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Valeeva LR, Sannikova AV, Shafigullina NR, Abdulkina LR, Sharipova MR, Shakirov EV. Telomere Length Variation in Model Bryophytes. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 13:387. [PMID: 38337920 PMCID: PMC10856949 DOI: 10.3390/plants13030387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
The ends of linear chromosomes of most eukaryotes consist of protein-bound DNA arrays called telomeres, which play essential roles in protecting genome integrity. Despite general evolutionary conservation in function, telomeric DNA is known to drastically vary in length and sequence between different eukaryotic lineages. Bryophytes are a group of early diverging land plants that include mosses, liverworts, and hornworts. This group of ancient land plants recently emerged as a new model for important discoveries in genomics and evolutionary biology, as well as for understanding plant adaptations to a terrestrial lifestyle. We measured telomere length in different ecotypes of model bryophyte species, including Physcomitrium patens, Marchantia polymorpha, Ceratodon purpureus, and in Sphagnum isolates. Our data indicate that all analyzed moss and liverwort genotypes have relatively short telomeres. Furthermore, all analyzed ecotypes and isolates of model mosses and liverworts display evidence of substantial natural variation in telomere length. Interestingly, telomere length also differs between male and female strains of the dioecious liverwort M. polymorpha and dioecious moss C. purpureus. Given that bryophytes are extraordinarily well adapted to different ecological niches from polar to tropical environments, our data will contribute to understanding the impact of natural telomere length variation on evolutionary adaptations in this ancient land plant lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liia R. Valeeva
- Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan Federal University, Kazan 420008, Republic of Tatarstan, Russia; (A.V.S.); (L.R.A.)
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science, Marshall University, Huntington, WV 25701, USA
| | - Anastasia V. Sannikova
- Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan Federal University, Kazan 420008, Republic of Tatarstan, Russia; (A.V.S.); (L.R.A.)
| | - Nadiya R. Shafigullina
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Department of General Ecology, Kazan Federal University, Kazan 420008, Republic of Tatarstan, Russia
| | - Liliia R. Abdulkina
- Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan Federal University, Kazan 420008, Republic of Tatarstan, Russia; (A.V.S.); (L.R.A.)
| | - Margarita R. Sharipova
- Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan Federal University, Kazan 420008, Republic of Tatarstan, Russia; (A.V.S.); (L.R.A.)
| | - Eugene V. Shakirov
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science, Marshall University, Huntington, WV 25701, USA
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, Marshall University, Huntington, WV 25755, USA
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