Table 1.
Summary of data obtained on the complexity of the different oil palm MADS box groups, on the spatio-temporal expression patterns of five selected oil palm MADS box genes and on the phenotypic effects induced when they were overexpressed in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana plants
| Gene | Size of cross-hybridizing gene group | Expression pattern |
Phenotype when ectopically expressed in A. thaliana | Possible role(s) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Staminate flowers | Pistillate flowers | Mantled palms | ||||
| EgSQUA1 | 2 | Inflorescence and floral meristems | Inflorescence and floral meristems | Unaffected | Tall phenotype (larger number of nodes) | Inflorescence/ floral meristem identity (A function?) |
| EgDEF1 | 1 | Stamens and petals | Staminodes and petals | Decreased expression (both sexes) | No alterations observed | B function |
| EgGLO2 | 2 | Sepals, petals and stamens | Sepals and petals | Decreased expression (both sexes) | Transformation of sepals to petals | B function |
| EgAG2 | 2 | All whorls (at immaturity) | Carpel primordia/ ovules | Decreased expression (mainly in pistillate flower) | No alterations observed | C and/or D function |
| EgAGL2-1 | 2–5 | Petals and stamens | Petals and ovule primordia | Decreased expression (both sexes) | Leaf-Like sepals and petals; ‘flower within a flower’ | E function |