1
|
Heyduk K, McAssey EV, Field R, Leebens-Mack J. The Agavoideae: an emergent model clade for CAM evolutionary biology. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2023; 132:727-737. [PMID: 37191440 PMCID: PMC10799990 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcad062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Revised: 04/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Crassulacean acid metabolism - or CAM photosynthesis - was described in the early to mid-20th century, and our understanding of this metabolic pathway was later expanded upon through detailed biochemical analyses of carbon balance. Soon after, scientists began to study the ecophysiological implications of CAM, and a large part of this early work was conducted in the genus Agave, in the subfamily Agavoideae of the family Asparagaceae. Today, the Agavoideae continues to be important for the study of CAM photosynthesis, from the ecophysiology of CAM species, to the evolution of the CAM phenotype and to the genomics underlying CAM traits. Here we review past and current work on CAM in the Agavoideae, in particular highlighting the work of Park Nobel in Agave, and focusing on the powerful comparative system the Agavoideae has become for studying the origins of CAM. We also highlight new genomics research and the potential for studying intraspecific variation within species of the Agavoideae, particularly species in the genus Yucca. The Agavoideae has served as an important model clade for CAM research for decades, and undoubtedly will continue to help push our understanding of CAM biology and evolution in the future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Karolina Heyduk
- School of Life Sciences, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | - Edward V McAssey
- School of Life Sciences, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | - Richard Field
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Jim Leebens-Mack
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Tribble CM, Martínez-Gómez J, Howard CC, Males J, Sosa V, Sessa EB, Cellinese N, Specht CD. Get the shovel: morphological and evolutionary complexities of belowground organs in geophytes. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2021; 108:372-387. [PMID: 33760229 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Herbaceous plants collectively known as geophytes, which regrow from belowground buds, are distributed around the globe and throughout the land plant tree of life. The geophytic habit is an evolutionarily and ecologically important growth form in plants, permitting novel life history strategies, enabling the occupation of more seasonal climates, mediating interactions between plants and their water and nutrient resources, and influencing macroevolutionary patterns by enabling differential diversification and adaptation. These taxa are excellent study systems for understanding how convergence on a similar growth habit (i.e., geophytism) can occur via different morphological and developmental mechanisms. Despite the importance of belowground organs for characterizing whole-plant morphological diversity, the morphology and evolution of these organs have been vastly understudied with most research focusing on only a few crop systems. Here, we clarify the terminology commonly used (and sometimes misused) to describe geophytes and their underground organs and highlight key evolutionary patterns of the belowground morphology of geophytic plants. Additionally, we advocate for increasing resources for geophyte research and implementing standardized ontological definitions of geophytic organs to improve our understanding of the factors controlling, promoting, and maintaining geophyte diversity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carrie M Tribble
- University Herbarium and Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Jesús Martínez-Gómez
- School of Integrative Plant Science, Section of Plant Biology and the L.H. Bailey Hortorium, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Cody Coyotee Howard
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Jamie Males
- Department of Plant Science, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, UK
| | - Victoria Sosa
- Biología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecologia AC, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
| | - Emily B Sessa
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Nico Cellinese
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Biodiversity Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Chelsea D Specht
- School of Integrative Plant Science, Section of Plant Biology and the L.H. Bailey Hortorium, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Jiménez-Barron O, García-Sandoval R, Magallón S, García-Mendoza A, Nieto-Sotelo J, Aguirre-Planter E, Eguiarte LE. Phylogeny, Diversification Rate, and Divergence Time of Agave sensu lato (Asparagaceae), a Group of Recent Origin in the Process of Diversification. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:536135. [PMID: 33240289 PMCID: PMC7680843 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.536135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2020] [Accepted: 10/06/2020] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Agave sensu lato is one of the most diverse and complex genera of Asparagaceae, with more than 250 species. The morphological, ecological, and evolutionary diversity of the group has complicated its taxonomical study. We conducted phylogenetic analyses of DNA sequence data to reconstruct the phylogenetic relationships of the Agave genus. We included 107 species of the Asparagaceae family from which 83 correspond to the Agave sensu lato clade (Agave sensu stricto + Polianthes + Manfreda and Prochnyanthes, which together represent 30% of the genus) and as outgroups the genera Dasylirion, Hesperoyucca, Chlorogalum, Camassia, Hesperaloe, Yucca, Beschorneria, and Furcraea, in order to estimate the age and propose the history of their diversification. Previous studies postulated the relevance of the Miocene in the speciation rates of the agaves, as well as the relevance of the type of inflorescence in its diversification. However, these assertions have not been well supported. The analysis of chloroplast regions resulted in low resolution, which could be the consequence of the few variable sites. On the other hand, the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) implemented in our analysis ensued in higher resolution and better support values. Our phylogenetic analyses recovered five groups; one is the Striatae group, which is the sister group to Agave sensu stricto clade. Within this clade, we found three main groups with high support; these groups are not related with previous morphological proposals. We also analyzed the dates of origin and diversification rates. A Bayesian analysis of macroevolutionary mixtures indicated two significant shifts; the first was identified at 6.18 Ma, where the speciation rate increased to 4.10 species/Mya, this shift occurred during the late Miocene period, characterized by the emergence of arid biomes in North America. The second was identified at a stem age of 2.68 Ma where the speciation rate increased to 6.04 species/Mya. Concerning the ancestral reconstruction state of the inflorescence type in the Agave sensu stricto clade, the spike inflorescence character was predominant in the early-diverging groups, whereas the late-diverging groups present panicle inflorescences as the predominant character and higher speciation rates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ofelia Jiménez-Barron
- Laboratorio de Evolución Molecular y Experimental, Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Ricardo García-Sandoval
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Susana Magallón
- Departamento de Botánica, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Abisaí García-Mendoza
- Jardín Botánico, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Jorge Nieto-Sotelo
- Jardín Botánico, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Erika Aguirre-Planter
- Laboratorio de Evolución Molecular y Experimental, Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Luis E. Eguiarte
- Laboratorio de Evolución Molecular y Experimental, Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, Mexico City, Mexico
- *Correspondence: Luis E. Eguiarte,
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Flores-Abreu I, Trejo-Salazar R, Sánchez-Reyes L, Good S, Magallón S, García-Mendoza A, Eguiarte L. Tempo and mode in coevolution of Agave sensu lato (Agavoideae, Asparagaceae) and its bat pollinators, Glossophaginae (Phyllostomidae). Mol Phylogenet Evol 2019; 133:176-188. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2019.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2018] [Revised: 12/31/2018] [Accepted: 01/02/2019] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
|
5
|
Heyduk K, Ray JN, Ayyampalayam S, Leebens-Mack J. Shifts in gene expression profiles are associated with weak and strong Crassulacean acid metabolism. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2018; 105:587-601. [PMID: 29746718 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2017] [Accepted: 10/19/2017] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE OF THE STUDY The relative ease of high throughput sequencing is facilitating comprehensive phylogenomic and gene expression studies, even for nonmodel groups. To date, however, these two approaches have not been merged; while phylogenomic methods might use transcriptome sequences to resolve relationships, assessment of gene expression patterns in a phylogenetic context is less common. Here we analyzed both carbon assimilation and gene expression patterns of closely related species within the Agavoideae (Asparagaceae) to elucidate changes in gene expression across weak and strong phenotypes for Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM). METHODS Gene expression patterns were compared across four genera: Agave (CAM), which is paraphyletic with Polianthes (weak CAM) and Manfreda (CAM), and Beschorneria (weak CAM). RNA-sequencing was paired with measures of gas exchange and titratable acidity. Climate niche space was compared across the four lineages to examine abiotic factors and their correlation to CAM. KEY RESULTS Expression of homologous genes showed both shared and variable patterns in weak and strong CAM species. Network analysis highlights that despite shared expression patterns, highly connected genes differ between weak and strong CAM, implicating shifts in regulatory gene function as key for the evolution of CAM. Variation in carbohydrate metabolism between weak and strong CAM supports the importance of sugar turnovers for CAM physiology. CONCLUSIONS Integration of phylogenetics and RNA-sequencing provides a powerful tool to study the evolution of CAM photosynthesis across closely related but photosynthetically variable species. Our findings regarding shared or shifted gene expression and regulation of CAM via carbohydrate metabolism have important implications for efforts to engineer the CAM pathway into C3 food and biofuel crops.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Karolina Heyduk
- Miller Plant Sciences, University of Georgia, 120 Carlton Street, 2502, Athens, Georgia, 30602, USA
| | - Jeremy N Ray
- Miller Plant Sciences, University of Georgia, 120 Carlton Street, 2502, Athens, Georgia, 30602, USA
| | | | - James Leebens-Mack
- Miller Plant Sciences, University of Georgia, 120 Carlton Street, 2502, Athens, Georgia, 30602, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Evolution of a CAM anatomy predates the origins of Crassulacean acid metabolism in the Agavoideae (Asparagaceae). Mol Phylogenet Evol 2016; 105:102-113. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2016.08.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2016] [Revised: 08/24/2016] [Accepted: 08/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
|
7
|
McKain MR, McNeal JR, Kellar PR, Eguiarte LE, Pires JC, Leebens-Mack J. Timing of rapid diversification and convergent origins of active pollination within Agavoideae (Asparagaceae). AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2016; 103:1717-1729. [PMID: 27793858 DOI: 10.3732/ajb.1600198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2016] [Accepted: 10/03/2016] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE OF THE STUDY Yucca species are ideal candidates for the study of coevolution due to the obligate mutualism they form with yucca moth pollinators (genera Tegeticula and Parategeticula). Yuccas are not the only species to exhibit a mutualism with yucca moths; the genus Hesperoyucca is pollinated by the California yucca moth (Tegeticula maculata). Relationships among yuccas, Hesperoyucca, and other members of subfamily Agavoideae are necessary to understand the evolution of this unique pollination syndrome. Here, we investigate evolutionary relationships of yuccas and closely related genera looking at the timing and origin of yucca moth pollination. METHODS In this study, we sequenced the chloroplast genomes of 20 species in the subfamily Agavoideae (Asparagaceae) and three confamilial outgroup taxa to resolve intergeneric phylogenetic relationships of Agavoideae. We estimated divergence times using protein-coding genes from 67 chloroplast genomes sampled across monocots to determine the timing of the yucca moth pollination origin. KEY RESULTS We confidently resolved intergeneric relationships in Agavoideae, demonstrating the origin of the yucca-yucca moth mutualism on two distinct lineages that diverged 27 million years ago. Comparisons of Yucca and Hesperoyucca divergence time to those of yucca moths (Tegeticula and Parategeticula, Prodoxidae) indicate overlapping ages for the origin of pollinating behavior in the moths and pollination by yucca moths in the two plant lineages. CONCLUSION Whereas pollinating yucca moths have been shown to have a single origin within the Prodoxidae, there were independent acquisitions of active pollination on lineages leading to Yucca and Hesperoyucca within the Agavoideae.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael R McKain
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, 975 N. Warson Road, St. Louis, Missouri 63132 USA
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Georgia, 120 Carlton Street, Athens, Georgia 30602 USA
| | - Joel R McNeal
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Georgia, 120 Carlton Street, Athens, Georgia 30602 USA
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Kennesaw State University, 1000 Chastain Road, Kennesaw, Georgia 30144 USA
| | - P Roxanne Kellar
- Department of Biology, University of Nebraska at Omaha, 6001 Dodge Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68182 USA
| | - Luis E Eguiarte
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - J Chris Pires
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri, 311 Bond Life Sciences Center, 1201 East Rollins Street, Columbia, Missouri 65211 USA
| | - Jim Leebens-Mack
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Georgia, 120 Carlton Street, Athens, Georgia 30602 USA
| |
Collapse
|