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Yang Q, Li Z, Ma Y, Fang L, Liu Y, Zhu X, Dong H, Wang S. Metabolite analysis reveals flavonoids accumulation during flower development in Rhododendron pulchrum sweet (Ericaceae). PeerJ 2024; 12:e17325. [PMID: 38832044 PMCID: PMC11146334 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.17325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024] Open
Abstract
The azalea (Rhododendron simsii Planch.) is an important ornamental woody plant with various medicinal properties due to its phytochemical compositions and components. However little information on the metabolite variation during flower development in Rhododendron has been provided. In our study, a comparative analysis of the flavonoid profile was performed in Rhododendron pulchrum sweet at three stages of flower development, bud (stage 1), partially open flower (stage 2), and full bloom (stage 3). A total of 199 flavonoids, including flavone, flavonol, flavone C-glycosides, flavanone, anthocyanin, and isoflavone were identified. In hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA) and principal component analysis (PCA), the accumulation of flavonoids displayed a clear development stage variation. During flower development, 78 differential accumulated metabolites (DAMs) were identified, and most were enriched to higher levels at the full bloom stage. A total of 11 DAMs including flavone (chrysin, chrysoeriol O-glucuronic acid, and chrysoeriol O-hexosyl-O-pentoside), isoflavone (biochanin A), and flavonol (3,7-di-O-methyl quercetin and isorhamnetin) were significantly altered at three stages. In particular, 3,7-di-O-methyl quercetin was the top increased metabolite during flower development. Furthermore, integrative analyses of metabolomic and transcriptomic were conducted, revealing that the contents of isoflavone, biochanin A, glycitin, and prunetin were correlated with the expression of 2-hydroxyisoflavanone dehydratase (HIDH), which provide insight into the regulatory mechanism that controls isoflavone biosynthesis in R. pulchrum. This study will provide a new reference for increasing desired metabolites effectively by more accurate or appropriate genetic engineering strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiaofeng Yang
- Forestry and Fruit Tree Research Institute, Wuhan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- College of Food and Bioengineering, Henan University of Animal Husbandry and Economy, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Zhiliang Li
- Huanggang Normal University, Huanggang, China
| | - Yuting Ma
- Huanggang Normal University, Huanggang, China
| | - Linchuan Fang
- Forestry and Fruit Tree Research Institute, Wuhan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Yan Liu
- Huanggang Normal University, Huanggang, China
| | - Xinyu Zhu
- Huanggang Normal University, Huanggang, China
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Cao Y, Mei Y, Zhang R, Zhong Z, Yang X, Xu C, Chen K, Li X. Transcriptional regulation of flavonol biosynthesis in plants. HORTICULTURE RESEARCH 2024; 11:uhae043. [PMID: 38623072 PMCID: PMC11017525 DOI: 10.1093/hr/uhae043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
Flavonols are a class of flavonoids that play a crucial role in regulating plant growth and promoting stress resistance. They are also important dietary components in horticultural crops due to their benefits for human health. In past decades, research on the transcriptional regulation of flavonol biosynthesis in plants has increased rapidly. This review summarizes recent progress in flavonol-specific transcriptional regulation in plants, encompassing characterization of different categories of transcription factors (TFs) and microRNAs as well as elucidation of different transcriptional mechanisms, including direct and cascade transcriptional regulation. Direct transcriptional regulation involves TFs, such as MYB, AP2/ERF, and WRKY, which can directly target the key flavonol synthase gene or other early genes in flavonoid biosynthesis. In addition, different regulation modules in cascade transcriptional regulation involve microRNAs targeting TFs, regulation between activators, interaction between activators and repressors, and degradation of activators or repressors induced by UV-B light or plant hormones. Such sophisticated regulation of the flavonol biosynthetic pathway in response to UV-B radiation or hormones may allow plants to fine-tune flavonol homeostasis, thereby balancing plant growth and stress responses in a timely manner. Based on orchestrated regulation, molecular design strategies will be applied to breed horticultural crops with excellent health-promoting effects and high resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunlin Cao
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Horticultural Crop Quality Manipulation, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
- Center for Drug Safety Evaluation and Research, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
- Shandong (Linyi) Institute of Modern Agriculture, Zhejiang University, Linyi, 276000, China
| | - Yuyang Mei
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Horticultural Crop Quality Manipulation, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Ruining Zhang
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Horticultural Crop Quality Manipulation, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Zelong Zhong
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Xiaochun Yang
- Center for Drug Safety Evaluation and Research, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
- Shandong (Linyi) Institute of Modern Agriculture, Zhejiang University, Linyi, 276000, China
| | - Changjie Xu
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Horticultural Crop Quality Manipulation, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Kunsong Chen
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Horticultural Crop Quality Manipulation, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Xian Li
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Horticultural Crop Quality Manipulation, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
- Shandong (Linyi) Institute of Modern Agriculture, Zhejiang University, Linyi, 276000, China
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Skaliter O, Bednarczyk D, Shor E, Shklarman E, Manasherova E, Aravena-Calvo J, Kerzner S, Cna’ani A, Jasinska W, Masci T, Dvir G, Edelbaum O, Rimon B, Brotman Y, Cohen H, Vainstein A. The R2R3-MYB transcription factor EVER controls the emission of petunia floral volatiles by regulating epicuticular wax biosynthesis in the petal epidermis. THE PLANT CELL 2023; 36:174-193. [PMID: 37818992 PMCID: PMC10734618 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koad251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
The epidermal cells of petunia (Petunia × hybrida) flowers are the main site of volatile emission. However, the mechanisms underlying the release of volatiles into the environment are still being explored. Here, using cell-layer-specific transcriptomic analysis, reverse genetics by virus-induced gene silencing and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR), and metabolomics, we identified EPIDERMIS VOLATILE EMISSION REGULATOR (EVER)-a petal adaxial epidermis-specific MYB activator that affects the emission of volatiles. To generate ever knockout lines, we developed a viral-based CRISPR/Cas9 system for efficient gene editing in plants. These knockout lines, together with transient-suppression assays, revealed EVER's involvement in the repression of low-vapor-pressure volatiles. Internal pools and annotated scent-related genes involved in volatile production and emission were not affected by EVER. RNA-Seq analyses of petals of ever knockout lines and EVER-overexpressing flowers revealed enrichment in wax-related biosynthesis genes. Liquid chromatography/gas chromatography-MS analyses of petal epicuticular waxes revealed substantial reductions in wax loads in ever petals, particularly of monomers of fatty acids and wax esters. These results implicate EVER in the emission of volatiles by fine-tuning the composition of petal epicuticular waxes. We reveal a petunia MYB regulator that interlinks epicuticular wax composition and volatile emission, thus unraveling a regulatory layer in the scent-emission machinery in petunia flowers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oded Skaliter
- Institute of Plant Sciences and Genetics in Agriculture, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Dominika Bednarczyk
- Institute of Plant Sciences and Genetics in Agriculture, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Ekaterina Shor
- Institute of Plant Sciences and Genetics in Agriculture, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Elena Shklarman
- Institute of Plant Sciences and Genetics in Agriculture, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Ekaterina Manasherova
- Department of Vegetable and Field Crops, Institute of Plant Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), Volcani Institute, Rishon LeZion 7505101, Israel
| | - Javiera Aravena-Calvo
- Institute of Plant Sciences and Genetics in Agriculture, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Shane Kerzner
- Institute of Plant Sciences and Genetics in Agriculture, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Alon Cna’ani
- Institute of Plant Sciences and Genetics in Agriculture, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Weronika Jasinska
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 84105, Israel
| | - Tania Masci
- Institute of Plant Sciences and Genetics in Agriculture, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Gony Dvir
- Institute of Plant Sciences and Genetics in Agriculture, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Orit Edelbaum
- Institute of Plant Sciences and Genetics in Agriculture, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Ben Rimon
- Department of Ornamental Horticulture and Biotechnology, The Institute of Plant Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Institute, Rishon LeZion 7505101, Israel
| | - Yariv Brotman
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 84105, Israel
| | - Hagai Cohen
- Department of Vegetable and Field Crops, Institute of Plant Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), Volcani Institute, Rishon LeZion 7505101, Israel
| | - Alexander Vainstein
- Institute of Plant Sciences and Genetics in Agriculture, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 76100, Israel
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Zhou ZL, Wang GY, Wang XL, Huang XJ, Zhu ZS, Wang LL, Yang YP, Duan YW. Flower color polymorphism of a wild Iris on the Qinghai-Tibet plateau. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2023; 23:633. [PMID: 38066415 PMCID: PMC10709947 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-023-04642-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Flower color plays a crucial role in attracting pollinators and facilitating environmental adaptation. Investigating the causes of flower color polymorphism and understanding their potential effects on both ecology and genetics can enhance our understanding of flower color polymorphism in wild plant. RESULTS In this study, we examined the differences of potential male and female fitness between purple- and yellow- flower individuals in Iris potaninii on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and screened key genes and positively selective genes involved in flower color change. Our results showed that yellow flower exhibited a higher pollen-to-ovule ratio. Yellow flowers were derived from purple flowers due to the loss of anthocyanins, and F3H could be an essential gene affecting flower color variation though expression regulation and sequence polymorphism in this species. Furthermore, our findings suggest that genes positively selected in yellow-flowered I. potaninii might be involved in nucleotide excision repair and plant-pathogen interactions. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that F3H induces the flower color variation of Iris potaninii, and the subsequent ecological and additive positive selection on yellow flowers may further enhance plant adaptations to alpine environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi-Li Zhou
- Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Yunnan Key Laboratory of Crop Wild Relatives Omics, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research at Kunming, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, 650201, China
| | - Guang-Yan Wang
- Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Yunnan Key Laboratory of Crop Wild Relatives Omics, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research at Kunming, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, 650201, China
| | - Xi-Long Wang
- Tibet Plateau Institute of Biology, Lhasa, Xizang, 850001, China
| | - Xiao-Juan Huang
- Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Yunnan Key Laboratory of Crop Wild Relatives Omics, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research at Kunming, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, 650201, China
| | - Zhang-Shichang Zhu
- Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Yunnan Key Laboratory of Crop Wild Relatives Omics, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research at Kunming, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, 650201, China
| | - Lin-Lin Wang
- Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Yunnan Key Laboratory of Crop Wild Relatives Omics, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research at Kunming, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, 650201, China
| | - Yong-Ping Yang
- Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Yunnan Key Laboratory of Crop Wild Relatives Omics, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research at Kunming, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, 650201, China.
| | - Yuan-Wen Duan
- Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Yunnan Key Laboratory of Crop Wild Relatives Omics, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research at Kunming, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, 650201, China.
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Lin C, Duan Y, Li R, Wang P, Sun Y, Ding X, Zhang J, Yan H, Zhang W, Peng B, Zhao L, Zhang C. Flavonoid Biosynthesis Pathway May Indirectly Affect Outcrossing Rate of Cytoplasmic Male-Sterile Lines of Soybean. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:3461. [PMID: 37836201 PMCID: PMC10575370 DOI: 10.3390/plants12193461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023]
Abstract
(1) Background: Cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) is important for exploiting heterosis. Soybean (Glycine max L.) has a low outcrossing rate that is detrimental for breeding sterile lines and producing hybrid seeds. Therefore, the molecular mechanism controlling the outcrossing rate should be elucidated to increase the outcrossing rate of soybean CMS lines; (2) Methods: The male-sterile soybean lines JLCMS313A (with a high outcrossing rate; HL) and JLCMS226A (with a low outcrossing rate; LL) were used for a combined analysis of the transcriptome (RNA-seq) and the targeted phenol metabolome; (3) Results: The comparison between HL and LL detected 5946 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 81 phenolic metabolites. The analysis of the DEGs and differentially abundant phenolic metabolites identified only one common KEGG pathway related to flavonoid biosynthesis. The qRT-PCR expression for eight DEGs was almost consistent with the transcriptome data. The comparison of the cloned coding sequence (CDS) regions of the SUS, FLS, UGT, and F3H genes between HL and LL revealed seven single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) only in the F3H CDS. Moreover, five significant differentially abundant phenolic metabolites between HL and LL were associated with flavonoid metabolic pathways. Finally, on the basis of the SNPs in the F3H CDS, one derived cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence (dCAPS) marker was developed to distinguish between HL and LL soybean lines; (4) Conclusions: The flavonoid biosynthesis pathway may indirectly affect the outcrossing rate of CMS sterile lines in soybean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunjing Lin
- Soybean Research Institute, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun 130033, China; (C.L.); (Y.D.); (R.L.); (P.W.); (Y.S.); (X.D.); (J.Z.); (H.Y.); (W.Z.)
- Key Laboratory of Hybrid Soybean Breeding of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Changchun 130033, China
| | - Yuetong Duan
- Soybean Research Institute, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun 130033, China; (C.L.); (Y.D.); (R.L.); (P.W.); (Y.S.); (X.D.); (J.Z.); (H.Y.); (W.Z.)
- Key Laboratory of Hybrid Soybean Breeding of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Changchun 130033, China
| | - Rong Li
- Soybean Research Institute, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun 130033, China; (C.L.); (Y.D.); (R.L.); (P.W.); (Y.S.); (X.D.); (J.Z.); (H.Y.); (W.Z.)
| | - Pengnian Wang
- Soybean Research Institute, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun 130033, China; (C.L.); (Y.D.); (R.L.); (P.W.); (Y.S.); (X.D.); (J.Z.); (H.Y.); (W.Z.)
- Key Laboratory of Hybrid Soybean Breeding of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Changchun 130033, China
| | - Yanyan Sun
- Soybean Research Institute, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun 130033, China; (C.L.); (Y.D.); (R.L.); (P.W.); (Y.S.); (X.D.); (J.Z.); (H.Y.); (W.Z.)
- Key Laboratory of Hybrid Soybean Breeding of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Changchun 130033, China
| | - Xiaoyang Ding
- Soybean Research Institute, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun 130033, China; (C.L.); (Y.D.); (R.L.); (P.W.); (Y.S.); (X.D.); (J.Z.); (H.Y.); (W.Z.)
- Key Laboratory of Hybrid Soybean Breeding of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Changchun 130033, China
| | - Jingyong Zhang
- Soybean Research Institute, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun 130033, China; (C.L.); (Y.D.); (R.L.); (P.W.); (Y.S.); (X.D.); (J.Z.); (H.Y.); (W.Z.)
- Key Laboratory of Hybrid Soybean Breeding of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Changchun 130033, China
| | - Hao Yan
- Soybean Research Institute, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun 130033, China; (C.L.); (Y.D.); (R.L.); (P.W.); (Y.S.); (X.D.); (J.Z.); (H.Y.); (W.Z.)
- Key Laboratory of Hybrid Soybean Breeding of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Changchun 130033, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Soybean Research Institute, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun 130033, China; (C.L.); (Y.D.); (R.L.); (P.W.); (Y.S.); (X.D.); (J.Z.); (H.Y.); (W.Z.)
- Key Laboratory of Hybrid Soybean Breeding of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Changchun 130033, China
| | - Bao Peng
- Soybean Research Institute, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun 130033, China; (C.L.); (Y.D.); (R.L.); (P.W.); (Y.S.); (X.D.); (J.Z.); (H.Y.); (W.Z.)
- Key Laboratory of Hybrid Soybean Breeding of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Changchun 130033, China
| | - Limei Zhao
- Soybean Research Institute, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun 130033, China; (C.L.); (Y.D.); (R.L.); (P.W.); (Y.S.); (X.D.); (J.Z.); (H.Y.); (W.Z.)
- Key Laboratory of Hybrid Soybean Breeding of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Changchun 130033, China
| | - Chunbao Zhang
- Soybean Research Institute, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun 130033, China; (C.L.); (Y.D.); (R.L.); (P.W.); (Y.S.); (X.D.); (J.Z.); (H.Y.); (W.Z.)
- Key Laboratory of Hybrid Soybean Breeding of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Changchun 130033, China
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Bao T, Kimani S, Li Y, Li H, Yang S, Zhang J, Wang Q, Wang Z, Ning G, Wang L, Gao X. Allelic variation of terpene synthases drives terpene diversity in the wild species of the Freesia genus. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 192:2419-2435. [PMID: 36932696 PMCID: PMC10315281 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiad172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Terpene synthases (TPSs) play pivotal roles in conferring the structural diversity of terpenoids, which are mainly emitted from flowers, whereas the genetic basis of the release of floral volatile terpenes remains largely elusive. Though quite similar in sequence, TPS allelic variants still function divergently, and how they drive floral terpene diversity in closely related species remains unknown. Here, TPSs responsible for the floral scent of wild Freesia species were characterized, and the functions of their natural allelic variants, as well as the causal amino acid residues, were investigated in depth. Besides the 8 TPSs previously reported in modern cultivars, 7 additional TPSs were functionally evaluated to contribute to the major volatiles emitted from wild Freesia species. Functional characterization of allelic natural variants demonstrated that allelic TPS2 and TPS10 variants changed the enzymatic capacity while allelic TPS6 variants drove the diversity of floral terpene products. Further residue substitution analysis revealed the minor residues determining the enzyme catalytic activity and product specificity. The clarification of TPSs in wild Freesia species reveals that allelic TPS variants evolved differently to determine the interspecific floral volatile terpenes in the genus and might be used for modern cultivar improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingting Bao
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of MOE, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Shadrack Kimani
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of MOE, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
- School of Pure and Applied Sciences, Karatina University, Karatina 10101, Kenya
| | - Yueqing Li
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of MOE, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Hongjie Li
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of MOE, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Song Yang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of MOE, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Jia Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of MOE, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Qiuyue Wang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of MOE, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Zhaoxuan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of MOE, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Guogui Ning
- Key laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology, Ministry of Education, College of Horticulture and Forestry Sciences, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Li Wang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of MOE, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Xiang Gao
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of MOE, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
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7
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Abid MA, Zhou Q, Abbas M, He H, Meng Z, Wang Y, Wei Y, Guo S, Zhang R, Liang C. Natural variation in Beauty Mark is associated with UV-based geographical adaptation in Gossypium species. BMC Biol 2023; 21:106. [PMID: 37173786 PMCID: PMC10176956 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-023-01591-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Anthocyanins, a class of specialized metabolites that are ubiquitous among plant species, have attracted a great deal of attention from plant biologists due to their chemical diversity. They confer purple, pink, and blue colors that attract pollinators, protect plants from ultraviolet (UV) radiation, and scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS) to facilitate plant survival during abiotic stress. In a previous study, we identified Beauty Mark (BM) in Gossypium barbadense as an activator of the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway; this gene also directly led to the formation of a pollinator-attracting purple spot. RESULTS Here, we found that a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) (C/T) within the BM coding sequence was responsible for variations in this trait. Transient expression assays of BM from G. barbadense and G. hirsutum in Nicotiana benthamiana using luciferase reporter gene also suggested that SNPs in the coding sequence could be responsible for the absent beauty mark phenotype observed in G. hirsutum. We next demonstrated that the beauty mark and UV floral patterns are associated phenotypes and that UV exposure resulted in increased ROS generation in floral tissues; BM thus contributed to ROS scavenging in G. barbadense and wild cotton plants with flowers containing the beauty mark. Furthermore, a nucleotide diversity analysis and Tajima's D Test suggested that there have been strong selective sweeps in the GhBM locus during G. hirsutum domestication. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, these results suggest that cotton species differ in their approaches to absorbing or reflecting UV light and thus exhibit variations in floral anthocyanin biosynthesis to scavenge reactive ROS; furthermore, these traits are related to the geographic distribution of cotton species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Ali Abid
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Qi Zhou
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Mubashir Abbas
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Haiyan He
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Zhigang Meng
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Yuan Wang
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Yunxiao Wei
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Sandui Guo
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Rui Zhang
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China.
| | - Chengzhen Liang
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China.
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8
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Strazzer P, Verbree B, Bliek M, Koes R, Quattrocchio FM. The Amsterdam petunia germplasm collection: A tool in plant science. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1129724. [PMID: 37025133 PMCID: PMC10070740 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1129724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Petunia hybrida is a plant model system used by many researchers to investigate a broad range of biological questions. One of the reasons for the success of this organism as a lab model is the existence of numerous mutants, involved in a wide range of processes, and the ever-increasing size of this collection owing to a highly active and efficient transposon system. We report here on the origin of petunia-based research and describe the collection of petunia lines housed in the University of Amsterdam, where many of the existing genotypes are maintained.
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Binaghi M, Esfeld K, Mandel T, Freitas LB, Roesti M, Kuhlemeier C. Genetic architecture of a pollinator shift and its fate in secondary hybrid zones of two Petunia species. BMC Biol 2023; 21:58. [PMID: 36941631 PMCID: PMC10029178 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-023-01561-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Theory suggests that the genetic architecture of traits under divergent natural selection influences how easily reproductive barriers evolve and are maintained between species. Divergently selected traits with a simple genetic architecture (few loci with major phenotypic effects) should facilitate the establishment and maintenance of reproductive isolation between species that are still connected by some gene flow. While empirical support for this idea appears to be mixed, most studies test the influence of trait architectures on reproductive isolation only indirectly. Petunia plant species are, in part, reproductively isolated by their different pollinators. To investigate the genetic causes and consequences of this ecological isolation, we deciphered the genetic architecture of three floral pollination syndrome traits in naturally occurring hybrids between the widespread Petunia axillaris and the highly endemic and endangered P. exserta. RESULTS Using population genetics, Bayesian linear mixed modelling and genome-wide association studies, we found that the three pollination syndrome traits vary in genetic architecture. Few genome regions explain a majority of the variation in flavonol content (defining UV floral colour) and strongly predict the trait value in hybrids irrespective of interspecific admixture in the rest of their genomes. In contrast, variation in pistil exsertion and anthocyanin content (defining visible floral colour) is controlled by many genome-wide loci. Opposite to flavonol content, the genome-wide proportion of admixture between the two species predicts trait values in their hybrids. Finally, the genome regions strongly associated with the traits do not show extreme divergence between individuals representing the two species, suggesting that divergent selection on these genome regions is relatively weak within their contact zones. CONCLUSIONS Among the traits analysed, those with a more complex genetic architecture are best maintained in association with the species upon their secondary contact. We propose that this maintained genotype-phenotype association is a coincidental consequence of the complex genetic architectures of these traits: some of their many underlying small-effect loci are likely to be coincidentally linked with the actual barrier loci keeping these species partially isolated upon secondary contact. Hence, the genetic architecture of a trait seems to matter for the outcome of hybridization not only then when the trait itself is under selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Binaghi
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, 3013, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Korinna Esfeld
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, 3013, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Therese Mandel
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, 3013, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Loreta B Freitas
- Department of Genetics, Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande Do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, 91501-970, Brazil
| | - Marius Roesti
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Cris Kuhlemeier
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, 3013, Bern, Switzerland.
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10
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Luan Y, Chen Z, Tang Y, Sun J, Meng J, Tao J, Zhao D. Tree peony PsMYB44 negatively regulates petal blotch distribution by inhibiting dihydroflavonol-4-reductase gene expression. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2023; 131:323-334. [PMID: 36534917 PMCID: PMC9992934 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcac155] [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: 08/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS The tree peony (Paeonia suffruticosa Andr.) has been widely cultivated as a field plant, and petal blotch is one of its important traits, which not only promotes proliferation but also confers high ornamental value. However, the regulatory network controlling blotch formation remains elusive owing to the functional differences and limited conservation of transcriptional regulators in dicots. METHODS We performed phylogenetic analysis to identify MYB44-like transcription factors in P. suffruticosa blotched cultivar 'High noon' petals. A candidate MYB44-like transcription factor, PsMYB44, was analysed via expression pattern analysis, subcellular localization, target gene identification, gene silencing in P. suffruticosa petals and heterologous overexpression in tobacco. KEY RESULTS A blotch formation-related MYB44-like transcription factor, PsMYB44, was cloned. The C-terminal of the PsMYB44 amino acid sequence had a complete C2 motif that affects anthocyanin biosynthesis, and PsMYB44 was clustered in the MYB44-like transcriptional repressor branch. PsMYB44 was located in the nucleus, and its spatial and temporal expression patterns were negatively correlated with blotch formation. Furthermore, a yeast one-hybrid assay showed that PsMYB44 could target the promoter of the late anthocyanin biosynthesis-related dihydroflavonol-4-reductase (DFR) gene, and a dual-luciferase assay demonstrated that PsMYB44 could repress PsDFR promoter activity. On the one hand, overexpression of PsMYB44 significantly faded the red colour of tobacco flowers and decreased the anthocyanin content by 42.3 % by downregulating the expression level of the tobacco NtDFR gene. On the other hand, PsMYB44-silenced P. suffruticosa petals had a redder blotch colour, which was attributed to the fact that silencing PsMYB44 redirected metabolic flux to the anthocyanin biosynthesis branch, thereby promoting more anthocyanin accumulation in the petal base. CONCLUSION These results demonstrated that PsMYB44 negatively regulated the biosynthesis of anthocyanin by directly binding to the PsDFR promoter and subsequently inhibiting blotch formation, which helped to elucidate the molecular regulatory network of anthocyanin-mediated blotch formation in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuting Luan
- College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Zijie Chen
- College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Yuhan Tang
- College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Jing Sun
- College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Jiasong Meng
- College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Jun Tao
- College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, the Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Daqiu Zhao
- College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
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11
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Li C, Binaghi M, Pichon V, Cannarozzi G, Brandão de Freitas L, Hanemian M, Kuhlemeier C. Tight genetic linkage of genes causing hybrid necrosis and pollinator isolation between young species. NATURE PLANTS 2023; 9:420-432. [PMID: 36805038 PMCID: PMC10027609 DOI: 10.1038/s41477-023-01354-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
The mechanisms of reproductive isolation that cause phenotypic diversification and eventually speciation are a major topic of evolutionary research. Hybrid necrosis is a post-zygotic isolation mechanism in which cell death develops in the absence of pathogens. It is often due to the incompatibility between proteins from two parents. Here we describe a unique case of hybrid necrosis due to an incompatibility between loci on chromosomes 2 and 7 between two pollinator-isolated Petunia species. Typical immune responses as well as endoplasmic reticulum stress responses are induced in the necrotic line. The locus on chromosome 2 encodes ChiA1, a bifunctional GH18 chitinase/lysozyme. The enzymatic activity of ChiA1 is dispensable for the development of necrosis. We propose that the extremely high expression of ChiA1 involves a positive feedback loop between the loci on chromosomes 2 and 7. ChiA1 is tightly linked to major genes involved in the adaptation to different pollinators, a form of pre-zygotic isolation. This linkage of pre- and post-zygotic barriers strengthens reproductive isolation and probably contributes to rapid diversification and speciation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaobin Li
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Marta Binaghi
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Vivien Pichon
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Gina Cannarozzi
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Chemistry/Biology/Pharmacy Information Center, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Loreta Brandão de Freitas
- Department of Genetics, Laboratory of Molecular Evolution, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Mathieu Hanemian
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
- Laboratoire des Interactions Plantes-Microbes-Environnement (LIPME), INRAE, CNRS, Université de Toulouse, Castanet-Tolosan, France.
| | - Cris Kuhlemeier
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
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12
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Lüthi MN, Berardi AE, Mandel T, Freitas LB, Kuhlemeier C. Single gene mutation in a plant MYB transcription factor causes a major shift in pollinator preference. Curr Biol 2022; 32:5295-5308.e5. [PMID: 36473466 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Revised: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the molecular basis of reproductive isolation and speciation is a key goal of evolutionary genetics. In the South American genus Petunia, the R2R3-MYB transcription factor MYB-FL regulates the biosynthesis of UV-absorbing flavonol pigments, a major determinant of pollinator preference. MYB-FL is highly expressed in the hawkmoth-pollinated P. axillaris, but independent losses of its activity in sister taxa P. secreta and P. exserta led to UV-reflective flowers and associated pollinator shifts in each lineage (bees and hummingbirds, respectively). We created a myb-fl CRISPR mutant in P. axillaris and studied the effect of this single gene on innate pollinator preference. The mutation strongly reduced the expression of the two key flavonol-related biosynthetic genes but only affected the expression of few other genes. The mutant flowers were UV reflective as expected but additionally contained low levels of visible anthocyanin pigments. Hawkmoths strongly preferred the wild-type P. axillaris over the myb-fl mutant, whereas both social and solitary bee preference depended on the level of visible color of the mutants. MYB-FL, with its specific expression pattern, small number of target genes, and key position at the nexus of flavonol and anthocyanin biosynthetic pathways, provides a striking example of evolution by single mutations of large phenotypic effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina N Lüthi
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, 3013 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Andrea E Berardi
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, 3013 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Therese Mandel
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, 3013 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Loreta B Freitas
- Department of Genetics, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, POB 15053, Porto Alegre, 91501970 Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Cris Kuhlemeier
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, 3013 Bern, Switzerland.
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13
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Eco-Evo-Devo of petal pigmentation patterning. Essays Biochem 2022; 66:753-768. [PMID: 36205404 DOI: 10.1042/ebc20220051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Colourful spots, stripes and rings decorate the corolla of most flowering plants and fulfil important biotic and abiotic functions. Spatial differences in the pigmentation of epidermal cells can create these patterns. The last few years have yielded new data that have started to illuminate the mechanisms controlling the function, formation and evolution of petal patterns. These advances have broad impacts beyond the immediate field as pigmentation patterns are wonderful systems to explore multiscale biological problems: from understanding how cells make decisions at the microscale to examining the roots of biodiversity at the macroscale. These new results also reveal there is more to petal patterning than meets the eye, opening up a brand new area of investigation. In this mini-review, we summarise our current knowledge on the Eco-Evo-Devo of petal pigmentation patterns and discuss some of the most exciting yet unanswered questions that represent avenues for future research.
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14
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Phylogenetic Analyses of Some Key Genes Provide Information on Pollinator Attraction in Solanaceae. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13122278. [PMID: 36553545 PMCID: PMC9778481 DOI: 10.3390/genes13122278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Floral syndromes are known by the conserved morphological traits in flowers associated with pollinator attraction, such as corolla shape and color, aroma emission and composition, and rewards, especially the nectar volume and sugar concentration. Here, we employed a phylogenetic approach to investigate sequences of genes enrolled in the biosynthetic pathways responsible for some phenotypes that are attractive to pollinators in Solanaceae genomes. We included genes involved in visible color, UV-light response, scent emission, and nectar production to test the hypothesis that these essential genes have evolved by convergence under pollinator selection. Our results refuted this hypothesis as all four studied genes recovered the species' phylogenetic relationships, even though some sites were positively selected. We found differences in protein motifs among genera in Solanaceae that were not necessarily associated with the same floral syndrome. Although it has had a crucial role in plant diversification, the plant-pollinator interaction is complex and still needs further investigation, with genes evolving not only under the influence of pollinators, but by the sum of several evolutionary forces along the speciation process in Solanaceae.
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15
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Gray LA, Varga S, Soulsbury CD. Floral ultraviolet absorbance area responds plastically to ultraviolet irradiance in Brassica rapa. PLANT-ENVIRONMENT INTERACTIONS (HOBOKEN, N.J.) 2022; 3:203-211. [PMID: 37283989 PMCID: PMC10168085 DOI: 10.1002/pei3.10091] [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: 07/08/2022] [Revised: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 09/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation is known to have significant effects on the development and performance of plants, including flowers. In multiple species, UV-absorbing floral patterns are associated with environmental conditions such as the solar UV exposure they typically receive. However, it is not known whether plants can increase the UV-absorbing areas found on petals plastically when in a high-UV environment. We grew Brassica rapa at three different UV radiation intensities (control, low, and high) and under two exposure duration regimes. We removed petals from flowers periodically during the flowering period and measured the proportion of the petal that absorbed UV. UV-absorbing areas increased when plants were exposed to longer periods of UV radiation, and at high UV radiation intensities. UV-absorbing area of petals of the UV intensity treatments decreased over time in long exposure plants. This study demonstrates that flowers can potentially acclimate to different UV radiation intensities and duration of exposure through an increase in UV-absorbing areas even after a relatively short exposure time to UV. Such a rapid plastic response may be especially beneficial for dynamically changing UV conditions and in response to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liberty A. Gray
- School of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of LincolnLincolnUK
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological SciencesUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghUK
| | - Sandra Varga
- School of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of LincolnLincolnUK
| | - Carl D. Soulsbury
- School of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of LincolnLincolnUK
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16
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Riveros-Loaiza LM, Benhur-Cardona N, Lopez-Kleine L, Soto-Sedano JC, Pinzón AM, Mosquera-Vásquez T, Roda F. Uncovering anthocyanin diversity in potato landraces (Solanum tuberosum L. Phureja) using RNA-seq. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0273982. [PMID: 36136976 PMCID: PMC9498938 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0273982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is the third largest source of antioxidants in the human diet, after maize and tomato. Potato landraces have particularly diverse contents of antioxidant compounds such as anthocyanins. We used this diversity to study the evolutionary and genetic basis of anthocyanin pigmentation. Specifically, we analyzed the transcriptomes and anthocyanin content of tubers from 37 landraces with different colorations. We conducted analyses of differential expression between potatoes with different colorations and used weighted correlation network analysis to identify genes whose expression is correlated to anthocyanin content across landraces. A very significant fraction of the genes identified in these two analyses had annotations related to the flavonoid-anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway, including 18 enzymes and 5 transcription factors. Importantly, the causal genes at the D, P and R loci governing anthocyanin accumulation in potato cultivars also showed correlations to anthocyanin production in the landraces studied here. Furthermore, we found that 60% of the genes identified in our study were located within anthocyanin QTLs. Finally, we identified new candidate enzymes and transcription factors that could have driven the diversification of anthocyanins. Our results indicate that many anthocyanins biosynthetic genes were manipulated in ancestral potato breeding and can be used in future breeding programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis Miguel Riveros-Loaiza
- Área Curricular de Biotecnología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia Sede Medellín, Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia
- Max Planck Tandem Group, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia Sede Bogotá, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Nicolás Benhur-Cardona
- Departamento de Estadística, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia Sede Bogotá, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Liliana Lopez-Kleine
- Departamento de Estadística, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia Sede Bogotá, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Johana Carolina Soto-Sedano
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia Sede Bogotá, Bogotá, Colombia
| | | | - Teresa Mosquera-Vásquez
- Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia Sede Bogotá, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Federico Roda
- Max Planck Tandem Group, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia Sede Bogotá, Bogotá, Colombia
- * E-mail:
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17
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Berardi AE, Betancourt Morejón AC, Hopkins R. Convergence without divergence in North American red-flowering Silene. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:945806. [PMID: 36147235 PMCID: PMC9485837 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.945806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Combinations of correlated floral traits have arisen repeatedly across angiosperms through convergent evolution in response to pollinator selection to optimize reproduction. While some plant groups exhibit very distinct combinations of traits adapted to specific pollinators (so-called pollination syndromes), others do not. Determining how floral traits diverge across clades and whether floral traits show predictable correlations in diverse groups of flowering plants is key to determining the extent to which pollinator-mediated selection drives diversification. The North American Silene section Physolychnis is an ideal group to investigate patterns of floral evolution because it is characterized by the evolution of novel red floral color, extensive floral morphological variation, polyploidy, and exposure to a novel group of pollinators (hummingbirds). We test for correlated patterns of trait evolution that would be consistent with convergent responses to selection in the key floral traits of color and morphology. We also consider both the role of phylogenic distance and geographic overlap in explaining patterns of floral trait variation. Inconsistent with phenotypically divergent pollination syndromes, we find very little clustering of North American Silene into distinct floral morphospace. We also find little evidence that phylogenetic history or geographic overlap explains patterns of floral diversity in this group. White- and pink-flowering species show extensive phenotypic diversity but are entirely overlapping in morphological variation. However, red-flowering species have much less phenotypic disparity and cluster tightly in floral morphospace. We find that red-flowering species have evolved floral traits that align with a traditional hummingbird syndrome, but that these trait values overlap with several white and pink species as well. Our findings support the hypothesis that convergent evolution does not always proceed through comparative phenotypic divergence, but possibly through sorting of standing ancestral variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea E. Berardi
- Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA, United States
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
- The Arnold Arboretum, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Ana C. Betancourt Morejón
- Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Robin Hopkins
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
- The Arnold Arboretum, Boston, MA, United States
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18
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Abstract
The rediscovery of Mendel’s work showing that the heredity of phenotypes is controlled by discrete genes was followed by the reconciliation of Mendelian genetics with evolution by natural selection in the middle of the last century with the Modern Synthesis. In the past two decades, dramatic advances in genomic methods have facilitated the identification of the loci, genes, and even individual mutations that underlie phenotypic variants that are the putative targets of natural selection. Moreover, these methods have also changed how we can study adaptation by flipping the problem around, allowing us to first examine what loci show evidence of having been under selection, and then connecting these genetic variants to phenotypic variation. As a result, we now have an expanding list of actual genetic changes that underlie potentially adaptive phenotypic variation. Here, we synthesize how considering the effects of these adaptive loci in the context of cellular environments, genomes, organisms, and populations has provided new insights to the genetic architecture of adaptation.
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19
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Abid MA, Wei Y, Meng Z, Wang Y, Ye Y, Wang Y, He H, Zhou Q, Li Y, Wang P, Li X, Yan L, Malik W, Guo S, Chu C, Zhang R, Liang C. Increasing floral visitation and hybrid seed production mediated by beauty mark in Gossypium hirsutum. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2022; 20:1274-1284. [PMID: 35266277 PMCID: PMC9241374 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.13805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Hybrid crop varieties have been repeatedly demonstrated to produce significantly higher yields than their parental lines; however, the low efficiency and high cost of hybrid seed production has limited the broad exploitation of heterosis for cotton production. One option for increasing the yield of hybrid seed is to improve pollination efficiency by insect pollinators. Here, we report the molecular cloning and characterization of a semidominant gene, Beauty Mark (BM), which controls purple spot formation at the base of flower petals in the cultivated tetraploid cotton species Gossypium barbadense. BM encodes an R2R3 MYB113 transcription factor, and we demonstrate that GbBM directly targets the promoter of four flavonoid biosynthesis genes to positively regulate petal spot development. Introgression of a GbBM allele into G. hirsutum by marker-assisted selection restored petal spot formation, which significantly increased the frequency of honeybee visits in G. hirsutum. Moreover, field tests confirmed that cotton seed yield was significantly improved in a three-line hybrid production system that incorporated the GbBM allele. Our study thus provides a basis for the potentially broad application of this gene in improving the long-standing problem of low seed production in elite cotton hybrid lines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Ali Abid
- Biotechnology Research InstituteChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Yunxiao Wei
- Biotechnology Research InstituteChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Zhigang Meng
- Biotechnology Research InstituteChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Yuan Wang
- Biotechnology Research InstituteChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Yulu Ye
- Biotechnology Research InstituteChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Yanan Wang
- Biotechnology Research InstituteChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Haiyan He
- Biotechnology Research InstituteChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Qi Zhou
- Biotechnology Research InstituteChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Yanyan Li
- Biotechnology Research InstituteChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Peilin Wang
- Biotechnology Research InstituteChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijingChina
| | | | - Liuhua Yan
- Cropedit Biotechnology Co., LtdBeijingChina
| | - Waqas Malik
- Biotechnology Research InstituteChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Sandui Guo
- Biotechnology Research InstituteChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Chengcai Chu
- State Key Laboratory of Plant GenomicsInstitute of Genetics and Developmental Biologythe Innovative Academy for Seed DesignChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- College of AgricultureSouth China Agricultural UniversityGuangzhouChina
| | - Rui Zhang
- Biotechnology Research InstituteChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Chengzhen Liang
- Biotechnology Research InstituteChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijingChina
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20
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Buhrman K, Aravena-Calvo J, Ross Zaulich C, Hinz K, Laursen T. Anthocyanic Vacuolar Inclusions: From Biosynthesis to Storage and Possible Applications. Front Chem 2022; 10:913324. [PMID: 35836677 PMCID: PMC9273883 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2022.913324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability of plants to accumulate specific metabolites in concentrations beyond their solubility in both aqueous and lipid environments remains a key question in plant biology. Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents (NADES) are mixtures of natural compounds in specific molar ratios, which interact through hydrogen bonding. This results in a viscous liquid that can solubilize high amounts of natural products while maintaining a negligible vapor pressure to prevent release of volatile compounds. While all the components are presents in plant cells, identifying experimental evidence for the occurrence of NADES phases remains a challenging quest. Accumulation of anthocyanin flavonoids in highly concentrated inclusions have been speculated to involve NADES as an inert solvent. The inherent pigment properties of anthocyanins provide an ideal system for studying the formation of NADES in a cellular environment. In this mini-review we discuss the biosynthesis of modified anthocyanins that facilitate their organization in condensates, their transport and storage as a specific type of phase separated inclusions in the vacuole, and the presence of NADES constituents as a natural solution for storing high amounts of flavonoids and other natural products. Finally, we highlight how the knowledge gathered from studying the discussed processes could be used for specific applications within synthetic biology to utilize NADES derived compartments for the production of valuable compounds where the production is challenged by poor solubility, toxic intermediates or unstable and volatile products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kees Buhrman
- Faculty of Science, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Dynamic Metabolons Group, Section for Plant Biochemistry, Department for Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Javiera Aravena-Calvo
- Dynamic Metabolons Group, Section for Plant Biochemistry, Department for Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Clara Ross Zaulich
- Dynamic Metabolons Group, Section for Plant Biochemistry, Department for Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kasper Hinz
- Dynamic Metabolons Group, Section for Plant Biochemistry, Department for Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Tomas Laursen
- Dynamic Metabolons Group, Section for Plant Biochemistry, Department for Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- *Correspondence: Tomas Laursen,
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21
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Marques DA, Jones FC, Di Palma F, Kingsley DM, Reimchen TE. Genomic changes underlying repeated niche shifts in an adaptive radiation. Evolution 2022; 76:1301-1319. [PMID: 35398888 PMCID: PMC9320971 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2021] [Revised: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
In adaptive radiations, single lineages rapidly diversify by adapting to many new niches. Little is known yet about the genomic mechanisms involved, that is, the source of genetic variation or genomic architecture facilitating or constraining adaptive radiation. Here, we investigate genomic changes associated with repeated invasion of many different freshwater niches by threespine stickleback in the Haida Gwaii archipelago, Canada, by resequencing single genomes from one marine and 28 freshwater populations. We find 89 likely targets of parallel selection in the genome that are enriched for old standing genetic variation. In contrast to theoretical expectations, their genomic architecture is highly dispersed with little clustering. Candidate genes and genotype-environment correlations match the three major environmental axes predation regime, light environment, and ecosystem size. In a niche space with these three dimensions, we find that the more divergent a new niche from the ancestral marine habitat, the more loci show signatures of parallel selection. Our findings suggest that the genomic architecture of parallel adaptation in adaptive radiation depends on the steepness of ecological gradients and the dimensionality of the niche space.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A. Marques
- Department of BiologyUniversity of VictoriaVictoriaBCV8W 3N5Canada,Aquatic Ecology and Evolution, Institute of Ecology and EvolutionUniversity of BernBernCH‐3012Switzerland,Department of Fish Ecology and Evolution, Centre for Ecology, Evolution, and BiogeochemistrySwiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (EAWAG), Eawag ‐ Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and TechnologyKastanienbaumCH‐6047Switzerland,Natural History Museum BaselBaselCH‐4051Switzerland
| | - Felicity C. Jones
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of MedicineStanfordCalifornia94305USA,Department of Developmental BiologyStanford University School of MedicineStanfordCalifornia94305USA,Friedrich Miescher Laboratory of the Max Planck SocietyTübingen72076Germany
| | - Federica Di Palma
- Earlham InstituteNorwichNR4 7UZUnited Kingdom,Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of East AngliaNorwichNR4 7TJUnited Kingdom
| | - David M. Kingsley
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of MedicineStanfordCalifornia94305USA,Department of Developmental BiologyStanford University School of MedicineStanfordCalifornia94305USA
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22
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Wong DCJ, Perkins J, Peakall R. Anthocyanin and Flavonol Glycoside Metabolic Pathways Underpin Floral Color Mimicry and Contrast in a Sexually Deceptive Orchid. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:860997. [PMID: 35401591 PMCID: PMC8983864 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.860997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Sexually deceptive plants secure pollination by luring specific male insects as pollinators using a combination of olfactory, visual, and morphological mimicry. Flower color is a key component to this attraction, but its chemical and genetic basis remains poorly understood. Chiloglottis trapeziformis is a sexually deceptive orchid which has predominantly dull green-red flowers except for the central black callus projecting from the labellum lamina. The callus mimics the female of the pollinator and the stark color contrast between the black callus and dull green or red lamina is thought to enhance the visibility of the mimic. The goal of this study was to investigate the chemical composition and genetic regulation of temporal and spatial color patterns leading to visual mimicry, by integrating targeted metabolite profiling and transcriptomic analysis. Even at the very young bud stage, high levels of anthocyanins were detected in the dark callus, with peak accumulation by the mature bud stage. In contrast, anthocyanin levels in the lamina peaked as the buds opened and became reddish-green. Coordinated upregulation of multiple genes, including dihydroflavonol reductase and leucoanthocyanidin dioxygenase, and the downregulation of flavonol synthase genes (FLS) in the callus at the very young bud stage underpins the initial high anthocyanin levels. Conversely, within the lamina, upregulated FLS genes promote flavonol glycoside over anthocyanin production, with the downstream upregulation of flavonoid O-methyltransferase genes further contributing to the accumulation of methylated flavonol glycosides, whose levels peaked in the mature bud stage. Finally, the peak anthocyanin content of the reddish-green lamina of the open flower is underpinned by small increases in gene expression levels and/or differential upregulation in the lamina in select anthocyanin genes while FLS patterns showed little change. Differential expression of candidate genes involved in specific transport, vacuolar acidification, and photosynthetic pathways may also assist in maintaining the distinct callus and contrasting lamina color from the earliest bud stage through to the mature flower. Our findings highlight that flower color in this sexually deceptive orchid is achieved by complex tissue-specific coordinated regulation of genes and biochemical pathways across multiple developmental stages.
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23
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Wheeler LC, Walker JF, Ng J, Deanna R, Dunbar-Wallis A, Backes A, Pezzi PH, Palchetti MV, Robertson HM, Monaghan A, Brandão de Freitas L, Barboza GE, Moyroud E, Smith SD. Transcription factors evolve faster than their structural gene targets in the flavonoid pigment pathway. Mol Biol Evol 2022; 39:6536971. [PMID: 35212724 PMCID: PMC8911815 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msac044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Dissecting the relationship between gene function and substitution rates is key to understanding genome-wide patterns of molecular evolution. Biochemical pathways provide powerful systems for investigating this relationship because the functional role of each gene is often well characterized. Here, we investigate the evolution of the flavonoid pigment pathway in the colorful Petunieae clade of the tomato family (Solanaceae). This pathway is broadly conserved in plants, both in terms of its structural elements and its MYB, basic helix–loop–helix, and WD40 transcriptional regulators, and its function has been extensively studied, particularly in model species of petunia. We built a phylotranscriptomic data set for 69 species of Petunieae to infer patterns of molecular evolution across pathway genes and across lineages. We found that transcription factors exhibit faster rates of molecular evolution (dN/dS) than their targets, with the highly specialized MYB genes evolving fastest. Using the largest comparative data set to date, we recovered little support for the hypothesis that upstream enzymes evolve slower than those occupying more downstream positions, although expression levels do predict molecular evolutionary rates. Although shifts in floral pigmentation were only weakly related to changes affecting coding regions, we found a strong relationship with the presence/absence patterns of MYB transcripts. Intensely pigmented species express all three main MYB anthocyanin activators in petals, whereas pale or white species express few or none. Our findings reinforce the notion that pathway regulators have a dynamic history, involving higher rates of molecular evolution than structural components, along with frequent changes in expression during color transitions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas C Wheeler
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, 1900 Pleasant Street 334 UCB, Boulder, CO, USA, 80309-0334
| | - Joseph F Walker
- Sainsbury Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1LR, UK.,Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60607 U.S.A
| | - Julienne Ng
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, 1900 Pleasant Street 334 UCB, Boulder, CO, USA, 80309-0334
| | - Rocío Deanna
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, 1900 Pleasant Street 334 UCB, Boulder, CO, USA, 80309-0334.,Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal (IMBIV), CONICET and Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, CC 495, CP 5000, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Amy Dunbar-Wallis
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, 1900 Pleasant Street 334 UCB, Boulder, CO, USA, 80309-0334
| | - Alice Backes
- Laboratory of Molecular Evolution, Department of Genetics, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, P.O. Box 15053, 91501-970, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Pedro H Pezzi
- Laboratory of Molecular Evolution, Department of Genetics, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, P.O. Box 15053, 91501-970, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - M Virginia Palchetti
- Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal (IMBIV), CONICET and Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, CC 495, CP 5000, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Holly M Robertson
- Sainsbury Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1LR, UK
| | - Andrew Monaghan
- Research Computing,University of Colorado, 3100 Marine Street, 597 UCB Boulder, CO 80303
| | - Loreta Brandão de Freitas
- Laboratory of Molecular Evolution, Department of Genetics, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, P.O. Box 15053, 91501-970, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Gloria E Barboza
- Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal (IMBIV), CONICET and Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, CC 495, CP 5000, Córdoba, Argentina.,Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba,Haya de la Torre y Medina Allende, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Edwige Moyroud
- Sainsbury Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1LR, UK
| | - Stacey D Smith
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, 1900 Pleasant Street 334 UCB, Boulder, CO, USA, 80309-0334
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24
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Todesco M, Bercovich N, Kim A, Imerovski I, Owens GL, Dorado Ruiz Ó, Holalu SV, Madilao LL, Jahani M, Légaré JS, Blackman BK, Rieseberg LH. Genetic basis and dual adaptive role of floral pigmentation in sunflowers. eLife 2022; 11:72072. [PMID: 35040432 PMCID: PMC8765750 DOI: 10.7554/elife.72072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Variation in floral displays, both between and within species, has been long known to be shaped by the mutualistic interactions that plants establish with their pollinators. However, increasing evidence suggests that abiotic selection pressures influence floral diversity as well. Here, we analyse the genetic and environmental factors that underlie patterns of floral pigmentation in wild sunflowers. While sunflower inflorescences appear invariably yellow to the human eye, they display extreme diversity for patterns of ultraviolet pigmentation, which are visible to most pollinators. We show that this diversity is largely controlled by cis-regulatory variation affecting a single MYB transcription factor, HaMYB111, through accumulation of ultraviolet (UV)-absorbing flavonol glycosides in ligules (the ‘petals’ of sunflower inflorescences). Different patterns of ultraviolet pigments in flowers are strongly correlated with pollinator preferences. Furthermore, variation for floral ultraviolet patterns is associated with environmental variables, especially relative humidity, across populations of wild sunflowers. Ligules with larger ultraviolet patterns, which are found in drier environments, show increased resistance to desiccation, suggesting a role in reducing water loss. The dual role of floral UV patterns in pollinator attraction and abiotic response reveals the complex adaptive balance underlying the evolution of floral traits. Flowers are an important part of how many plants reproduce. Their distinctive colours, shapes and patterns attract specific pollinators, but they can also help to protect the plant from predators and environmental stresses. Many flowers contain pigments that absorb ultraviolet (UV) light to display distinct UV patterns – although invisible to the human eye, most pollinators are able to see them. For example, when seen in UV, sunflowers feature a ‘bullseye’ with a dark centre surrounded by a reflective outer ring. The sizes and thicknesses of these rings vary a lot within and between flower species, and so far, it has been unclear what causes this variation and how it affects the plants. To find out more, Todesco et al. studied the UV patterns in various wild sunflowers across North America by considering the ecology and molecular biology of different plants. This revealed great variation between the UV patterns of the different sunflower populations. Moreover, Todesco et al. found that a gene called HaMYB111 is responsible for the diverse UV patterns in the sunflowers. This gene controls how plants make chemicals called flavonols that absorb UV light. Flavonols also help to protect plants from damage caused by droughts and extreme temperatures. Todesco et al. showed that plants with larger bullseyes had more flavonols, attracted more pollinators, and were better at conserving water. Accordingly, these plants were found in drier locations. This study suggests that, at least in sunflowers, UV patterns help both to attract pollinators and to control water loss. These insights could help to improve pollination – and consequently yield – in cultivated plants, and to develop plants with better resistance to extreme weather. This work also highlights the importance of combining biology on small and large scales to understand complex processes, such as adaptation and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Todesco
- Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia
| | - Natalia Bercovich
- Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia
| | - Amy Kim
- Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia
| | - Ivana Imerovski
- Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia
| | - Gregory L Owens
- Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia
- Department of Biology, University of Victoria
| | - Óscar Dorado Ruiz
- Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia
| | | | - Lufiani L Madilao
- Michael Smith Laboratory and Wine Research Centre, University of British Columbia
| | - Mojtaba Jahani
- Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia
| | - Jean-Sébastien Légaré
- Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia
| | | | - Loren H Rieseberg
- Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia
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25
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Koski MH, Finnell LM, Leonard E, Tharayil N. Elevational divergence in pigmentation plasticity is associated with selection and pigment biochemistry. Evolution 2022; 76:512-527. [PMID: 35038345 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Revised: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Phenotypic plasticity is predicted to evolve in environmentally variable habitats, or those experiencing a high frequency of strong selection. However, the evolution of plasticity may be constrained by costs or physiological constraints. In flowers, UV-absorbing pigmentation ameliorates UV damage to pollen, and is linked with elevated UV exposure. Whether plasticity contributes to this pattern remains unclear. Petals of Argentina anserina have larger UV-absorbing petal areas at high elevations where they experience higher and more variable UV exposure compared to low elevations. We measured UV-induced pigmentation plasticity in high- and low-elevation populations (hereafter, 'high, 'low'), and selection on pigmentation via male fitness. We dissected UV pigment biochemistry using metabolomics to explore biochemical mechanisms underlying plasticity. High displayed positive UV-induced pigmentation plasticity but low lacked plasticity. Selection favored elevated pigmentation under UV in high, supporting adaptive plasticity. In high, UV-absorption was conferred by flavonoids produced in one flavonoid pathway branch. However, in low, UV-absorption was associated with many compounds spanning many branches. Elevated plasticity was thus associated with reduced pigment diversity. The results are consistent with adaptive floral pigmentation plasticity in more extreme and variable environments. We discuss how biochemical underpinnings of pigmentation may permit or constrain the evolution of pigmentation plasticity. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew H Koski
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, 29634
| | - Lindsay M Finnell
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, 29634
| | - Elizabeth Leonard
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, 29634
| | - Nishanth Tharayil
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, 29634
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26
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Schilbert HM, Schöne M, Baier T, Busche M, Viehöver P, Weisshaar B, Holtgräwe D. Characterization of the Brassica napus Flavonol Synthase Gene Family Reveals Bifunctional Flavonol Synthases. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:733762. [PMID: 34721462 PMCID: PMC8548573 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.733762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Flavonol synthase (FLS) is a key enzyme for the formation of flavonols, which are a subclass of the flavonoids. FLS catalyzes the conversion of dihydroflavonols to flavonols. The enzyme belongs to the 2-oxoglutarate-dependent dioxygenases (2-ODD) superfamily. We characterized the FLS gene family of Brassica napus that covers 13 genes, based on the genome sequence of the B. napus cultivar Express 617. The goal was to unravel which BnaFLS genes are relevant for seed flavonol accumulation in the amphidiploid species B. napus. Two BnaFLS1 homeologs were identified and shown to encode bifunctional enzymes. Both exhibit FLS activity as well as flavanone 3-hydroxylase (F3H) activity, which was demonstrated in vivo and in planta. BnaFLS1-1 and -2 are capable of converting flavanones into dihydroflavonols and further into flavonols. Analysis of spatio-temporal transcription patterns revealed similar expression profiles of BnaFLS1 genes. Both are mainly expressed in reproductive organs and co-expressed with the genes encoding early steps of flavonoid biosynthesis. Our results provide novel insights into flavonol biosynthesis in B. napus and contribute information for breeding targets with the aim to modify the flavonol content in rapeseed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna Marie Schilbert
- Genetics and Genomics of Plants, CeBiTec and Faculty of Biology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Maximilian Schöne
- Genetics and Genomics of Plants, CeBiTec and Faculty of Biology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Thomas Baier
- Algae Biotechnology and Bioenergy, CeBiTec and Faculty of Biology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Mareike Busche
- Genetics and Genomics of Plants, CeBiTec and Faculty of Biology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Prisca Viehöver
- Genetics and Genomics of Plants, CeBiTec and Faculty of Biology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Bernd Weisshaar
- Genetics and Genomics of Plants, CeBiTec and Faculty of Biology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Daniela Holtgräwe
- Genetics and Genomics of Plants, CeBiTec and Faculty of Biology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
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27
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Berardi AE, Esfeld K, Jäggi L, Mandel T, Cannarozzi GM, Kuhlemeier C. Complex evolution of novel red floral color in Petunia. THE PLANT CELL 2021; 33:2273-2295. [PMID: 33871652 PMCID: PMC8364234 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koab114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Red flower color has arisen multiple times and is generally associated with hummingbird pollination. The majority of evolutionary transitions to red color proceeded from purple lineages and tend to be genetically simple, almost always involving a few loss-of-function mutations of major phenotypic effect. Here we report on the complex evolution of a novel red floral color in the hummingbird-pollinated Petunia exserta (Solanaceae) from a colorless ancestor. The presence of a red color is remarkable because the genus cannot synthesize red anthocyanins and P. exserta retains a nonfunctional copy of the key MYB transcription factor AN2. We show that moderate upregulation and a shift in tissue specificity of an AN2 paralog, DEEP PURPLE, restores anthocyanin biosynthesis in P. exserta. An essential shift in anthocyanin hydroxylation occurred through rebalancing the expression of three hydroxylating genes. Furthermore, the downregulation of an acyltransferase promotes reddish hues in typically purple pigments by preventing acyl group decoration of anthocyanins. This study presents a rare case of a genetically complex evolutionary transition toward the gain of a novel red color.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea E. Berardi
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Bern 3013, Switzerland
| | - Korinna Esfeld
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Bern 3013, Switzerland
| | - Lea Jäggi
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Bern 3013, Switzerland
| | - Therese Mandel
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Bern 3013, Switzerland
| | | | - Cris Kuhlemeier
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Bern 3013, Switzerland
- Author for correspondence:
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28
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Wang M, Zhang Y, Zhu C, Yao X, Zheng Z, Tian Z, Cai X. EkFLS overexpression promotes flavonoid accumulation and abiotic stress tolerance in plant. PHYSIOLOGIA PLANTARUM 2021; 172:1966-1982. [PMID: 33774830 DOI: 10.1111/ppl.13407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Revised: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Flavonoids with great medicinal value play an important role in plant individual growth and stress resistance. Flavonol synthetase (FLS) is one of the key enzymes to synthesize flavonoids. However, the role of the FLS gene in flavonoid accumulation and tolerance to abiotic stresses, as well as its mechanism has not yet been investigated systematically in plants. The aim of this research is to evaluate the effect of FLS overexpression on the accumulation of active ingredients and stress resistance in Euphorbia kansui Liou. The results showed that when the EkFLS gene was overexpressed in Arabidopsis thaliana, the accumulation of flavonoids was improved. In addition, when the wild-type and EkFLS overexpressed Arabidopsis plants were treated with ABA and MeJA, compared with WT Arabidopsis, EkFLS overexpressed Arabidopsis promoted stomatal aperture to influence photosynthesis of the plants, which in turn can promote stress resistance. Meanwhile, under MeJA, NaCl, and PEG treatment, EkFLS overexpressed in Arabidopsis induced higher accumulation of flavonoids, which significantly enhanced peroxidase (POD) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities that can scavenge reactive oxygen species in cells to protect the plant. These results indicated that EkFLS overexpression is strongly correlated to the increase of flavonoid synthesis and therefore the tolerance to abiotic stresses in plants, providing a theoretical basis for further improving the quality of medicinal plants and their resistance to abiotic stresses simultaneously.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Wang
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yue Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Chenyu Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Xiangyu Yao
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Zhe Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Zheni Tian
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Xia Cai
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
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29
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Chen W, Xiao Z, Wang Y, Wang J, Zhai R, Lin-Wang K, Espley R, Ma F, Li P. Competition between anthocyanin and kaempferol glycosides biosynthesis affects pollen tube growth and seed set of Malus. HORTICULTURE RESEARCH 2021; 8:173. [PMID: 34333541 PMCID: PMC8325685 DOI: 10.1038/s41438-021-00609-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Flavonoids play important roles in regulating plant growth and development. In this study, three kaempferol 3-O-glycosides were identified and mainly accumulated in flowers but not in leaves or fruits of Malus. In Malus, flower petal color is normally white, but some genotypes have red flowers containing anthocyanin. Anthocyanin biosynthesis appears to be in competition with kaempferol 3-O-glycosides production and controlled by the biosynthetic genes. The white flower Malus genotypes had better-developed seeds than the red flower genotypes. In flowers, the overexpression of MYB10 in Malus domestica enhanced the accumulation of anthocyanin, but decreased that of kaempferol 3-O-glycosides. After pollination the transgenic plants showed slower pollen tube growth and fewer developed seeds. Exogenous application of different flavonoid compounds suggested that kaempferol 3-O-glycosides, especially kaempferol 3-O-rhamnoside, regulated pollen tube growth and seed set rather than cyanidin or quercetin 3-O-glycosides. It was found that kaempferol 3-O-rhamnoside might regulate pollen tube growth through effects on auxin, the Rho of plants (ROP) GTPases, calcium and the phosphoinositides signaling pathway. With the inhibition of auxin transport, the transcription levels of Heat Shock Proteins (HSPs) and ROP GTPases were downregulated while the levels were not changed or even enhanced when blocking calcium signaling, suggesting that HSPs and ROP GTPases were downstream of auxin signaling, but upstream of calcium signaling. In summary, kaempferol glycoside concentrations in pistils correlated with auxin transport, the transcription of HSPs and ROP GTPases, and calcium signaling in pollen tubes, culminating in changes to pollen tube growth and seed set.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weifeng Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas/Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Apple, College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Zhengcao Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas/Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Apple, College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
- College of Food Science and Technology, Northwest University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710069, China
| | - Yule Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas/Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Apple, College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Jinxiao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas/Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Apple, College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Rui Zhai
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas/Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Apple, College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Kui Lin-Wang
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Ltd, Private Bag, 92169, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Richard Espley
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Ltd, Private Bag, 92169, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Fengwang Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas/Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Apple, College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Pengmin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas/Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Apple, College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China.
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30
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Skaliter O, Kitsberg Y, Sharon E, Shklarman E, Shor E, Masci T, Yue Y, Arien Y, Tabach Y, Shafir S, Vainstein A. Spatial patterning of scent in petunia corolla is discriminated by bees and involves the ABCG1 transporter. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2021; 106:1746-1758. [PMID: 33837586 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.15269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2020] [Revised: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Floral guides are patterned cues that direct the pollinator to the plant reproductive organs. The spatial distribution of showy visual and olfactory traits allows efficient plant-pollinator interactions. Data on the mechanisms underlying floral volatile patterns or their interactions with pollinators are lacking. Here we characterize the spatial emission patterns of volatiles from the corolla of the model plant Petunia × hybrida and reveal the ability of honeybees to distinguish these patterns. Along the adaxial epidermis, in correlation with cell density, the petal base adjacent to reproductive organs emitted significantly higher levels of volatiles than the distal petal rim. Volatile emission could also be differentiated between the two epidermal surfaces: emission from the adaxial side was significantly higher than that from the abaxial side. Similar emission patterns were also observed in other petunias, Dianthus caryophyllus (carnation) and Argyranthemum frutescens (Marguerite daisy). Analyses of transcripts involved in volatile production/emission revealed lower levels of the plasma-membrane transporter ABCG1 in the abaxial versus adaxial epidermis. Transient overexpression of ABCG1 enhanced emission from the abaxial epidermis to the level of the adaxial epidermis, suggesting its involvement in spatial emission patterns in the epidermal layers. Proboscis extension response experiments showed that differences in emission levels along the adaxial epidermis, that is, petal base versus rim, detected by GC-MS are also discernible by honeybees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oded Skaliter
- Institute of Plant Sciences and Genetics in Agriculture, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Yaarit Kitsberg
- Institute of Plant Sciences and Genetics in Agriculture, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Elad Sharon
- Institute of Plant Sciences and Genetics in Agriculture, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, The Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, Hadassah Medical School, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 91120, Israel
| | - Elena Shklarman
- Institute of Plant Sciences and Genetics in Agriculture, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Ekaterina Shor
- Institute of Plant Sciences and Genetics in Agriculture, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Tania Masci
- Institute of Plant Sciences and Genetics in Agriculture, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Yuling Yue
- Institute of Plant Sciences and Genetics in Agriculture, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Yael Arien
- B. Triwaks Bee Research Center, Department of Entomology, Institute of Environmental Sciences, Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food & Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Yuval Tabach
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, The Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, Hadassah Medical School, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 91120, Israel
| | - Sharoni Shafir
- B. Triwaks Bee Research Center, Department of Entomology, Institute of Environmental Sciences, Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food & Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Alexander Vainstein
- Institute of Plant Sciences and Genetics in Agriculture, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
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Tunes P, Camargo MGG, Guimarães E. Floral UV Features of Plant Species From a Neotropical Savanna. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:618028. [PMID: 34025689 PMCID: PMC8137824 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.618028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Despite the wide interest in flower colours, only after the end of the nineteenth-century studies started to comprise floral UV reflection, which is invisible to humans but visible to the major groups of pollinators. Many flowers and inflorescences display colour patterns, an important signal for pollinators, promoted by the presence of at least two different colours within flowers or inflorescences, including colours in the UV waveband. For Neotropical savanna plant species, we characterised floral UV features using UV-photography and reflectance measurements. We tested (i) whether floral UV features were constrained by their shared ancestry, (ii) whether floral UV features were associated with pollinators, and (iii) whether floral UV features were associated with floral traits mediating these interactions, including floral resource, type of attraction unit and presence/absence of non-UV colour patterns. Of 80 plant species, ca. 70% were UV-patternless, most of them UV-absorbing. Approximately 30% presented one of three types of UV-patterns: bullseye, contrasting corolla markings oriented toward floral resources or contrasting reproductive structures, which were all considered as floral guides. Floral UV features were phylogenetically constrained and were associated with pollinators, floral resources and attraction unit, but not with non-UV colour patterns. UV-patternless flowers were associated with most of the pollination systems, while UV-patterned flowers were mainly associated with bee-pollination. UV-absorbing flowers comprised the only category with hawkmoth- and butterfly-pollinated flowers, and a high percentage of hummingbird-pollinated species. Nocturnal pollinated species were also commonly UV-absorbing, except for one UV-reflecting bat-pollinated species and one beetle-pollinated species with UV-reflecting stigmas. All types of floral UV features were associated with nectar; however, flowers with contrasting reproductive structures were mainly associated with pollen. There was an association between UV-absorbing species and the presence of inflorescences and intermediate attraction units. Our results evince that phylogenetic relatedness can constraint floral UV features' diversification, but combinations of evolutionary and ecological processes may be expected in this scenario.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priscila Tunes
- Laboratory of Ecology and Evolution of Plant-Animal Interactions, Postgraduate Program in Biological Sciences (Botany), Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University, Botucatu, Brazil
| | | | - Elza Guimarães
- Laboratory of Ecology and Evolution of Plant-Animal Interactions, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University, Botucatu, Brazil
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Genome-Wide Identification, Classification and Expression Analysis of the MYB Transcription Factor Family in Petunia. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22094838. [PMID: 34063617 PMCID: PMC8124715 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22094838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Revised: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
A lot of researches have been focused on the evolution and function of MYB transcription factors (TFs). For revealing the formation of petunia flower color diversity, MYB gene family in petunia was identified and analyzed. In this study, a total of 155 MYB genes, including 40 1R-MYBs, 106 R2R3-MYBs, 7 R1R2R3-MYBs and 2 4R-MYBs, have been identified in the Petunia axillaris genome. Most R2R3 genes contain three exons and two introns, whereas the number of PaMYB introns varies from 0 to 12. The R2R3-MYB members could be divided into 28 subgroups. Analysis of gene structure and protein motifs revealed that members within the same subgroup presented similar exon/intron and motif organization, further supporting the results of phylogenetic analysis. Genes in subgroup 10, 11 and 21 were mainly expressed in petal, not in vegetative tissues. Genes in subgroup 9, 19, 25 and 27 expressed in all tissues, but the expression patterns of each gene were different. According to the promoter analysis, five R2R3-MYB and two MYB-related genes contained MBSI cis-element, which was involved in flavonoid biosynthetic regulation. PaMYB100/DPL has been reported to positively regulate to pigmentation. However, although PaMYB82, PaMYB68 and Pa1RMYB36 contained MBSI cis-element, their function in flavonoid biosynthesis has not been revealed. Consistent with existing knowledge, PaMYBs in subgroup 11 had similar function to AtMYBs in subgroup 6, genes in which played an important role in anthocyanin biosynthesis. In addition, PaMYB1 and PaMYB40 belonged to P9 (S7) and were potentially involved in regulation of flavonoid synthesis in petunia vegetative organs. This work provides a comprehensive understanding of the MYB gene family in petunia and lays a significant foundation for future studies on the function and evolution of MYB genes in petunia.
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Lin S, Singh RK, Navarre DA. R2R3-MYB transcription factors, StmiR858 and sucrose mediate potato flavonol biosynthesis. HORTICULTURE RESEARCH 2021; 8:25. [PMID: 33518700 PMCID: PMC7847999 DOI: 10.1038/s41438-021-00463-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Revised: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Flavonols and other phenylpropanoids protect plants from biotic and abiotic stress and are dietarily desirable because of their health-promoting properties. The ability to develop new potatoes (Solanum tuberosum) with optimal types and amounts of phenylpropanoids is limited by lack of knowledge about the regulatory mechanisms. Exogenous sucrose increased flavonols, whereas overexpression of the MYB StAN1 induced sucrolytic gene expression. Heterologous StAN1 protein bound promoter fragments from sucrolytic genes (SUSY1 and INV1). Two additional MYBs and one microRNA were identified that regulated potato flavonols. Overexpression analysis showed MYB12A and C increased amounts of flavonols and other phenylpropanoids. Endogenous flavonol amounts in light-exposed organs were much higher those in the dark. Expression levels of StMYB12A and C were high in flowers but low in tubers. Transient overexpression of miR858 altered potato flavonol metabolism. Endogenous StmiR858 expression was much lower in flowers than leaves and correlated with flavonol amounts in these organs. Collectively, these findings support the hypothesis that sucrose, MYBs, and miRNA control potato phenylpropanoid metabolism in a finely tuned manner that includes a feedback loop between sucrose and StAN1. These findings will aid in the development of potatoes with phenylpropanoid profiles optimized for crop performance and human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sen Lin
- Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center, Washington State University, Prosser, WA, USA
| | - Rajesh K Singh
- Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center, Washington State University, Prosser, WA, USA
- Department of Biotechnology, CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, Palampur, Himachal Pradesh, 176061, India
| | - Duroy A Navarre
- Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center, Washington State University, Prosser, WA, USA.
- USDA-Agricultural Research Service, Prosser, WA, USA.
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Shan X, Li Y, Yang S, Yang Z, Qiu M, Gao R, Han T, Meng X, Xu Z, Wang L, Gao X. The spatio-temporal biosynthesis of floral flavonols is controlled by differential phylogenetic MYB regulators in Freesia hybrida. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2020; 228:1864-1879. [PMID: 32696979 DOI: 10.1111/nph.16818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Floral flavonols play specific pivotal roles in pollinator attraction, pollen germination and fertility, in addition to other functions in vegetative organs. For many plants, the process of flavonol biosynthesis in late flower development stages and in mature flower tissues is poorly understood, in contrast to early flower development stages. It is thought that this process may be regulated independently of subgroup 7 R2R3 MYB (SG7 MYB) transcription factors. In this study, two FLS genes were shown to be expressed synchronously with the flower development-specific and tissue-specific biosynthesis of flavonols in Freesia hybrida. FhFLS1 contributed to flavonol biosynthesis in early flower buds, toruses and calyxes, and was regulated by four well-known SG7 MYB proteins, designated as FhMYBFs, with at least partial regulatory redundancy. FhFLS2 accounted for flavonols in late developed flowers and in the petals, stamens and pistils, and was targeted directly by non SG7 MYB protein FhMYB21L2. In parallel, AtMYB21 and AtMYB24 also activated AtFLS1, a gene highly expressed in Arabidopsis anthers and pollen, indicating the conserved regulatory roles of MYB21 against FLS genes in these two evolutionarily divergent angiosperm plants. Our results reveal a novel regulatory and synthetic mechanism underlying flavonol biosynthesis in floral organs and tissues which may be exploited to investigate supplementary roles of flavonols in flowers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaotong Shan
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of MOE and Institute of Genetics & Cytology, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China
| | - Yueqing Li
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of MOE and Institute of Genetics & Cytology, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China
| | - Song Yang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of MOE and Institute of Genetics & Cytology, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China
| | - Zhongzhou Yang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of MOE and Institute of Genetics & Cytology, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China
| | - Meng Qiu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of MOE and Institute of Genetics & Cytology, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China
| | - Ruifang Gao
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of MOE and Institute of Genetics & Cytology, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China
| | - Taotao Han
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of MOE and Institute of Genetics & Cytology, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China
| | - Xiangyu Meng
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of MOE and Institute of Genetics & Cytology, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China
| | - Zhengyi Xu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of MOE and Institute of Genetics & Cytology, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China
| | - Li Wang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of MOE and Institute of Genetics & Cytology, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China
| | - Xiang Gao
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of MOE and Institute of Genetics & Cytology, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China
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35
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Dellinger AS. Pollination syndromes in the 21 st century: where do we stand and where may we go? THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2020; 228:1193-1213. [PMID: 33460152 DOI: 10.1111/nph.16793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/31/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Pollination syndromes, recurring suites of floral traits appearing in connection with specific functional pollinator groups, have served for decades to organise floral diversity under a functional-ecological perspective. Some potential caveats, such as over-simplification of complex plant-animal interactions or lack of empirical observations, have been identified and discussed in recent years. Which of these caveats do indeed cause problems, which have been solved and where do future possibilities lie? I address these questions in a review of the pollination-syndrome literature of 2010 to 2019. I show that the majority of studies was based on detailed empirical pollinator observations and could reliably predict pollinators based on a few floral traits such as colour, shape or reward. Some traits (i.e. colour) were less reliable in predicting pollinators than others (i.e. reward, corolla width), however. I stress that future studies should consider floral traits beyond those traditionally recorded to expand our understanding of mechanisms of floral evolution. I discuss statistical methods suitable for objectively analysing the interplay of system-specific evolutionary constraints, pollinator-mediated selection and adaptive trade-offs at microecological and macroecological scales. I exemplify my arguments on an empirical dataset of floral traits of a neotropical plant radiation in the family Melastomataceae.
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36
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Xu S, Kreitzer C, McGale E, Lackus ND, Guo H, Köllner TG, Schuman MC, Baldwin IT, Zhou W. Allelic differences of clustered terpene synthases contribute to correlated intraspecific variation of floral and herbivory-induced volatiles in a wild tobacco. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2020; 228:1083-1096. [PMID: 32535930 DOI: 10.1111/nph.16739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2020] [Accepted: 05/29/2020] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Plant volatile emissions can recruit predators of herbivores for indirect defense and attract pollinators to aid in pollination. Although volatiles involved in defense and pollinator attraction are primarily emitted from leaves and flowers, respectively, they will co-evolve if their underlying genetic basis is intrinsically linked, due either to pleiotropy or to genetic linkage. However, direct evidence of co-evolving defense and floral traits is scarce. We characterized intraspecific variation of herbivory-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs), the key components of indirect defense against herbivores, and floral volatiles in wild tobacco Nicotiana attenuata. We found that variation of (E)-β-ocimene and (E)-α-bergamotene contributed to the correlated changes in HIPVs and floral volatiles among N. attenuata natural accessions. Intraspecific variations of (E)-β-ocimene and (E)-α-bergamotene emissions resulted from allelic variation of two genetically co-localized terpene synthase genes, NaTPS25 and NaTPS38, respectively. Analyzing haplotypes of NaTPS25 and NaTPS38 revealed that allelic variations of NaTPS25 and NaTPS38 resulted in correlated changes of (E)-β-ocimene and (E)-α-bergamotene emission in HIPVs and floral volatiles in N. attenuata. Together, these results provide evidence that pleiotropy and genetic linkage result in correlated changes in defenses and floral signals in natural populations, and the evolution of plant volatiles is probably under diffuse selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuqing Xu
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, Hüfferstrasse 1, Münster, 48149, Germany
| | - Christoph Kreitzer
- Department of Molecular Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, 07745, Germany
| | - Erica McGale
- Department of Molecular Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, 07745, Germany
| | - Nathalie D Lackus
- Department of Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, 07745, Germany
| | - Han Guo
- Department of Molecular Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, 07745, Germany
| | - Tobias G Köllner
- Department of Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, 07745, Germany
| | - Meredith C Schuman
- Department of Molecular Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, 07745, Germany
- Department of Geography & Department of Chemistry, University of Zurich, Zurich, 8057, Switzerland
| | - Ian T Baldwin
- Department of Molecular Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, 07745, Germany
| | - Wenwu Zhou
- Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
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Yarahmadov T, Robinson S, Hanemian M, Pulver V, Kuhlemeier C. Identification of transcription factors controlling floral morphology in wild Petunia species with contrasting pollination syndromes. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2020; 104:289-301. [PMID: 32780443 PMCID: PMC7693086 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.14962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2019] [Accepted: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Adaptation to different pollinators is an important driver of speciation in the angiosperms. Genetic approaches such as QTL mapping have been successfully used to identify the underlying speciation genes. However, these methods are often limited by widespread suppression of recombination due to divergence between species. While the mutations that caused the interspecific differences in floral color and scent have been elucidated in a variety of plant genera, the genes that are responsible for morphological differences remain mostly unknown. Differences in floral organ length determine the pollination efficiency of hawkmoths and hummingbirds, and therefore the genes that control these differences are potential speciation genes. Identifying such genes is challenging, especially in non-model species and when studying complex traits for which little prior genetic and biochemical knowledge is available. Here we combine transcriptomics with detailed growth analysis to identify candidate transcription factors underlying interspecific variation in the styles of Petunia flowers. Starting from a set of 2284 genes, stepwise filtering for expression in styles, differential expression between species, correlation with growth-related traits, allele-specific expression in interspecific hybrids, and/or high-impact polymorphisms resulted in a set of 43 candidate speciation genes. Validation by virus-induced gene silencing identified two MYB transcription factors, EOBI and EOBII, that were previously shown to regulate floral scent emission, a trait associated with pollination by hawkmoths.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tural Yarahmadov
- Institute of Plant SciencesUniversity of BernAltenbergrain 21BernCH‐3013Switzerland
- Department of BioMedical ResearchUniversity of BernBernCH‐3008Switzerland
| | - Sarah Robinson
- Institute of Plant SciencesUniversity of BernAltenbergrain 21BernCH‐3013Switzerland
- Sainsbury LaboratoryUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeCB2 1LRUK
| | - Mathieu Hanemian
- Institute of Plant SciencesUniversity of BernAltenbergrain 21BernCH‐3013Switzerland
- LIPMUniversité de ToulouseINRAECNRSCastanet‐TolosanFrance
| | - Valentin Pulver
- Institute of Plant SciencesUniversity of BernAltenbergrain 21BernCH‐3013Switzerland
| | - Cris Kuhlemeier
- Institute of Plant SciencesUniversity of BernAltenbergrain 21BernCH‐3013Switzerland
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38
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Natural variation at FLM splicing has pleiotropic effects modulating ecological strategies in Arabidopsis thaliana. Nat Commun 2020; 11:4140. [PMID: 32811829 PMCID: PMC7435183 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17896-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2019] [Accepted: 07/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Investigating the evolution of complex phenotypes and the underlying molecular bases of their variation is critical to understand how organisms adapt to their environment. Applying classical quantitative genetics on a segregating population derived from a Can-0xCol-0 cross, we identify the MADS-box transcription factor FLOWERING LOCUS M (FLM) as a player of the phenotypic variation in plant growth and color. We show that allelic variation at FLM modulates plant growth strategy along the leaf economics spectrum, a trade-off between resource acquisition and resource conservation, observable across thousands of plant species. Functional differences at FLM rely on a single intronic substitution, disturbing transcript splicing and leading to the accumulation of non-functional FLM transcripts. Associations between this substitution and phenotypic and climatic data across Arabidopsis natural populations, show how noncoding genetic variation at a single gene might be adaptive through pleiotropic effects. FLOWERING LOCUS M (FLM) is known as a repressor of Arabidopsis flowering. Here, the authors show that a single intronic substitution of FLM modulates leaf color and plant growth strategy along the leaf economics spectrum, as well as plays a role in plant adaptation.
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39
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Li Y, Chen Y, Zhou L, You S, Deng H, Chen Y, Alseekh S, Yuan Y, Fu R, Zhang Z, Su D, Fernie AR, Bouzayen M, Ma T, Liu M, Zhang Y. MicroTom Metabolic Network: Rewiring Tomato Metabolic Regulatory Network throughout the Growth Cycle. MOLECULAR PLANT 2020; 13:1203-1218. [PMID: 32561360 DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2020.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2020] [Revised: 03/07/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2020] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is a major horticultural crop worldwide and has emerged as a preeminent model for metabolic research. Although many research efforts have focused on the analysis of metabolite differences between varieties and species, the dynamics of metabolic changes during the tomato growth cycle and the regulatory networks that underlie these changes are poorly understood. In this study, we integrated high-resolution spatio-temporal metabolome and transcriptome data to systematically explore the metabolic landscape across 20 major tomato tissues and growth stages. In the resulting MicroTom Metabolic Network, the 540 detected metabolites and their co-expressed genes could be divided into 10 distinct clusters based on their biological functions. Using this dataset, we constructed a global map of the major metabolic changes that occur throughout the tomato growth cycle and dissected the underlying regulatory network. In addition to verifying previously well-established regulatory networks for important metabolites, we identified novel transcription factors that regulate the biosynthesis of important secondary metabolites such as steroidal glycoalkaloids and flavonoids. Our findings provide insights into spatio-temporal changes in tomato metabolism and generate a valuable resource for the study of metabolic regulatory processes in model plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Li
- Key Laboratory of Bio-resource and Eco-environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Yang Chen
- Key Laboratory of Bio-resource and Eco-environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Lu Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Bio-resource and Eco-environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Shengjie You
- Key Laboratory of Bio-resource and Eco-environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Heng Deng
- Key Laboratory of Bio-resource and Eco-environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Ya Chen
- Key Laboratory of Bio-resource and Eco-environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Saleh Alseekh
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany; Center of Plant Systems Biology and Plant Biotechnology, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
| | - Yong Yuan
- Key Laboratory of Bio-resource and Eco-environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Rao Fu
- Key Laboratory of Bio-resource and Eco-environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Zixin Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Bio-resource and Eco-environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Dan Su
- Key Laboratory of Bio-resource and Eco-environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Alisdair R Fernie
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany; Center of Plant Systems Biology and Plant Biotechnology, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
| | - Mondher Bouzayen
- Key Laboratory of Bio-resource and Eco-environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, Sichuan, People's Republic of China; GBF, University of Toulouse, INRA, Castanet-Tolosan, France
| | - Tao Ma
- Key Laboratory of Bio-resource and Eco-environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Mingchun Liu
- Key Laboratory of Bio-resource and Eco-environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.
| | - Yang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Bio-resource and Eco-environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.
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40
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MYB repressors and MBW activation complex collaborate to fine-tune flower coloration in Freesia hybrida. Commun Biol 2020; 3:396. [PMID: 32719499 PMCID: PMC7385123 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-020-01134-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2020] [Accepted: 07/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Floral anthocyanin has multiple ecological and economic values, its biosynthesis largely depends on the conserved MYB-bHLH-WD40 (MBW) activation complex and MYB repressors hierarchically with the MBW complex. In contrast to eudicots, the MBW regulatory network model has not been addressed in monocots because of the lack of a suitable system, as grass plants exhibit monotonous floral pigmentation patterns. Presently, the MBW regulatory network was investigated in a non-grass monocot plant, Freesia hybrida. FhMYB27 and FhMYBx with different functional manners were confirmed to be anthocyanin related R2R3 and R3 MYB repressors, respectively. Particularly, FhMYBx could obstruct the formation of positive MBW complex by titrating bHLH proteins, whereas FhMYB27 mainly defected the activator complex into suppressor via its repression domains in C-terminus. Furthermore, the hierarchical and feedback regulatory loop was verified, indicating the synergistic and sophisticated regulatory network underlying Freesia anthocyanin biosynthesis was quite similar to that reported in eudicot plants. Yueqing Li, Xiaotong Shan, et al. study the MYB-bHLH-WD40 (MBW) regulatory network in a non-grass monocot plant, Freesia hybrida. They report two anthocyanin related MYB repressors FhMYB27 and FhMYBx and verified their involvement in a functional feedback loop with MBW to regulate anthocyanin biosynthesis.
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Target-Genes Reveal Species and Genotypic Specificity of Anthocyanin Pigmentation in Citrus and Related Genera. Genes (Basel) 2020; 11:genes11070807. [PMID: 32708660 PMCID: PMC7397085 DOI: 10.3390/genes11070807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2020] [Revised: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Anthocyanin pigmentation characterizes a number of tissues of Citrus and its relatives. The gain and loss of pigmentation is intriguing and is inherited variously among species. Methods: Citrus germplasm was used to investigate the anthocyanin pigmentation of tissues never before considered, including stamen, style and stigma, and of young leaves, petals, rind and flesh of 28 genotypes belonging to 14 species. Citrus genotypes encompassed citron, lemon, sweet orange, lime, and Citrus relatives included Microcitrus, Murraya, and Severinia. A relative qRT-PCR analysis was carried out on the structural and regulatory genes: phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), chalcone synthase (CHS), chalcone isomerase (CHI), flavanone 3′-hydroxylase (F3H), dihydroflavonol 4-reductase (DFR), anthocyanidin synthase (ANS), uridine diphosphate glucose flavonoid glucosyl-transferase (UFGT), glutathione S-transferase (GST), Ruby and Noemi. Image analysis and a genomic approach were employed to evaluate how the red pigmentation is inherited among tissues and species. Results: Pigmentation of young leaves and petals is specific to citron and its hybrids. Ruby controls the pigmentation of petals, but not of leaves. The red color of the rind and flesh is a trait that particularly characterizes a diversity of sweet oranges, citron hybrids and Citrus relatives. Color expression depends on external factors and also on developmental stage. The coloration of stamen and style is citron-specific, while a red stigma is exclusive to Moro orange and its hybrids. Conclusion: It is hypothesized that there is a relationship among Citrus species and genes controlling anthocyanin pigmentation.
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Ichino T, Maeda K, Hara-Nishimura I, Shimada T. Arabidopsis ECHIDNA protein is involved in seed coloration, protein trafficking to vacuoles, and vacuolar biogenesis. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2020; 71:3999-4009. [PMID: 32201898 PMCID: PMC7475254 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/eraa147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2019] [Accepted: 03/19/2020] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Flavonoids are a major group of plant-specific metabolites that determine flower and seed coloration. In plant cells, flavonoids are synthesized at the cytosolic surface of the endoplasmic reticulum and are sequestered in the vacuole. It is possible that membrane trafficking, including vesicle trafficking and organelle dynamics, contributes to flavonoid transport and accumulation. However, the underlying mechanism has yet to be fully elucidated. Here we show that the Arabidopsis ECHIDNA protein plays a role in flavonoid accumulation in the vacuole and protein trafficking to the vacuole. We found defective pigmentation patterns in echidna seed, possibly caused by reduced levels of proanthocyanidins, which determine seed coloration. The echidna mutant has defects in protein sorting to the protein storage vacuole as well as vacuole morphology. These findings indicate that ECHIDNA is involved in the vacuolar trafficking pathway as well as the previously described secretory pathway. In addition, we found a genetic interaction between echidna and green fluorescent seed 9 (gfs9), a membrane trafficking factor involved in flavonoid accumulation. Our findings suggest that vacuolar trafficking and/or vacuolar development, both of which are collectively regulated by ECHIDNA and GFS9, are required for flavonoid accumulation, resulting in seed coat pigmentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takuji Ichino
- Department of Botany, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Department of Plant Developmental Biology, Centre for Organismal Studies, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
- Laboratory of Plant Gene Expression, Research Institute for Sustainable Humanosphere, Kyoto University, Uji, Japan
| | - Kazuki Maeda
- Department of Botany, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Ikuko Hara-Nishimura
- Department of Botany, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Konan University, Kobe, Japan
| | - Tomoo Shimada
- Department of Botany, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Correspondence:
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Li Y, Shan X, Tong L, Wei C, Lu K, Li S, Kimani S, Wang S, Wang L, Gao X. The Conserved and Particular Roles of the R2R3-MYB Regulator FhPAP1 from Freesia hybrida in Flower Anthocyanin Biosynthesis. PLANT & CELL PHYSIOLOGY 2020; 61:1365-1380. [PMID: 32392327 DOI: 10.1093/pcp/pcaa065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Anthocyanin biosynthesis is mainly controlled by MYB-bHLH-WD40 (MBW) complexes that modulate the expression of anthocyanin biosynthetic genes (ABGs). The MYB regulators involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis arose early during plant evolution and thus might function divergently in different evolutionary lineages. Although the anthocyanin-promoting R2R3-MYB regulators in eudicots have been comprehensively explored, little consensus has been reached about functional discrepancies versus conservation among MYB regulators from different plant lineages. Here, we integrated transcriptome analysis, gene expression profiles, gain-of-function experiments and transient protoplast transfection assays to functionally characterize the monocot Freesia hybrida anthocyanin MYB regulator gene FhPAP1, which showed correlations with late ABGs. FhPAP1 could activate ABGs as well as TT8-clade genes FhTT8L, AtTT8 and NtAN1 when overexpressed in Freesia, Arabidopsis and tobacco, respectively. Consistently, FhPAP1 could interact with FhTT8L and FhTTG1 to form the conserved MBW complex and shared similar target genes with its orthologs from Arabidopsis. Most prominently, FhPAP1 displayed higher transactivation capacity than its homologs in Arabidopsis and tobacco, which was instantiated in its powerful regulation on ABGs. Moreover, we found that FhPAP1 might be the selected gene during the domestication and rapid evolution of the wild Freesia species to generate intensive flower pigmentation. These results showed that while the MBW complex was highly evolutionarily conserved between tested monocot and core eudicot plants, participating MYB regulators showed functional differences in transactivation capacity according to their activation domain and played important roles in the flower coloration domestication and evolution of angiosperms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yueqing Li
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of MOE and Institute of Genetics & Cytology, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
| | - Xiaotong Shan
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of MOE and Institute of Genetics & Cytology, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
| | - Linna Tong
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of MOE and Institute of Genetics & Cytology, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
| | - Chao Wei
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of MOE and Institute of Genetics & Cytology, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
| | - Keyu Lu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of MOE and Institute of Genetics & Cytology, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
| | - Shuying Li
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of MOE and Institute of Genetics & Cytology, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
| | - Shadrack Kimani
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of MOE and Institute of Genetics & Cytology, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
- Department of Biological and Physical Sciences, Karatina University, P.O. Box 1957, 10101 Karatina, Kenya
| | - Shucai Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Linyi University, Linyi, China
| | - Li Wang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of MOE and Institute of Genetics & Cytology, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
| | - Xiang Gao
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of MOE and Institute of Genetics & Cytology, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
- National Demonstration Center for Experimental Biology Education, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
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Schnitzler CK, Turchetto C, Teixeira MC, Freitas LB. What could be the fate of secondary contact zones between closely related plant species? Genet Mol Biol 2020; 43:e20190271. [PMID: 32556035 PMCID: PMC7299303 DOI: 10.1590/1678-4685-gmb-2019-0271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2019] [Accepted: 03/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Interspecific hybridization has been fundamental in plant evolution.
Nevertheless, the fate of hybrid zones throughout the generations remains poorly
addressed. We analyzed a pair of recently diverged, interfertile, and sympatric
Petunia species to ask what fate the interspecific hybrid
population has met over time. We analyzed the genetic diversity in two
generations from two contact sites and evaluated the effect of introgression. To
do this, we collected all adult plants from the contact zones, including
canonicals and intermediary colored individuals, and compared them with purebred
representatives of both species based on seven highly informative microsatellite
loci. We compared the genetic diversity observed in the contact zones with what
is seen in isolated populations of each species, considering two generations of
these annual species. Our results have confirmed the genetic differentiation
between the species and the hybrid origin of the majority of the intermediary
colored individuals. We also observed a differentiation related to genetic
variability and inbreeding levels among the populations. Over time, there were
no significant differences per site related to genetic diversity or phenotype
composition. We found two stable populations kept by high inbreeding and
backcross rates that influence the genetic diversity of their parental species
through introgression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina K Schnitzler
- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Departamento de Genética, Laboratório de Evolução Molecular, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Caroline Turchetto
- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Departamento de Genética, Laboratório de Evolução Molecular, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Marcelo C Teixeira
- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Departamento de Genética, Laboratório de Evolução Molecular, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Loreta B Freitas
- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Departamento de Genética, Laboratório de Evolução Molecular, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
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Tan L, Ijaz U, Salih H, Cheng Z, Ni Win Htet N, Ge Y, Azeem F. Genome-Wide Identification and Comparative Analysis of MYB Transcription Factor Family in Musa acuminata and Musa balbisiana. PLANTS 2020; 9:plants9040413. [PMID: 32230872 PMCID: PMC7238746 DOI: 10.3390/plants9040413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2020] [Revised: 03/19/2020] [Accepted: 03/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
MYB transcription factors (TFs) make up one of the most important TF families in plants. These proteins play crucial roles in processes related to development, metabolism, and stimulus-response; however, very few studies have been reported for the characterization of MYB TFs from banana. The current study identified 305 and 251 MYB genes from Musa acuminata and Musa balbisiana, respectively. Comprehensive details of MYBs are reported in terms of gene structure, protein domain, chromosomal localization, phylogeny, and expression patterns. Based on the exon-intron arrangement, these genes were classified into 12 gene models. Phylogenetic analysis of MYBs involving both species of banana, Oryza sativa, and Arabidopsis thaliana distributed these genes into 27 subfamilies. This highlighted not only the conservation, but also the gain/loss of MYBs in banana. Such genes are important candidates for future functional investigations. The MYB genes in both species exhibited a random distribution on chromosomes with variable densities. Estimation of gene duplication events revealed that segmental duplications represented the major factor behind MYB gene family expansion in banana. Expression profiles of MYB genes were also explored for their potential involvement in acetylene response or development. Collectively, the current comprehensive analysis of MYB genes in both species of banana will facilitate future functional studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Tan
- Haikou Experimental Station, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences (CATAS)-Hainan Key Laboratory of Banana Genetic Improvement, Haikou 571101, Hainan, China; (L.T.); (H.S.); (Z.C.); (N.N.W.H.); (Y.G.)
| | - Usman Ijaz
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan;
| | - Haron Salih
- Haikou Experimental Station, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences (CATAS)-Hainan Key Laboratory of Banana Genetic Improvement, Haikou 571101, Hainan, China; (L.T.); (H.S.); (Z.C.); (N.N.W.H.); (Y.G.)
| | - Zhihao Cheng
- Haikou Experimental Station, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences (CATAS)-Hainan Key Laboratory of Banana Genetic Improvement, Haikou 571101, Hainan, China; (L.T.); (H.S.); (Z.C.); (N.N.W.H.); (Y.G.)
| | - Nwe Ni Win Htet
- Haikou Experimental Station, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences (CATAS)-Hainan Key Laboratory of Banana Genetic Improvement, Haikou 571101, Hainan, China; (L.T.); (H.S.); (Z.C.); (N.N.W.H.); (Y.G.)
| | - Yu Ge
- Haikou Experimental Station, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences (CATAS)-Hainan Key Laboratory of Banana Genetic Improvement, Haikou 571101, Hainan, China; (L.T.); (H.S.); (Z.C.); (N.N.W.H.); (Y.G.)
| | - Farrukh Azeem
- Haikou Experimental Station, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences (CATAS)-Hainan Key Laboratory of Banana Genetic Improvement, Haikou 571101, Hainan, China; (L.T.); (H.S.); (Z.C.); (N.N.W.H.); (Y.G.)
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan;
- Correspondence:
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46
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Larter M, Dunbar-Wallis A, Berardi AE, Smith SD. Convergent Evolution at the Pathway Level: Predictable Regulatory Changes during Flower Color Transitions. Mol Biol Evol 2020; 35:2159-2169. [PMID: 29878153 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msy117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The predictability of evolution, or whether lineages repeatedly follow the same evolutionary trajectories during phenotypic convergence remains an open question of evolutionary biology. In this study, we investigate evolutionary convergence at the biochemical pathway level and test the predictability of evolution using floral anthocyanin pigmentation, a trait with a well-understood genetic and regulatory basis. We reconstructed the evolution of floral anthocyanin content across 28 species of the Andean clade Iochrominae (Solanaceae) and investigated how shifts in pigmentation are related to changes in expression of seven key anthocyanin pathway genes. We used phylogenetic multivariate analysis of gene expression to test for phenotypic and developmental convergence at a macroevolutionary scale. Our results show that the four independent losses of the ancestral pigment delphinidin involved convergent losses of expression of the three late pathway genes (F3'5'h, Dfr, and Ans). Transitions between pigment types affecting floral hue (e.g., blue to red) involve changes to the expression of branching genes F3'h and F3'5'h, while the expression levels of early steps of the pathway are strongly conserved in all species. These patterns support the idea that the macroevolution of floral pigmentation follows predictable evolutionary trajectories to reach convergent phenotype space, repeatedly involving regulatory changes. This is likely driven by constraints at the pathway level, such as pleiotropy and regulatory structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maximilian Larter
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado-Boulder, Boulder, CO
| | - Amy Dunbar-Wallis
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado-Boulder, Boulder, CO
| | - Andrea E Berardi
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado-Boulder, Boulder, CO.,Department of Biology, Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Stacey D Smith
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado-Boulder, Boulder, CO
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47
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Koski MH, Berardi AE, Galloway LF. Pollen colour morphs take different paths to fitness. J Evol Biol 2020; 33:388-400. [PMID: 32012387 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2019] [Revised: 12/04/2019] [Accepted: 01/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Colour phenotypes are often involved in communication and are thus under selection by species interactions. However, selection may also act on colour through correlated traits or alternative functions of biochemical pigments. Such forms of selection are instrumental in maintaining petal colour diversity in plants. Pollen colour also varies markedly, but the maintenance of this variation is little understood. In Campanula americana, pollen ranges from white to dark purple, with darker morphs garnering more pollinator visits and exhibiting elevated pollen performance under heat stress. Here, we generate an F2 population segregating for pollen colour and measure correlations with floral traits, pollen attributes and plant-level traits related to fitness. We determine the pigment biochemistry of colour variants and evaluate maternal and paternal fitness of light and dark morphs by crossing within and between morphs. Pollen colour was largely uncorrelated with floral traits (petal colour, size, nectar traits) suggesting it can evolve independently. Darker pollen grains were larger and had higher anthocyanin content (cyanidin and peonidin) which may explain why they outperform light pollen under heat stress. Overall, pollen-related fitness metrics were greater for dark pollen, and dark pollen sires generated seeds with higher germination potential. Conversely, light pollen plants produce 61% more flowers than dark, and 18% more seeds per fruit, suggesting a seed production advantage. Results indicate that light and dark morphs may achieve fitness through different means-dark morphs appear to have a pollen advantage whereas light morphs have an ovule advantage-helping to explain the maintenance of pollen colour variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew H Koski
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA.,Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Andrea E Berardi
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Laura F Galloway
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
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48
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De Araujo FF, Oliveira R, Mota T, Stehmann JR, Schlindwein C. Solitary bee pollinators adjust pollen foraging to the unpredictable flower opening of a species of Petunia (Solanaceae). Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blz193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Details of the foraging patterns of solitary bees are much less well known than those of social species, and these patterns are often adjusted to exploit floral resources of one or only a few species. The specialized flower-visiting bees of Petunia are good models for investigating such foraging patterns. Here we analysed the floral biology and pollen presentation schedule of the endangered Petunia mantiqueirensis in mixed Araucaria forests of Serra da Mantiqueira, Brazil. Pollinators and their pollen foraging behaviour and food specialization were determined through analyses of scopa pollen loads. Flowers opened throughout the day and presented all their pollen resources within the first 30 min of anthesis, thus providing their pollen resources in an asynchronous fashion in one-flower packages throughout the day. Females of Pseudagapostemon fluminensis were the most frequent flower visitors, contacting stigmas in 96% of their visits, and were the unique effective pollinators of Petunia mantiqueirensis. These pollinators were responsible for the first three visits to 115 individually monitored flowers at any daylight hour, removing ~86% of a flower’s total pollen supply during the first visit. Although female bees harvest the majority of pollen resources of Petunia mantiqueirensis, analyses of scopa loads revealed that most of them also collect pollen from plants of other families while foraging for pollen in Petunia flowers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernanda Figueiredo De Araujo
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Conservação e Manejo da Vida Silvestre, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Reisla Oliveira
- Departamento de Genética, Ecologia e Evolução, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Theo Mota
- Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - João Renato Stehmann
- Departamento de Botânica, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Clemens Schlindwein
- Departamento de Botânica, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
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49
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Zhou ZL, Duan YW, Luo Y, Yang YP, Zhang ZQ. Cell number explains the intraspecific spur-length variation in an Aquilegia species. PLANT DIVERSITY 2019; 41:307-314. [PMID: 31934675 PMCID: PMC6951270 DOI: 10.1016/j.pld.2019.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2019] [Revised: 06/06/2019] [Accepted: 06/10/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Variations of nectar spur length allow pollinators to utilize resources in novel ways, leading to the different selective pressures on spurs and allowing taxa to diversify. However, the mechanisms underlying spur length variation remain unclear. Interspecific comparisons of spur length suggest that both cell division and anisotropic expansion could explain the changes of spur length, and that hormone-related genes contribute to the process of spur formation. In contrast, little is known about intraspecific spur length variation. In Aquilegia rockii, spur length varies strikingly, ranging from 1 mm to 18 mm. To examine the potential mechanisms underlying spur length variation in A. rockii, we observed cell morphology and analyzed RNA-seq of short- and long-spurred flowers. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that at two positions on spurs there were no differences in either cell density or cell anisotropy between short- and long-spurred flowers, suggesting that in A. rockii changes in cell number may explain variations in spur length. In addition, we screened transcriptomes of short- and long-spurred flowers for differentially expressed genes; this screen identified several genes linked to cell division (e.g., F-box, CDKB2-2, and LST8), a finding which is consistent with our analysis of the cellular morphology of spurs. However, we did not find any highly expressed genes involved in the hormone pathway in long-spurred flowers. In contrast to previous hypotheses that anisotropic cell expansion leads to interspecific spur variation in Aquilegia, our results suggest that cell number changes and related genes are mainly responsible for spur length variations of A. rockii. Furthermore, the underlying mechanisms of similar floral traits in morphology may be quite different, enriching our understanding of the mechanisms of flower diversity in angiosperms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi-Li Zhou
- Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research at Kunming, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yuan-Wen Duan
- Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research at Kunming, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China
| | - Yan Luo
- Gardening and Horticulture Department, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, 666303, China
| | - Yong-Ping Yang
- Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research at Kunming, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China
| | - Zhi-Qiang Zhang
- Laboratory of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, China
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50
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Backes A, Mäder G, Turchetto C, Segatto AL, Fregonezi JN, Bonatto SL, Freitas LB. How diverse can rare species be on the margins of genera distribution? AOB PLANTS 2019; 11:plz037. [PMID: 31391895 PMCID: PMC6677564 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plz037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2019] [Accepted: 07/08/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Different genetic patterns have been demonstrated for narrowly distributed taxa, many of them linking rarity to evolutionary history. Quite a few species in young genera are endemics and have several populations that present low variability, sometimes attributed to geographical isolation or dispersion processes. Assessing the genetic diversity and structure of such species may be important for protecting them and understanding their diversification history. In this study, we used microsatellite markers and plastid sequences to characterize the levels of genetic variation and population structure of two endemic and restricted species that grow in isolated areas on the margin of the distribution of their respective genera. Plastid and nuclear diversities were very low and weakly structured in their populations. Evolutionary scenarios for both species are compatible with open-field expansions during the Pleistocene interglacial periods and genetic variability supports founder effects to explain diversification. At present, both species are suffering from habitat loss and changes in the environment can lead these species towards extinction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Backes
- Laboratory of Molecular Evolution, Department of Genetics, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Geraldo Mäder
- Laboratory of Molecular Evolution, Department of Genetics, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Caroline Turchetto
- Laboratory of Molecular Evolution, Department of Genetics, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Ana Lúcia Segatto
- Laboratory of Molecular Evolution, Department of Genetics, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Jeferson N Fregonezi
- Laboratory of Molecular Evolution, Department of Genetics, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Sandro L Bonatto
- Escola de Ciências, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Loreta B Freitas
- Laboratory of Molecular Evolution, Department of Genetics, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
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