| Abstract Detail
Reproductive Processes Utley, Delecia [1], Burke, Janelle [1]. Sex Determination and Resource Allocation in Dioecious Rumex acetosa and Related Species. The sex ratios in dioecious plant populations are often close to a 1:1 ratio, or are male biased due to gender-specific differences. Rumex acetosa (Polygonaceae) is a dioecious plant in which females posses XX, and males XY1Y2 sex chromosome system. To resolve functional sex among R. acetosa plants, leaf material was analyzed, using a PCR-based technique involving a male-specific DNA marker, to determine sex of the plants. The observed female bias sex-ratio obtained by molecular work was consistent with the view that Rumex populations show female bias, having 13 female individuals and 7 male individuals. Resource allocation has been an observed reason for the female bias in R. acetosa. Males allocate more resources during flower production, while females allocate more resources during seed production. To investigate resource allocation among gender, both the female and male population were split into two treatments of high and low nutrients. The above and below ground masses were observed between the different treatments and the sexes within the different treatments. There was statistically significant differences between the weight of individuals in high versus low nutrient treatments. There was no statistically significant difference between the sexes within different treatments. Replication of this experiment with a larger sample size was done but was unsuccessful due to greenhouse conditions. Sex determination is now being observed using other species, closely related to Rumex acetosa: Rumex tuberosus, Rumex thyrsiflorus, Rumex intermedius, and Rumex sagittatus, to test the hypothesis that sex determination can be observed in other species of Rumex.
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1 - Howard University, Biology, 415 College St. NW, Washington, DC, 20001, USA
Keywords:
none specified
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 29, Reproductive Processes II
Location: 111/Mayo Civic Center
Date: Tuesday, July 24th, 2018
Time: 4:00 PM
Number: 29010
Abstract ID:447
Candidate for Awards:None |
