Format: ORAL

Natalia Pabn-Mora1, Natali Hernandez-Ciro1, Clara Ines Ortiz-Ramirez2, Cristina Ferrndiz2

1 Instituto de Biología, Universidad de Antioquia 2 Instituto de Biología Celular y Molecular de Plantas, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, Valencia, España

The diversity of fruit patterning and seed dispersal strategies in Solanaceae is outstanding. The family exhibits berries, capsules, drupes, pyrenes and intermediate forms of thin fleshy fruits that dehisce or thick fleshy fruits that dry out. The optimization of fruit type onto a phylogenetic framework results in a unidirectional shift, from dry fruits to fleshy fruits, in the specious Solanoideae. However, independent acquisitions of fleshy fruits have occurred at least in Cestrum and Duboisia, and reversals to dry fruits take place in members of Daturae. We have undertaken comparative anatomical studies coupled with genetic studies to understand the evolution and development of different fruit types across Solanaceae. We have been documenting the carpel-to-fruit transformation in distantly related species across the family including Brunfelsia, Brugmansia, Capsicum, Cestrum, Petunia, Nicotiana, Nierembergia, Nicandra, Nolana, Salpiglossis, Saracha, Schizanthus, and Solanum, which have allowed us to assess key anatomical homologous and convergent features. We have reconstructed the evolution of specific anatomical features during the diversification of the family. We have also evaluated genes that are critical for fruit patterning, taking as reference the genetic network for fruit development established in Arabidopsis, where major transcription factors control valve identity (i.e. FRUITFULL), replum development (i.e. REPLUMLESS) and the differentiation of the dehiscence zones (i.e. SHATTERPROOF, INDEHISCENT and ALCATRAZ). Our data indicates that the fruit developmental genetic network in the Brassicaceae cannot be extrapolated to the Solanaceae, due to independent duplication events and changes in expression patterns for key genetic hubs. I will present data on their expression and function in species with different fruit type with Solanaceae emphasizing those convergent fruit types in Cestrum and Brugmansia and I will discuss the implications of our findings in fruit evolution studies across the family.