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Asar Y, Sauquet H, Ho SYW. Evaluating the Accuracy of Methods for Detecting Correlated Rates of Molecular and Morphological Evolution. Syst Biol 2023; 72:1337-1356. [PMID: 37695237 PMCID: PMC10924723 DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syad055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Determining the link between genomic and phenotypic change is a fundamental goal in evolutionary biology. Insights into this link can be gained by using a phylogenetic approach to test for correlations between rates of molecular and morphological evolution. However, there has been persistent uncertainty about the relationship between these rates, partly because conflicting results have been obtained using various methods that have not been examined in detail. We carried out a simulation study to evaluate the performance of 5 statistical methods for detecting correlated rates of evolution. Our simulations explored the evolution of molecular sequences and morphological characters under a range of conditions. Of the methods tested, Bayesian relaxed-clock estimation of branch rates was able to detect correlated rates of evolution correctly in the largest number of cases. This was followed by correlations of root-to-tip distances, Bayesian model selection, independent sister-pairs contrasts, and likelihood-based model selection. As expected, the power to detect correlated rates increased with the amount of data, both in terms of tree size and number of morphological characters. Likewise, greater among-lineage rate variation in the data led to improved performance of all 5 methods, particularly for Bayesian relaxed-clock analysis when the rate model was mismatched. We then applied these methods to a data set from flowering plants and did not find evidence of a correlation in evolutionary rates between genomic data and morphological characters. The results of our study have practical implications for phylogenetic analyses of combined molecular and morphological data sets, and highlight the conditions under which the links between genomic and phenotypic rates of evolution can be evaluated quantitatively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasmin Asar
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Hervé Sauquet
- National Herbarium of New South Wales (NSW), Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Simon Y W Ho
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
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2
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Herting J, Schönenberger J, Sauquet H. Profile of a flower: How rates of morphological evolution drive floral diversification in Ericales and angiosperms. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2023; 110:e16213. [PMID: 37459475 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.16213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Recent studies of floral disparity in the asterid order Ericales have shown that flowers vary strongly among families and that disparity is unequally distributed between the three flower modules (perianth, androecium, gynoecium). However, it remains unknown whether these patterns are driven by heterogeneous rates of morphological evolution or other factors. METHODS Here, we compiled a data set of 33 floral characters scored for 414 species of Ericales sampled from 346 genera and all 22 families. We conducted ancestral state reconstructions using an equal-rates Markov model for each character. We estimated rates of morphological evolution for Ericales and for a separate angiosperm-wide data set of 19 characters and 792 species, creating "rate profiles" for Ericales, angiosperms, and major angiosperm subclades. We compared morphological rates among flower modules within each data set separately and between data sets, and we compared rates among angiosperm subclades using the angiosperm data set. RESULTS The androecium exhibits the highest evolutionary rates across most characters, whereas most perianth and gynoecium characters evolve more slowly in both Ericales and angiosperms. Both high and low rates of morphological evolution can result in high floral disparity in Ericales. Analyses of an angiosperm-wide floral data set reveal that this pattern appears to be conserved across most major angiosperm clades. CONCLUSIONS Elevated rates of morphological evolution in the androecium of Ericales may explain the higher disparity reported for this floral module. Comparing rates of morphological evolution through rate profiles proves to be a powerful tool in understanding floral evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian Herting
- National Herbarium of New South Wales, Botanic Gardens Sydney, Locked Bag 6002, Mount Annan, NSW 2567, Australia
| | - Jürg Schönenberger
- Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research, University of Vienna, Rennweg 14, Vienna, A-1030, Austria
| | - Hervé Sauquet
- National Herbarium of New South Wales, Botanic Gardens Sydney, Locked Bag 6002, Mount Annan, NSW 2567, Australia
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
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3
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Wood-Bailey AP, Cox PG, Sharp AC. The evolution of unique cranial traits in leporid lagomorphs. PeerJ 2022; 10:e14414. [PMID: 36518283 PMCID: PMC9744148 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.14414] [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: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The leporid lagomorphs (rabbits and hares) are adapted to running and leaping (some more than others) and consequently have unique anatomical features that distinguish them from ochotonid lagomorphs (pikas) and from their rodent relatives. Two traits that have received some attention are fenestration of the lateral wall of the maxilla and facial tilting. These features are known to correlate with specialised locomotory form in that the faster running species will generally have fenestration that occupies the dorsal and the anteroventral surface of the maxillary corpus and a more acute facial tilt angle. Another feature is an intracranial joint that circumscribes the back of the skull, thought to facilitate skull mobility. This joint separates the anterior portion of the cranium (including the dentition, rostrum and orbit) from the posterior portion of the cranium (which encompasses the occipital and the auditory complex). Aside from the observation that the intracranial joint is absent in pikas (generalist locomotors) and appears more elaborate in genera with cursorial and saltatorial locomotory habits, the evolutionary history, biomechanical function and comparative anatomy of this feature in leporids lacks a comprehensive evaluation. Methodology The present work analysed the intracranial joint, facial tilting and lateral fenestration of the wall of the maxilla in the context of leporid evolutionary history using a Bayesian inference of phylogeny (18 genera, 23 species) and ancestral state reconstruction. These methods were used to gather information about the likelihood of the presence of these three traits in ancestral groups. Results Our phylogenetic analyses found it likely that the last common ancestor of living leporids had some facial tilting, but that the last common ancestor of all lagomorphs included in the dataset did not. We found that it was likely that the last common ancestor of living leporids had fenestration that occupies the dorsal, but not the anteroventral, surface of the maxillary corpus. We also found it likely that the last common ancestor of living leporids had an intracranial joint, but that the last common ancestor of all living lagomorphs did not. These findings provide a broader context to further studies of evolutionary history and will help inform the formulation and testing of functional hypotheses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amber P. Wood-Bailey
- Department of Musculoskeletal and Ageing Science, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, Merseyside, United Kingdom
| | - Philip G. Cox
- Department of Archaeology and Hull York Medical School, University of York, York, United Kingdom,Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Alana C. Sharp
- Department of Musculoskeletal and Ageing Science, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, Merseyside, United Kingdom
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Meseguer AS, Carrillo R, Graham SW, Sanmartín I. Macroevolutionary dynamics in the transition of angiosperms to aquatic environments. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2022; 235:344-355. [PMID: 35292979 PMCID: PMC9320795 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Angiosperm lineages in aquatic environments are characterized by high structural and functional diversity, and wide distributions. A long-standing evolutionary riddle is what processes have caused the relatively low diversity of aquatic angiosperms compared to their terrestrial relatives. We use diversification and ancestral reconstruction models with a comprehensive > 10 000 genus angiosperm phylogeny to elucidate the macroevolutionary dynamics associated with transitions of terrestrial plants to water. Our study reveals that net diversification rates are significantly lower in aquatic than in terrestrial angiosperms due to lower speciation and higher extinction. Shifts from land to water started early in angiosperm evolution, but most events were concentrated during the last c. 25 million years. Reversals to a terrestrial habitat started only 40 million years ago, but occurred at much higher rates. Within aquatic angiosperms, the estimated pattern is one of gradual accumulation of lineages, and relatively low and constant diversification rates throughout the Cenozoic. Low diversification rates, together with infrequent water transitions, account for the low diversity of aquatic angiosperms today. The stressful conditions and small global surface of the aquatic habitat available for angiosperms are hypothesized to explain this pattern.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rubén Carrillo
- Real Jardín Botánico de Madrid (RJB)CSIC28014MadridSpain
| | - Sean W. Graham
- Biodiversity Research CentreUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBCV6T 1Z4Canada
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Sinnott‐Armstrong MA, Deanna R, Pretz C, Liu S, Harris JC, Dunbar‐Wallis A, Smith SD, Wheeler LC. How to approach the study of syndromes in macroevolution and ecology. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8583. [PMID: 35342598 PMCID: PMC8928880 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Revised: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 12/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Syndromes, wherein multiple traits evolve convergently in response to a shared selective driver, form a central concept in ecology and evolution. Recent work has questioned the existence of some classic syndromes, such as pollination and seed dispersal syndromes. Here, we discuss some of the major issues that have afflicted research into syndromes in macroevolution and ecology. First, correlated evolution of traits and hypothesized selective drivers is often relied on as the only evidence for adaptation of those traits to those hypothesized drivers, without supporting evidence. Second, the selective driver is often inferred from a combination of traits without explicit testing. Third, researchers often measure traits that are easy for humans to observe rather than measuring traits that are suited to testing the hypothesis of adaptation. Finally, species are often chosen for study because of their striking phenotypes, which leads to the illusion of syndromes and divergence. We argue that these issues can be avoided by combining studies of trait variation across entire clades or communities with explicit tests of adaptive hypotheses and that taking this approach will lead to a better understanding of syndrome‐like evolution and its drivers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miranda A. Sinnott‐Armstrong
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Colorado‐Boulder Boulder Colorado USA
- Department of Chemistry University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
| | - Rocio Deanna
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Colorado‐Boulder Boulder Colorado USA
- Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal IMBIV (CONICET‐UNC) Córdoba Argentina
- Departamento de Ciencias Farmacéuticas Facultad de Ciencias Químicas (FCQ, UNC) Córdoba Argentina
| | - Chelsea Pretz
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Colorado‐Boulder Boulder Colorado USA
| | - Sukuan Liu
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Colorado‐Boulder Boulder Colorado USA
| | - Jesse C. Harris
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Colorado‐Boulder Boulder Colorado USA
| | - Amy Dunbar‐Wallis
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Colorado‐Boulder Boulder Colorado USA
| | - Stacey D. Smith
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Colorado‐Boulder Boulder Colorado USA
| | - Lucas C. Wheeler
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Colorado‐Boulder Boulder Colorado USA
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Baczyński J, Sauquet H, Spalik K. Exceptional evolutionary lability of flower-like inflorescences (pseudanthia) in Apiaceae subfamily Apioideae. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2022; 109:437-455. [PMID: 35112711 PMCID: PMC9310750 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Revised: 12/19/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Pseudanthia are widespread and have long been postulated to be a key innovation responsible for some of the angiosperm radiations. The aim of our study was to analyze macroevolutionary patterns of these flower-like inflorescences and their potential correlation with diversification rates in Apiaceae subfamily Apioideae. In particular, we were interested to investigate evolvability of pseudanthia and evaluate their potential association with changes in the size of floral display. METHODS The framework for our analyses consisted of a time-calibrated phylogeny of 1734 representatives of Apioideae and a morphological matrix of inflorescence traits encoded for 847 species. Macroevolutionary patterns in pseudanthia were inferred using Markov models of discrete character evolution and stochastic character mapping, and a principal component analysis was used to visualize correlations in inflorescence architecture. The interdependence between net diversification rates and the occurrence of pseudocorollas was analyzed with trait-independent and trait-dependent approaches. RESULTS Pseudanthia evolved in 10 major clades of Apioideae with at least 36 independent origins and 46 reversals. The morphospace analysis recovered differences in color and compactness between floral and hyperfloral pseudanthia. A correlation between pseudocorollas and size of inflorescence was also strongly supported. Contrary to our predictions, pseudanthia are not responsible for variation in diversification rates identified in this subfamily. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that pseudocorollas evolve as an answer to the trade-off between enlargement of floral display and costs associated with production of additional flowers. The high evolvability and architectural differences in apioid pseudanthia may be explained on the basis of adaptive wandering and evolutionary developmental biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakub Baczyński
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of BiologyUniversity of Warsaw Biological and Chemical Research CentreWarsawPoland
| | - Hervé Sauquet
- National Herbarium of New South Wales (NSW)Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain TrustSydneyNSW2000Australia
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental SciencesUniversity of New South WalesSydneyAustralia
| | - Krzysztof Spalik
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of BiologyUniversity of Warsaw Biological and Chemical Research CentreWarsawPoland
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Repeated evolution of a reproductive polyphenism in plants is strongly associated with bilateral flower symmetry. Curr Biol 2021; 31:1515-1520.e3. [PMID: 33539770 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2020] [Revised: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 01/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Polyphenisms are a special type of phenotypic plasticity in which the products of development are not continuous but instead are separate and distinct phenotypes produced in the same genetic background. One of the most widespread polyphenisms in the flowering plants is cleistogamy, in which the same individual plant produces both open, cross-pollinated flowers as well as highly reduced and closed, self-pollinated (cleistogamous) flowers.1-5 Cleistogamy is not a rare evolutionary phenomenon. It has evolved independently at least 41 times.1 But what favors the evolution of cleistogamy is still largely unknown.1 Darwin6 proposed a hypothesis that has never been properly tested. He observed that cleistogamy is more common in taxa with bilaterally symmetric (zygomorphic) flowers than in those with radially symmetric (actinomorphic) flowers. Moreover, Darwin suggested that cleistogamous flowers help to ensure pollination, which he postulated is less certain in zygomorphic taxa that rely on more specialized groups of pollinators. Here, we combined the largest datasets on floral symmetry and cleistogamy and used phylogenetic approaches to show that cleistogamy is indeed disproportionately associated with zygomorphic flowers and that zygomorphic species are more likely to evolve cleistogamy than actinomorphic species. We also show that zygomorphic species are less capable of autonomous open-flower self-pollination (lower autofertility), suggesting that selection of cleistogamy via reproductive assurance in zygomorphic taxa could help account for Darwin's observation. Our results provide support for the hypothesis that polyphenisms are favored when organisms encounter contrasting environments.
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Onstein RE. Darwin's second 'abominable mystery': trait flexibility as the innovation leading to angiosperm diversity. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2020; 228:1741-1747. [PMID: 31664713 DOI: 10.1111/nph.16294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2019] [Accepted: 10/14/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The fact that angiosperms are so species-rich and ecologically diverse - Darwin's second abominable mystery - could be explained by their ability to 'reinvent' themselves by evolving functional traits repeatedly over time, space and taxonomic clades. These trait innovations may facilitate adaptation and increase diversification rates. In this article, I quantify this 'trait flexibility' by reviewing the literature on trait transition rates and trait-dependent diversification rates in angiosperms and their extant sister clade, acrogymnosperms. I show that angiosperms indeed evolved elevated trait transition and trait-dependent diversification rates compared to gymnosperms, and rates are highest within species-rich angiosperm orders (e.g. Fabales, Lamiales). The (genetic) ability of certain angiosperm lineages to repeatedly evolve adaptive traits may have facilitated sustained high net diversification resulting from numerous episodic radiations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renske E Onstein
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5e, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
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Wessinger CA, Hileman LC. Parallelism in Flower Evolution and Development. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY EVOLUTION AND SYSTEMATICS 2020. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-011720-124511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Flower evolution is characterized by widespread repetition, with adaptations to pollinator environment evolving in parallel. Recent studies have expanded our understanding of the developmental basis of adaptive floral novelties—petal fusion, bilateral symmetry, heterostyly, and floral dimensions. In this article, we describe patterns of trait evolution and review developmental genetic mechanisms underlying floral novelties. We discuss the diversity of mechanisms for parallel adaptation, the evidence for constraints on these mechanisms, and how constraints help explain observed macroevolutionary patterns. We describe parallel evolution resulting from similarities at multiple hierarchical levels—genetic, developmental, morphological, functional—which indicate general principles in floral evolution, including the central role of hormone signaling. An emerging pattern is mutational bias that may contribute to rapid patterns of parallel evolution, especially if the derived trait can result from simple degenerative mutations. We argue that such mutational bias may be less likely to govern the evolution of novelties patterned by complex developmental pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolyn A. Wessinger
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina 29208, USA
| | - Lena C. Hileman
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66045, USA
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Schönenberger J, von Balthazar M, López Martínez A, Albert B, Prieu C, Magallón S, Sauquet H. Phylogenetic analysis of fossil flowers using an angiosperm-wide data set: proof-of-concept and challenges ahead. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2020; 107:1433-1448. [PMID: 33026116 PMCID: PMC7702048 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Accepted: 07/08/2020] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Significant paleobotanical discoveries in recent decades have considerably improved our understanding of the early evolution of angiosperms and their flowers. However, our ability to test the systematic placement of fossil flowers on the basis of phylogenetic analyses has remained limited, mainly due to the lack of an adequate, angiosperm-wide morphological data set for extant taxa. Earlier attempts to place fossil flowers phylogenetically were, therefore, forced to make prior qualitative assessments of the potential systematic position of fossils and to restrict phylogenetic analyses to selected angiosperm subgroups. METHODS We conduct angiosperm-wide molecular backbone analyses of 10 fossil flower taxa selected from the Cretaceous record. Our analyses make use of a floral trait data set built within the framework of the eFLOWER initiative. We provide an updated version of this data set containing data for 28 floral and two pollen traits for 792 extant species representing 372 angiosperm families. RESULTS We find that some fossils are placed congruently with earlier hypotheses while others are found in positions that had not been suggested previously. A few take up equivocal positions, including the stem branches of large clades. CONCLUSIONS Our study provides an objective approach to test for the phylogenetic position of fossil flowers across angiosperms. Such analyses may provide a complementary tool for paleobotanical studies, allowing for a more comprehensive understanding of fossil phylogenetic relationships in angiosperms. Ongoing work focused on extending the sampling of extant taxa and the number of floral traits will further improve the applicability and accuracy of our approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jürg Schönenberger
- Department of Botany and Biodiversity ResearchUniversity of ViennaRennweg 14ViennaA‐1030Austria
| | - Maria von Balthazar
- Department of Botany and Biodiversity ResearchUniversity of ViennaRennweg 14ViennaA‐1030Austria
| | - Andrea López Martínez
- Instituto de BiologíaUniversidad Nacional Autónoma de MéxicoCircuito Exterior, Ciudad Universitaria, CoyoacánMéxico City04510Mexico
| | - Béatrice Albert
- Ecologie Systématique EvolutionUniv. Paris‐SudCNRSAgroParisTechUniversité Paris‐SaclayOrsay91400France
| | - Charlotte Prieu
- Ecologie Systématique EvolutionUniv. Paris‐SudCNRSAgroParisTechUniversité Paris‐SaclayOrsay91400France
| | - Susana Magallón
- Instituto de BiologíaUniversidad Nacional Autónoma de MéxicoCircuito Exterior, Ciudad Universitaria, CoyoacánMéxico City04510Mexico
| | - Hervé Sauquet
- Ecologie Systématique EvolutionUniv. Paris‐SudCNRSAgroParisTechUniversité Paris‐SaclayOrsay91400France
- National Herbarium of New South Wales (NSW)Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain TrustSydneyNSW2000Australia
- Evolution and Ecology Research CentreSchool of Biological, Earth and Environmental SciencesUniversity of New South WalesSydneyAustralia
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Blank PN, Barnett AA, Ronnebaum TA, Alderfer KE, Gillott BN, Christianson DW, Himmelberger JA. Structural studies of geranylgeranylglyceryl phosphate synthase, a prenyltransferase found in thermophilic Euryarchaeota. Acta Crystallogr D Struct Biol 2020; 76:542-557. [PMID: 32496216 PMCID: PMC7271946 DOI: 10.1107/s2059798320004878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2019] [Accepted: 04/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Archaea are uniquely adapted to thrive in harsh environments, and one of these adaptations involves the archaeal membrane lipids, which are characterized by their isoprenoid alkyl chains connected via ether linkages to glycerol 1-phosphate. The membrane lipids of the thermophilic and acidophilic euryarchaeota Thermoplasma volcanium are exclusively glycerol dibiphytanyl glycerol tetraethers. The first committed step in the biosynthetic pathway of these archaeal lipids is the formation of the ether linkage between glycerol 1-phosphate and geranylgeranyl diphosphate, and is catalyzed by the enzyme geranylgeranylglyceryl phosphate synthase (GGGPS). The 1.72 Å resolution crystal structure of GGGPS from T. volcanium (TvGGGPS) in complex with glycerol and sulfate is reported here. The crystal structure reveals TvGGGPS to be a dimer, which is consistent with the absence of the aromatic anchor residue in helix α5a that is required for hexamerization in other GGGPS homologs; the hexameric quaternary structure in GGGPS is thought to provide thermostability. A phylogenetic analysis of the Euryarchaeota and a parallel ancestral state reconstruction investigated the relationship between optimal growth temperature and the ancestral sequences. The presence of an aromatic anchor residue is not explained by temperature as an ecological parameter. An examination of the active site of the TvGGGPS dimer revealed that it may be able to accommodate longer isoprenoid substrates, supporting an alternative pathway of isoprenoid membrane-lipid synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- P. N. Blank
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, 231 South 34th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - A. A. Barnett
- Department of Biology, DeSales University, 2755 Station Avenue, Center Valley, PA 18034, USA
| | - T. A. Ronnebaum
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, 231 South 34th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - K. E. Alderfer
- Department of Chemistry and Physics, DeSales University, 2755 Station Avenue, Center Valley, PA 18034, USA
| | - B. N. Gillott
- Department of Chemistry and Physics, DeSales University, 2755 Station Avenue, Center Valley, PA 18034, USA
| | - D. W. Christianson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, 231 South 34th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - J. A. Himmelberger
- Department of Chemistry and Physics, DeSales University, 2755 Station Avenue, Center Valley, PA 18034, USA
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12
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Holland BR, Ketelaar-Jones S, O'Mara AR, Woodhams MD, Jordan GJ. Accuracy of ancestral state reconstruction for non-neutral traits. Sci Rep 2020; 10:7644. [PMID: 32376845 PMCID: PMC7203120 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-64647-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2019] [Accepted: 04/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
The assumptions underpinning ancestral state reconstruction are violated in many evolutionary systems, especially for traits under directional selection. However, the accuracy of ancestral state reconstruction for non-neutral traits is poorly understood. To investigate the accuracy of ancestral state reconstruction methods, trees and binary characters were simulated under the BiSSE (Binary State Speciation and Extinction) model using a wide range of character-state-dependent rates of speciation, extinction and character-state transition. We used maximum parsimony (MP), BiSSE and two-state Markov (Mk2) models to reconstruct ancestral states. Under each method, error rates increased with node depth, true number of state transitions, and rates of state transition and extinction; exceeding 30% for the deepest 10% of nodes and highest rates of extinction and character-state transition. Where rates of character-state transition were asymmetrical, error rates were greater when the rate away from the ancestral state was largest. Preferential extinction of species with the ancestral character state also led to higher error rates. BiSSE outperformed Mk2 in all scenarios where either speciation or extinction was state dependent and outperformed MP under most conditions. MP outperformed Mk2 in most scenarios except when the rates of character-state transition and/or extinction were highly asymmetrical and the ancestral state was unfavoured.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara R Holland
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 55, Hobart, Tas, 7001, Australia.
| | - Saan Ketelaar-Jones
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 55, Hobart, Tas, 7001, Australia
| | - Aidan R O'Mara
- School of Health Sciences, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 121, Hobart, Tas, 7001, Australia
| | - Michael D Woodhams
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 55, Hobart, Tas, 7001, Australia
| | - Gregory J Jordan
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 55, Hobart, Tas, 7001, Australia
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Davis WJ, Amses KR, Benny GL, Carter-House D, Chang Y, Grigoriev I, Smith ME, Spatafora JW, Stajich JE, James TY. Genome-scale phylogenetics reveals a monophyletic Zoopagales (Zoopagomycota, Fungi). Mol Phylogenet Evol 2019; 133:152-163. [PMID: 30639767 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2019.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2018] [Revised: 12/25/2018] [Accepted: 01/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Previous genome-scale phylogenetic analyses of Fungi have under sampled taxa from Zoopagales; this order contains many predacious or parasitic genera, and most have never been grown in pure culture. We sequenced the genomes of 4 zoopagalean taxa that are predators of amoebae, nematodes, or rotifers and the genome of one taxon that is a parasite of amoebae using single cell sequencing methods with whole genome amplification. Each genome was a metagenome, which was assembled and binned using multiple techniques to identify the target genomes. We inferred phylogenies with both super matrix and coalescent approaches using 192 conserved proteins mined from the target genomes and performed ancestral state reconstructions to determine the ancestral trophic lifestyle of the clade. Our results indicate that Zoopagales is monophyletic. Ancestral state reconstructions provide moderate support for mycoparasitism being the ancestral state of the clade.
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Affiliation(s)
- William J Davis
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Kevin R Amses
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Gerald L Benny
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Derreck Carter-House
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of California-Riverside, United States
| | - Ying Chang
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States
| | - Igor Grigoriev
- United States of America Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, CA, United States
| | - Matthew E Smith
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Joseph W Spatafora
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States
| | - Jason E Stajich
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of California-Riverside, United States
| | - Timothy Y James
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.
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