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Discovery of a gene in a Mendelian locus controlling dichogamy

Dichogamy — the temporal separation of anther dehiscence and stigma receptivity — is ubiquitous in angiosperms. Using field investigations, Mendelian inheritance experiments, multi-omics analysis based on haplotype-resolved genomes and validation of gene function, we identify SMPED1 as a novel gene that controls the synchrony of sex organ behaviour in angiosperms.

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Fig. 1: Dissection of dichogamy mechanisms in Alpinia spp.

References

  1. Darwin, C. The Different Forms of Flowers on Plants of the Same Species. (John Murray, 1877). A book that presents the diversity of reproductive strategies in plants.

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This is a summary of: Zhao, J.-L. et al. Ginger genome reveals the SMPED1 gene causing sex-phase synchrony and outcrossing in a flowering plant. Nat. Plants https://doi.org/10.1038/s41477-025-02125-3 (2025).

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Discovery of a gene in a Mendelian locus controlling dichogamy. Nat. Plants 11, 2194–2195 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41477-025-02153-z

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