An international research team has
discovered the mutations of the MYB-FL gene and the role it plays of floral UV
absorbance and coloration in petunias. The MYB-FL gene is a single gene that
accounts for the attraction of nocturnal pollinators. The variation of the gene
allows for the fluctuations of Flavonol and anthocyanin. Flavonol controls the
dimming or stimulation of the UV light intensity while anthocyanin is a pigment
compound that controls flower color.
The
mutation of the MYB-FL gene could mean the difference between which insect/animal
pollinates the plant’s flower. Researchers found UV and pigment differences
among three different petunia flowers correspond to differences in their
pollinators. Some nocturnal moths had tended to draw near flowers with much UV absorption, such as the white flowers of P.
axillaris. Bees enjoy the small, purple flowers of P. inflata. In the daytime, hummingbirds visit the bright red
flower P. exserta that absorbs much
less UV light.
It was
interesting to read how plants can pick their pollinators. Each petunia was
different in their means of UV absorption and coloration. This, of course,
depended upon the accumulation of flavonoid pigments in the plants. The P. exserta, for instance, primarily attracts
hummingbirds. This bright red flower draws the bird to its stigmas and stamens for
pollination.
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