Study of Sexual-Linked Genes (<i>OGI</i> and <i>MeGI</i>) on the Performance of Androecious Persimmons (<i>Diospyros kaki</i> Thunb.)

oleh: Liyuan Wang, Weijuan Han, Songfeng Diao, Yujing Suo, Huawei Li, Yini Mai, Yiru Wang, Peng Sun, Jianmin Fu

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2021-02-01

Deskripsi

It is reported that the production of floral sexual phenotype in hexaploid monoecious persimmon (<i>Diospyros kaki</i>) is closely related to a pseudogene called <i>OGI</i>, and a short interspersed nuclear element (SINE)-like insertion (named <i>Kali</i>) in the <i>OGI</i> promoter leads to the gene silence. As a result, DNA methylation level of <i>MeGI</i> promoter determines the development of male or female flowers. However, the molecular mechanism in androecious <i>D. kaki</i>, which only bear male flowers, remains elusive. Here, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), molecular cloning, and bisulfite PCR sequencing technique were carried out using 87 materials, including 56 androecious resources, 15 monoecious, and 16 gynoecious cultivars, to investigate the performance of <i>OGI</i> and <i>MeGI</i> on the specific androecious type of <i>D. kaki</i> in China. In conclusion, the <i>Kali</i> insertion was exactly located in the <i>OGI</i> promoter region, and the <i>OGI</i> gene and the <i>Kali</i> sequence were existing and conserved in androecious <i>D. kaki</i>. Meanwhile, we also demonstrated that the <i>MeGI</i> gene was widespread in our investigated samples. Ultimately, our result convincingly provided evidence that the low expression of <i>OGI</i> is probably ascribed to the presence of <i>Kali</i> displaying strong methylation in the <i>OGI</i> promoter, and low expression of <i>MeGI,</i> as well as high DNA methylation level, in the promoter was closely connected with the production of male flowers; this result was consistent with the monoecious persimmon model. Our findings provide predominant genetic aspects for investigation into androecious <i>D. kaki</i>, and future perfecting the sex-determining mechanisms in persimmon.