Genes and noncoding RNAs involved in flower development in Orchis italica

Orchis italica is one of the most widespread orchid species in Mediterranean regions. During the last twenty years, great efforts based also on next-generation sequencing approaches have been made to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying orchid flower development, and many genes have been identified in O. italica. The identified genes include many MADS-box genes involved in the ABCDE model in O. italica as well as microRNAs that post-transcriptionally regulate their activity. More recently, genes that are potentially involved in the establishment of bilateral symmetry in the flowers of O. italica belonging to the TCP and MYB families of transcription factors have been identified. In addition, microRNAs and long noncoding RNAs have been identified as possibly being involved in the complex process of flower development in O. italica.