Cells and genes shaping Disocactus flower size
Rosas-Reinhold and colleagues compared flower development in Disocactus speciosus and D. eichlamii. The study was published online on 5 March 2026. The authors sampled buds of both species at two developmental stages and combined microscopy with RNA analysis. Tepal cells were similar in size in early buds. Later growth in D. speciosus involved prolonged cell proliferation and expansion. These differences were associated with a larger final perianth size.
Transcriptomes identified homologues of BIG BROTHER, BIG PETALp and NAC100 as candidates associated with growth regulation. Their roles require further functional experiments.
Rosas-Reinhold I., Ramírez-Castro C.G., Cervantes C.R., Rodríguez-Alonso G., Piñeyro-Nelson A., Rosas U., Arias S., Insights into the genetic bases of differential organ size in cactus flowers: a case study in two contrasting species, Annals of Botany, 2026, 138(4):1021–1034, doi: 10.1093/aob/mcag046.
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