Figure 4

Carpel whorl phenotype of EScaAG silenced plants and expression analysis of floral homeotic genes. (A) Gynoecium of an untreated plant (left) and of a plant silenced for EScaAG2 (right) (B) Flat orange gynoecium without ovules of a plant treated with pTRV2-EScaAG1. (C) Scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the wild type gynoecium surface structure. (D) SEM of a wild type petal surface structure. (E) SEM of the central floral whorl organ of a plant treated with pTRV2-EScaAG1 showing a mix of petal and gynoecium surface structures. (F) The central whorl floral organ (pg, for petaloid gynoecium) of a plant treated with pTRV2-EScaAG2 showing petaloid and carpeloid features as well a lack of ovules. This organ encloses an ectopic flower consisting of a remnant gynoecium (g), petals (p) and stamens (st). (G) Relative expression of class B and C genes in young carpels before anthesis and mature carpels at anthesis of untreated plants, (H) Real-Time RT-PCR expression analysis of EScaAG1, EScaAG2, EScaDEF1, EScaDEF2, and EScaGLO in the gynoecia of VIGS treated plants. Abbreviations used in (G) and (H): yc, young carpel before anthesis; mc, mature carpel at anthesis; u, untreated plants; pTRV2-E, plants treated with pTRV1 and pTRV2-E; pTRV2-AG1, plants silenced for EScaAG1; pTRV2-AG2, plants silenced for EScaAG2; pTRV2-AG1/2, plants silenced for EScaAG1 and EScaAG2.