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Spiral phyllotaxis predicts left-right asymmetric growth and style deflection in mirror-image flowers of Cyanella alba

Author

Listed:
  • Caroline Robertson

    (Department of Molecular and Cell Biology)

  • Haoran Xue

    (Institute for Biochemistry and Biology)

  • Marco Saltini

    (Plant Science Group)

  • Alice L. M. Fairnie

    (Toronto)

  • Dirk Lang

    (Department of Human Biology)

  • Merijn H. L. Kerstens

    (Wageningen University)

  • Viola Willemsen

    (Wageningen University)

  • Robert A. Ingle

    (Department of Molecular and Cell Biology)

  • Spencer C. H. Barrett

    (Toronto)

  • Eva E. Deinum

    (Plant Science Group)

  • Nicola Illing

    (Department of Molecular and Cell Biology)

  • Michael Lenhard

    (Institute for Biochemistry and Biology)

Abstract

Many animals and plants show left-right (LR) asymmetry. The LR asymmetry of mirror-image flowers has clear functional significance, with the reciprocal placement of male and female organs in left- versus right-handed flowers promoting cross-pollination. Here, we study how handedness of mirror-image flowers is determined and elaborated during development in the South African geophyte Cyanella alba. Inflorescences of C. alba produce flowers with a largely consistent handedness. However, this handedness has no simple genetic basis and individual plants can switch their predominant handedness between years. Rather, it is the direction of the phyllotactic spiral that predicts floral handedness. Style deflection is driven by increased cell expansion in the adaxial carpel facing the next oldest flower compared to the other adaxial carpel. The more expanding carpel shows transcriptional signatures of increased auxin signaling and auxin application can reverse the orientation of style deflection. We propose that a recently described inherent LR auxin asymmetry in the initiating organs of spiral phyllotaxis determines handedness in C. alba, creating a stable yet non-genetic floral polymorphism. This mechanism links chirality across different levels of plant development and exploits a developmental constraint in a core patterning process to produce morphological variation of ecological relevance.

Suggested Citation

  • Caroline Robertson & Haoran Xue & Marco Saltini & Alice L. M. Fairnie & Dirk Lang & Merijn H. L. Kerstens & Viola Willemsen & Robert A. Ingle & Spencer C. H. Barrett & Eva E. Deinum & Nicola Illing & , 2025. "Spiral phyllotaxis predicts left-right asymmetric growth and style deflection in mirror-image flowers of Cyanella alba," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-15, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-58803-5
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-58803-5
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sascha Waidmann & Michel Ruiz Rosquete & Maria Schöller & Elizabeth Sarkel & Heike Lindner & Therese LaRue & Ivan Petřík & Kai Dünser & Shanice Martopawiro & Rashmi Sasidharan & Ondrej Novak & Krzyszt, 2019. "Cytokinin functions as an asymmetric and anti-gravitropic signal in lateral roots," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 10(1), pages 1-14, December.
    2. repec:plo:pcbi00:1002389 is not listed on IDEAS
    3. Reiko Kuroda & Bunshiro Endo & Masanori Abe & Miho Shimizu, 2009. "Chiral blastomere arrangement dictates zygotic left–right asymmetry pathway in snails," Nature, Nature, vol. 462(7274), pages 790-794, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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