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Plant Biol (Stuttg) 2001; 3(5): 481-488
DOI: 10.1055/s-2001-17735
Review Article
Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart ·New York

Sex Determination by Sex Chromosomes in Dioecious Plants

S. Matsunaga, S. Kawano
  • Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan
Further Information

Publication History

July 10, 2001

August 14, 2001

Publication Date:
11 October 2001 (online)

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Abstract

Sex chromosomes have been reported in several dioecious plants. The most general system of sex determination with sex chromosomes is the XY system, in which males are the heterogametic sex and females are homogametic. Genetic systems in sex determination are divided into two classes including an X chromosome counting system and an active Y chromosome system. Dioecious plants have unisexual flowers, which have stamens or pistils. The development of unisexual flowers is caused by the suppression of opposite sex primordia. The expression of floral organ identity genes is different between male and female flower primordia. However, these floral organ identity genes show no evidence of sex chromosome linkage. The Y chromosome of Rumex acetosa contains Y chromosome-specific repetitive sequences, whereas the Y chromosome of Silene latifolia has not accumulated chromosome-specific repetitive sequences. The different degree of Y chromosome degeneration may reflect on evolutionary time since the origination of dioecy. The Y chromosome of S. latifolia functions in suppression of female development and initiation and completion of anther development. Analyses of mutants suggested that female suppressor and stamen promoter genes are localized on the Y chromosome. Recently, some sex chromosome-linked genes were isolated from flower buds of S. latifolia.

Key words

Sex determination - dioecious plant - sex chromosome

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S. Matsunaga

Department of Integrated Biosciences
Graduate School of Frontier Sciences
University of Tokyo

Kashiwanoha 5-1-5
Kashiwa
Chiba 277-8562
Japan

Email: sachi@k.u-tokyo.ac.jp

Section Editor: T. Nagata

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