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Praat M, Jiang Z, Earle J, Smeekens S, van Zanten M. Using a thermal gradient table to study plant temperature signalling and response across a temperature spectrum. PLANT METHODS 2024; 20:114. [PMID: 39075474 PMCID: PMC11285400 DOI: 10.1186/s13007-024-01230-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/31/2024]
Abstract
Plants must cope with ever-changing temperature conditions in their environment. In many plant species, suboptimal high and low temperatures can induce adaptive mechanisms that allow optimal performance. Thermomorphogenesis is the acclimation to high ambient temperature, whereas cold acclimation refers to the acquisition of cold tolerance following a period of low temperatures. The molecular mechanisms underlying thermomorphogenesis and cold acclimation are increasingly well understood but neither signalling components that have an apparent role in acclimation to both cold and warmth, nor factors determining dose-responsiveness, are currently well defined. This can be explained in part by practical limitations, as applying temperature gradients requires the use of multiple growth conditions simultaneously, usually unavailable in research laboratories. Here we demonstrate that commercially available thermal gradient tables can be used to grow and assess plants over a defined and adjustable steep temperature gradient within one experiment. We describe technical and thermodynamic aspects and provide considerations for plant growth and treatment. We show that plants display the expected morphological, physiological, developmental and molecular responses that are typically associated with high temperature and cold acclimation. This includes temperature dose-response effects on seed germination, hypocotyl elongation, leaf development, hyponasty, rosette growth, temperature marker gene expression, stomatal conductance, chlorophyll content, ion leakage and hydrogen peroxide levels. In conclusion, thermal gradient table systems enable standardized and predictable environments to study plant responses to varying temperature regimes and can be swiftly implemented in research on temperature signalling and response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myrthe Praat
- Plant Stress Resilience, Institute of Environmental Biology, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, Utrecht, 3584CH, The Netherlands
- Molecular Plant Physiology, Institute of Environmental Biology, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, Utrecht, 3584CH, The Netherlands
| | - Zhang Jiang
- Plant Stress Resilience, Institute of Environmental Biology, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, Utrecht, 3584CH, The Netherlands
- Molecular Plant Physiology, Institute of Environmental Biology, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, Utrecht, 3584CH, The Netherlands
| | - Joe Earle
- Molecular Plant Physiology, Institute of Environmental Biology, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, Utrecht, 3584CH, The Netherlands
- Present address: Evolutionary Plant Ecophysiology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, Groningen, 9747AG, The Netherlands
| | - Sjef Smeekens
- Molecular Plant Physiology, Institute of Environmental Biology, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, Utrecht, 3584CH, The Netherlands
| | - Martijn van Zanten
- Plant Stress Resilience, Institute of Environmental Biology, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, Utrecht, 3584CH, The Netherlands.
- Molecular Plant Physiology, Institute of Environmental Biology, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, Utrecht, 3584CH, The Netherlands.
- Netherlands Plant Eco-Phenotyping Centre, Institute of Environmental Biology, Utrecht University, Padualaan 6, Utrecht, 3584CH, The Netherlands.
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Landoni B, Suárez-Montes P, Habeahan RHF, Brennan AC, Pérez-Barrales R. Local climate and vernalization sensitivity predict the latitudinal patterns of flowering onset in the crop wild relative Linum bienne Mill. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2024; 134:117-130. [PMID: 38482916 PMCID: PMC11161566 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcae040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS The timing of flowering onset is often correlated with latitude, indicative of climatic gradients. Flowering onset in temperate species commonly requires exposure to cold temperatures, known as vernalization. Hence, population differentiation of flowering onset with latitude might reflect adaptation to the local climatic conditions experienced by populations. METHODS Within its western range, seeds from Linum bienne populations (the wild relative of cultivated Linum usitatissimum) were used to describe the latitudinal differentiation of flowering onset to determine its association with the local climate of the population. A vernalization experiment including different crop cultivars was used to determine how vernalization accelerates flowering onset, in addition to the vernalization sensitivity response among populations and cultivars. Additionally, genetic differentiation of L. bienne populations along the latitudinal range was scrutinized using microsatellite markers. KEY RESULTS Flowering onset varied with latitude of origin, with southern populations flowering earlier than their northern counterparts. Vernalization reduced the number of days to flowering onset, but vernalization sensitivity was greater in northern populations compared with southern ones. Conversely, vernalization delayed flowering onset in the crop, exhibiting less variation in sensitivity. In L. bienne, both flowering onset and vernalization sensitivity were better predicted by the local climate of the population than by latitude itself. Microsatellite data unveiled genetic differentiation of populations, forming two groups geographically partitioned along latitude. CONCLUSIONS The consistent finding of latitudinal variation across experiments suggests that both flowering onset and vernalization sensitivity in L. bienne populations are under genetic regulation and might depend on climatic cues at the place of origin. The association with climatic gradients along latitude suggests that the climate experienced locally drives population differentiation of the flowering onset and vernalization sensitivity patterns. The genetic population structure suggests that past population history could have influenced the flowering initiation patterns detected, which deserves further work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatrice Landoni
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Rocío Pérez-Barrales
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK
- Botany Department, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
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Auge G, Hankofer V, Groth M, Antoniou-Kourounioti R, Ratikainen I, Lampei C. Plant environmental memory: implications, mechanisms and opportunities for plant scientists and beyond. AOB PLANTS 2023; 15:plad032. [PMID: 37415723 PMCID: PMC10321398 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plad032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
Plants are extremely plastic organisms. They continuously receive and integrate environmental information and adjust their growth and development to favour fitness and survival. When this integration of information affects subsequent life stages or the development of subsequent generations, it can be considered an environmental memory. Thus, plant memory is a relevant mechanism by which plants respond adaptively to different environments. If the cost of maintaining the response is offset by its benefits, it may influence evolutionary trajectories. As such, plant memory has a sophisticated underlying molecular mechanism with multiple components and layers. Nonetheless, when mathematical modelling is combined with knowledge of ecological, physiological, and developmental effects as well as molecular mechanisms as a tool for understanding plant memory, the combined potential becomes unfathomable for the management of plant communities in natural and agricultural ecosystems. In this review, we summarize recent advances in the understanding of plant memory, discuss the ecological requirements for its evolution, outline the multilayered molecular network and mechanisms required for accurate and fail-proof plant responses to variable environments, point out the direct involvement of the plant metabolism and discuss the tremendous potential of various types of models to further our understanding of the plant's environmental memory. Throughout, we emphasize the use of plant memory as a tool to unlock the secrets of the natural world.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Valentin Hankofer
- Institute of Biochemical Plant Pathology, Helmholtz Munich, Ingolstädter Landstraße 1, 85764 Oberschleißheim, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Martin Groth
- Institute of Functional Epigenetics, Helmholtz Munich, Ingolstädter Landstraße 1, 85764 Oberschleißheim, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Rea Antoniou-Kourounioti
- School of Molecular Biosciences, University of Glasgow, Sir James Black Building, University Ave, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Irja Ratikainen
- Department of Biology, Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Realfagbygget, NO-7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Christian Lampei
- Department of Biology (FB17), Plant Ecology and Geobotany Group, University of Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch-Straße 8, 35032 Marburg, Germany
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Estevo CA, Stralberg D, Nielsen SE, Bayne E. Topographic and vegetation drivers of thermal heterogeneity along the boreal–grassland transition zone in western Canada: Implications for climate change refugia. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9008. [PMID: 35784028 PMCID: PMC9217894 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Revised: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Climate change refugia are areas that are relatively buffered from contemporary climate change and may be important safe havens for wildlife and plants under anthropogenic climate change. Topographic variation is an important driver of thermal heterogeneity, but it is limited in relatively flat landscapes, such as the boreal plain and prairie regions of western Canada. Topographic variation within this region is mostly restricted to river valleys and hill systems, and their effects on local climates are not well documented. We sought to quantify thermal heterogeneity as a function of topography and vegetation cover within major valleys and hill systems across the boreal–grassland transition zone. Using iButton data loggers, we monitored local temperature at four hills and 12 river valley systems that comprised a wide range of habitats and ecosystems in Alberta, Canada (N = 240), between 2014 and 2020. We then modeled monthly temperature by season as a function of topography and different vegetation cover types using general linear mixed effect models. Summer maximum temperatures (Tmax) varied nearly 6°C across the elevation gradient sampled. Local summer mean (Tmean) and maximum (Tmax) temperatures on steep, north‐facing slopes (i.e., low levels of potential solar radiation) were up to 0.70°C and 2.90°C cooler than highly exposed areas, respectively. Tmax in incised valleys was between 0.26 and 0.28°C cooler than other landforms, whereas areas with greater terrain roughness experienced maximum temperatures that were up to 1.62°C cooler. We also found that forest cover buffered temperatures locally, with coniferous and mixedwood forests decreasing summer Tmean from 0.23 to 0.72°C and increasing winter Tmin by up to 2°C, relative to non‐forested areas. Spatial predictions of temperatures from iButton data loggers were similar to a gridded climate product (ClimateNA), but the difference between them increased with potential solar radiation, vegetation cover, and terrain roughness. Species that can track their climate niche may be able to compensate for regional climate warming through local migrations to cooler microsites. Topographic and vegetation characteristics that are related to cooler local climates should be considered in the evaluation of future climate change impacts and to identify potential refugia from climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cesar A. Estevo
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Alberta Edmonton Alberta Canada
| | - Diana Stralberg
- Natural Resources Canada Northern Forestry Centre Edmonton Alberta Canada
- Department of Renewable Resources University of Alberta Edmonton Alberta Canada
| | - Scott E. Nielsen
- Department of Renewable Resources University of Alberta Edmonton Alberta Canada
| | - Erin Bayne
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Alberta Edmonton Alberta Canada
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Tamian A, Viblanc VA, Dobson FS, Neuhaus P, Hammer TL, Nesterova AP, Raveh S, Skibiel AL, Broussard D, Manno TG, Rajamani N, Saraux C. Integrating microclimatic variation in phenological responses to climate change: A 28‐year study in a hibernating mammal. Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Anouch Tamian
- Département Ecologie, Physiologie et Ethologie Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, CNRS Strasbourg France
| | - Vincent A. Viblanc
- Département Ecologie, Physiologie et Ethologie Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, CNRS Strasbourg France
| | - F. Stephen Dobson
- Département Ecologie, Physiologie et Ethologie Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, CNRS Strasbourg France
- Department of Biological Sciences Auburn University Auburn Alabama USA
| | - Peter Neuhaus
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Calgary Calgary Canada
| | - Tracey L. Hammer
- Département Ecologie, Physiologie et Ethologie Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, CNRS Strasbourg France
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Calgary Calgary Canada
| | | | - Shirley Raveh
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine University of Glasgow Glasgow UK
| | - Amy L. Skibiel
- Department of Animal, Veterinary and Food Sciences University of Idaho Moscow Idaho USA
| | - David Broussard
- Department of Biology Lycoming College Williamsport Pennsylvania USA
| | - Theodore G. Manno
- Science Department Catalina Foothills High School Tucson Arizona USA
| | - Nandini Rajamani
- Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Tirupati Andhra Pradesh India
| | - Claire Saraux
- Département Ecologie, Physiologie et Ethologie Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, CNRS Strasbourg France
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Spitzer CM, Sundqvist MK, Wardle DA, Gundale MJ, Kardol P. Root trait variation along a sub‐arctic tundra elevational gradient. OIKOS 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Clydecia M. Spitzer
- Dept of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish Univ. of Agricultural Sciences Umeå Sweden
| | - Maja K. Sundqvist
- Dept of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish Univ. of Agricultural Sciences Umeå Sweden
| | - David A. Wardle
- Asian School of the Environment, Nanyang Technological Univ. Singapore Singapore
| | - Michael J. Gundale
- Dept of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish Univ. of Agricultural Sciences Umeå Sweden
| | - Paul Kardol
- Dept of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish Univ. of Agricultural Sciences Umeå Sweden
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Song WY, Li XY, Chen ZZ, Li Q, Onditi KO, He SW, Jiang XL. Isolated alpine habitats reveal disparate ecological drivers of taxonomic and functional beta-diversity of small mammal assemblages. Zool Res 2021; 41:670-683. [PMID: 32918407 PMCID: PMC7671915 DOI: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2020.085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
The interpretation of patterns of biodiversity requires the disentanglement of geographical and environmental variables. Disjunct alpine communities are geographically isolated from one another but experience similar environmental impacts. Isolated homogenous habitats may promote speciation but constrain functional trait variation. In this study, we examined the hypothesis that dispersal limitation promotes taxonomic divergence, whereas habitat similarity in alpine mountains leads to functional convergence. We performed standardized field investigation to sample non-volant small mammals from 18 prominent alpine sites in the Three Parallel Rivers area. We estimated indices quantifying taxonomic and functional alpha- and beta-diversity, as well as beta-diversity components. We then assessed the respective importance of geographical and environmental predictors in explaining taxonomic and functional compositions. No evidence was found to show that species were more functionally similar than expected in local assemblages. However, the taxonomic turnover components were higher than functional ones (0.471±0.230 vs. 0.243±0.215), with nestedness components showing the opposite pattern (0.063±0.054 vs. 0.269±0.225). This indicated that differences in taxonomic compositions between sites occurred from replacement of functionally similar species. Geographical barriers were the key factor influencing both taxonomic total dissimilarity and turnover components, whereas functional beta-diversity was primarily explained by climatic factors such as minimum temperature of the coldest month. Our findings provide empirical evidence that taxonomic and functional diversity patterns can be independently driven by different ecological processes. Our results point to the importance of clarifying different components of beta-diversity to understand the underlying mechanisms of community assembly. These results also shed light on the assembly rules and ecological processes of terrestrial mammal communities in extreme environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Yu Song
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650223 China.,Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650223 China
| | - Xue-You Li
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650223 China
| | - Zhong-Zheng Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650223 China.,Collaborative Innovation Center of Recovery and Reconstruction of Degraded Ecosystem in Wanjiang Basin Co-founded by Anhui Province and Ministry of Education, School of Ecology and Environment, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui 241000 China
| | - Quan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650223 China
| | - Kenneth Otieno Onditi
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650223 China.,Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650223 China
| | - Shui-Wang He
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650223 China
| | - Xue-Long Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650223 China. E-mail:
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An integrative Study Showing the Adaptation to Sub-Optimal Growth Conditions of Natural Populations of Arabidopsis thaliana: A Focus on Cell Wall Changes. Cells 2020; 9:cells9102249. [PMID: 33036444 PMCID: PMC7601860 DOI: 10.3390/cells9102249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Revised: 09/28/2020] [Accepted: 10/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In the global warming context, plant adaptation occurs, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are poorly described. Studying natural variation of the model plant Arabidopsisthaliana adapted to various environments along an altitudinal gradient should contribute to the identification of new traits related to adaptation to contrasted growth conditions. The study was focused on the cell wall (CW) which plays major roles in the response to environmental changes. Rosettes and floral stems of four newly-described populations collected at different altitudinal levels in the Pyrenees Mountains were studied in laboratory conditions at two growth temperatures (22 vs. 15 °C) and compared to the well-described Col ecotype. Multi-omic analyses combining phenomics, metabolomics, CW proteomics, and transcriptomics were carried out to perform an integrative study to understand the mechanisms of plant adaptation to contrasted growth temperature. Different developmental responses of rosettes and floral stems were observed, especially at the CW level. In addition, specific population responses are shown in relation with their environment and their genetics. Candidate genes or proteins playing roles in the CW dynamics were identified and will deserve functional validation. Using a powerful framework of data integration has led to conclusions that could not have been reached using standard statistical approaches.
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Leinonen PH, Salmela MJ, Greenham K, McClung CR, Willis JH. Populations Are Differentiated in Biological Rhythms without Explicit Elevational Clines in the Plant Mimulus laciniatus. J Biol Rhythms 2020; 35:452-464. [PMID: 32628567 PMCID: PMC7534027 DOI: 10.1177/0748730420936408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Environmental variation along an elevational gradient can yield phenotypic differentiation resulting from varying selection pressures on plant traits related to seasonal responses. Thus, genetic clines can evolve in a suite of traits, including the circadian clock, that drives daily cycling in varied traits and that shares its genetic background with adaptation to seasonality. We used populations of annual Mimulus laciniatus from different elevations in the Sierra Nevada in California to explore among-population differentiation in the circadian clock, flowering responses to photoperiod, and phenological traits (days to cotyledon emergence, days to flowering, and days to seed ripening) in controlled common-garden conditions. Further, we examined correlations of these traits with environmental variables related to temperature and precipitation. We observed that the circadian period in leaf movement was differentiated among populations sampled within about 100 km, with population means varying by 1.6 h. Significant local genetic variation occurred within 2 populations in which circadian period among families varied by up to 1.8 h. Replicated treatments with variable ecologically relevant photoperiods revealed marked population differentiation in critical day length for flowering that ranged from 11.0 to 14.1 h, corresponding to the time period between late February and mid-May in the wild. Flowering time varied among populations in a 14-h photoperiod. Regardless of this substantial population-level diversity, obvious linear clinality in trait variability across elevations could not be determined based on our genotypic sample; it is possible that more complex spatial patterns of variation arise in complex terrains such as those in the Sierra Nevada. Moreover, we did not find statistically significant bivariate correlations between population means of different traits. Our research contributes to the understanding of genetic variation in the circadian clock and in seasonal responses in natural populations, highlighting the need for more comprehensive investigations on the association between the clock and other adaptive traits in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Päivi H Leinonen
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.,Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Matti J Salmela
- Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Helsinki, Finland
| | - Kathleen Greenham
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - C Robertson McClung
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - John H Willis
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
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