Linking Hsp90 function to micro-environmental and stochastic variation in floralorgans of Iris pumila L

Abstract

Hsp90 is an environmentally responsive molecular chaperone that was found to play a key role in buffering against genetic and non-genetic perturbations in the model organisms Arabidopsis and Drosophila. Here we analyzed the buffering capacity of Hsp90 against two kinds of non-genetic factors – stochastic noise and micro-environmental variation of floral organ traits in naturally growing Iris pumila plants. We found no statistical association between the endogenous level of Hsp90 and the floral organ radial symmetry produced by stochastic developmental noise. Conversely, floral organ plasticity in response to micro-environmental variation tended to be greater with decrease in Hsp90b isoform expression.