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Science

Title:		Antheridiogen determines sex in ferns via a spatiotemporally split gibberellin synthesis pathway
Author(s):		Tanaka J; Yano K; Aya K; Hirano K; Takehara S; Koketsu E; Ordonio RL; Park SH; Nakajima M; Ueguchi-Tanaka M; Matsuoka M;
Address:		"Bioscience and Biotechnology Center, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan. Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan. Bioscience and Biotechnology Center, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan. mueguchi@nuagr1.agr.nagoya-u.ac.jp makoto@nuagr1.agr.nagoya-u.ac.jp"
Journal Title:		Science
Year:		2014
Volume:		346
Issue:		6208
Page Number:		469 - 473
DOI:		10.1126/science.1259923
ISSN/ISBN:		1095-9203 (Electronic) 0036-8075 (Linking)
Abstract:		"Some ferns possess the ability to control their sex ratio to maintain genetic variation in their colony with the aid of antheridiogen pheromones, antheridium (male organ)-inducing compounds that are related to gibberellin. We determined that ferns have evolved an antheridiogen-mediated communication system to produce males by modifying the gibberellin biosynthetic pathway, which is split between two individuals of different developmental stages in the colony. Antheridiogen acts as a bridge between them because it is more readily taken up by prothalli than bioactive gibberellin. The pathway initiates in early-maturing prothalli (gametophytes) within a colony, which produce antheridiogens and secrete them into the environment. After the secreted antheridiogen is absorbed by neighboring late-maturing prothalli, it is modified in to bioactive gibberellin to trigger male organ formation"
Keywords:		"Ferns/*cytology/*physiology *Gametogenesis, Plant Gene Expression Gibberellins/*biosynthesis/genetics Metabolic Networks and Pathways Molecular Sequence Data Pheromones/metabolism/*physiology Sex Ratio Spatio-Temporal Analysis;"
Notes:		"MedlineTanaka, Junmu Yano, Kenji Aya, Koichiro Hirano, Ko Takehara, Sayaka Koketsu, Eriko Ordonio, Reynante Lacsamana Park, Seung-Hyun Nakajima, Masatoshi Ueguchi-Tanaka, Miyako Matsuoka, Makoto eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't 2014/10/25 Science. 2014 Oct 24; 346(6208):469-73. doi: 10.1126/science.1259923"