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. 1987 Oct;85(2):393–399. doi: 10.1104/pp.85.2.393

Master Regulatory Genes, Auxin Levels, and Sexual Organogeneses in the Dioecious Plant Mercurialis annua

Saïd Hamdi 1,2, Gerard Teller 1,2, Jean-Paul Louis 1,2
PMCID: PMC1054267  PMID: 16665709

Abstract

In Mercurialis annua L. (2n = 16) genes for sex determination are considered as major regulator genes controlling stamen and ovary development and sexual phenotypes. After stamen induction, sterility determinants control sporogenous tissue and pollen formation. Moreover, exogenous auxins are able to induce male flowers on female plants. In order to verify if sex and sterility genes have an effect on indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) contents of these plants, various wild or genetically constructed strains were assayed. The IAA levels of their apices were determined by HPLC followed by gas chromatography, selected ion monitoring, mass spectrometry. Results show that high auxin levels are linked to male phenotypes. The genes inducing maleness and the determinants of restored male fertility appear to control and modulate the IAA content. Close correspondence between the number of these dominant genes and IAA levels was established. A final hypothesis about the control of sexual specialization by phytohormones induced by the presence of these genes is discussed.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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