The availability of transgenic techniques is a critical component in the development of any genetic model species. For QTL and evolutionary studies, transgenics are equally important since they allow the rigorous characterization of candidate loci for evolutionary change. One major advantage of plants as subjects of molecular research is their common amenability to transformation, particularly by Agrobacterium. Transformation protocols have been developed for literally hundreds of species of herbaceous and woody seed plants, although this often requires the time-consuming use of tissue culture. In Arabidopsis, transformation has been drastically simplified by the use of the “dip” and “spray” methods, as well as the development of optimized T-DNA binary plasmids. I am pursuing the development of transgenic protocols for Aquilegia, specifically a ‘floral dip’ method. I have also optimized VIGS-based approaches in our new model cultivar, Aquilegia x caerulea ‘Origami.’
In addition to this work on transformation, I have been conducting VIGS silencing of the three APETALA3 and two AGAMOUS paralogs in Aquilegia. Now I am moving on to studying two Aquilegia homologs of the Arabidopsis gene UNUSUAL FLORAL ORGANS (UFO), which is important to the transcriptional activation of the B class genes in many other taxa. And, just for fun, we’ve started a new project studying petal development in the Berberidaceae family members Epimedium and Berberis, thanks to funding from the Arnold Arboretum.
Origami
Arabidopsis
Origami
Sharma, B. and E. M. Kramer. Sub- and neofunctionalization of APETALA3 paralogs have contributed to the
evolution of novel floral organ identity in Aquilegia (columbine, Ranunculaceae). New Phytologist, in press.
Sharma, B., C. Guo, H. Kong, E. M. Kramer. (2011) Petal-specific subfunctionalization of an APETALA3
paralog in the Ranunculales and its implications for petal evolution. New Phytologist, 190:870-883.
Sharma B. and E. M. Kramer. The MADS box gene family of the lower eudicot Aquilegia coerulea E. James.
Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden, in press.
Epimedium