About the Project
The majority of Primula species exhibit heterostyly, which Darwin recognised as a mechanism to promote insect-mediated cross-pollination. Plants produce either pin (long style, low anther) or thrum (short style high anther) self-incompatible flowers; inter-morph crosses lead to seed set. Differential development of the two heteromorphic forms of flower is controlled by the S locus, a co-adapted linkage group of genes that control anther height, style length, stigma shape and texture, corolla tube shape, and pollen size. We recently completed a de novo assembly of the P. vulgaris genome which, together with a BAC walk across the S locus region, revealed the sequence and structure of the entire gene cluster that controls heterostyly in Primula. We showed that the S locus contains five genes that are only found in thrum as a hemizygous region located near the centromere of the largest metacentric chromosome. Through the analysis of mutant long and short homostyle flowers with anthers and stigma at the same height, high and low in the flower respectively, we defined the style length suppression gene and the anther elevation gene. The available PhD project provides an opportunity to join our laboratory team to explore the developmental and evolutionary biology of Primula heterostyly through molecular genetic and bioinformatic characterisation of S locus genes in P. vulgaris and other members of this genus. This PhD project offers the opportunity to develop a range of skills and expertise in a wide range of experimental techniques.
A strong grounding in genetics, molecular biology, or a related discipline is essential, as is the ability to work collaboratively as part of a multidisciplinary team. Our UEA laboratory is hosted by the Earlham Institute on the wider Norwich Research Park.
For more information on the supervisor for this project, please go here: https://www.uea.ac.uk/biological-sciences/people/profile/p-gilmartin
Type of programme: PhD
Start date: October 2018
Mode of study: Full time
Acceptable first degree: Biological sciences, genetics, molecular biology or related subject; experience or aptitude in bioinformatics is also relevant. 2:1 or 1st.
References
i) LI, J., Cocker, J.M., Wright, J., Webster, M.A., McMullan, M., Dyer, S., Swarbreck, D., Caccamo, M., van Oosterhout, C. & Gilmartin, P.M. (2016) The genetic and molecular architecture of the Primula S locus supergene. Nature Plants 2 Article Number 16188
ii) Li, J., Webster, M.A., Wright, J., Cocker, J.M., Smith, M.C., Badakshi, F., Heslop-Harrison, P. & Gilmartin, P.M. (2015) Integration of genetic and physical maps of the Primula vulgaris S locus and localization by chromosome in situ hybridisation. New Phytologist 208: 137-148
iii) Cocker, J.M., Webster, M.A., Li, J., Wright, J., Kaithakottil, G., Swarbreck, D. & Gilmartin, P.M. Oakleaf: an S locus-linked mutation of Primula vulgaris that affects leaf and flower development. New Phytologist 208: 149-161
iv) Gilmartin, P.M. (2015) On the origins of observations of heterostyly in Primula. New Phytologist 208: 39-51
v) Li, J., Dudas, B., Webster, M., Cook, H., Davies, B. & Gilmartin, P.M. (2010) Hose in Hose, an S locus-linked mutant of Primula vulgaris is caused by an unstable mutation at the Globosa locus. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 107: 5664-5668
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