Project description:Investigation of genome-wide gene expression in sepals, petals, stamens, staminodia and carpels in pre-anthesis Aquilegia flowers. One goal was to identify transcriptional signatures associated with petaloidy by comparing gene expression in petals and petaloid sepals. Other goals were to study the evolutionary origin and ecological function of staminodia by comparing a) expression patterns in stamens, staminodia and carpels, b) identifying transcriptional regulators expressed in staminodia and c) using gene set enrichment analysis to identify biological processes operating in staminodia.
