by expression analysis of the genes in Z. marina seedlings, various organs in the shoots, and spadices.