Sex determination in Silene

As these chromosomes diverge from their autosomal ancestor and from each other as a homologous pair, they have the potential to increase or decrease in size due to mutation and recombination.

[4] The mechanisms involved in the sex determination of Silene are complex and can lead to various reproductive systems among the offspring.

Those which are most commonly found within this genus are hermaphroditism (monoecious plant with both staminate and pistillate), dioecy (male and female reproductive systems found in separate morphs), and gynodioecy (existence of female and hermaphroditic reproductive systems among the individuals of the population).

[7][8] Hetermorphic sex-determining chromosomes are very infrequent in plant genera; some notable examples that possess them, other than Silene, are Rumex, Humulus, and Cannabis.

[citation needed] Several studies concentrated on Silene latifolia have shown a correlation between loci on the Y chromosome and the sex that is expressed phenotypically in the flower.

The different combinations of possible sex-related genes that an individual Silene can have in one Y chromosome are what creates the rich variation of sexual phenotypes throughout this genus.

Lastly, Y chromosomes carrying both female suppression and male fertility genes creates an asexual organism.

Silene dioica , female flower
Silene dioica male flowers ( etamins ) with anthers
Silene noctiflora , bisexual flower
This diagram illustrates the different gene combinations that can appear on the Y chromosome of Silene latifolia . Each combination of genes leads to a distinct sexual expression. Adapted from " Silene latifolia : The Classical Model to Study Heteromorphic Sex Chromosomes" by E. Kejnovsky and B. Vyskot. [ 7 ]