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Sotelo G, Gamboa S, Dunning LT, Christin PA, Varela S. C 4 photosynthesis provided an immediate demographic advantage to populations of the grass Alloteropsis semialata. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2024; 242:774-785. [PMID: 38389217 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19606] [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: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
C4 photosynthesis is a key innovation in land plant evolution, but its immediate effects on population demography are unclear. We explore the early impact of the C4 trait on the trajectories of C4 and non-C4 populations of the grass Alloteropsis semialata. We combine niche models projected into paleoclimate layers for the last 5 million years with demographic models based on genomic data. The initial split between C4 and non-C4 populations was followed by a larger expansion of the ancestral C4 population, and further diversification led to the unparalleled expansion of descendant C4 populations. Overall, C4 populations spread over three continents and achieved the highest population growth, in agreement with a broader climatic niche that rendered a large potential range over time. The C4 populations that remained in the region of origin, however, experienced lower population growth, rather consistent with local geographic constraints. Moreover, the posterior transfer of some C4-related characters to non-C4 counterparts might have facilitated the recent expansion of non-C4 populations in the region of origin. Altogether, our findings support that C4 photosynthesis provided an immediate demographic advantage to A. semialata populations, but its effect might be masked by geographic contingencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Graciela Sotelo
- Universidade de Vigo, Departamento de Ecoloxía e Bioloxía Animal, 36310, Vigo, Spain
| | - Sara Gamboa
- Universidade de Vigo, Departamento de Ecoloxía e Bioloxía Animal, 36310, Vigo, Spain
- Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Luke T Dunning
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, S10 2TN, Sheffield, UK
| | - Pascal-Antoine Christin
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, S10 2TN, Sheffield, UK
| | - Sara Varela
- Universidade de Vigo, Departamento de Ecoloxía e Bioloxía Animal, 36310, Vigo, Spain
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2
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Busch FA, Ainsworth EA, Amtmann A, Cavanagh AP, Driever SM, Ferguson JN, Kromdijk J, Lawson T, Leakey ADB, Matthews JSA, Meacham-Hensold K, Vath RL, Vialet-Chabrand S, Walker BJ, Papanatsiou M. A guide to photosynthetic gas exchange measurements: Fundamental principles, best practice and potential pitfalls. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2024. [PMID: 38321805 DOI: 10.1111/pce.14815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
Gas exchange measurements enable mechanistic insights into the processes that underpin carbon and water fluxes in plant leaves which in turn inform understanding of related processes at a range of scales from individual cells to entire ecosytems. Given the importance of photosynthesis for the global climate discussion it is important to (a) foster a basic understanding of the fundamental principles underpinning the experimental methods used by the broad community, and (b) ensure best practice and correct data interpretation within the research community. In this review, we outline the biochemical and biophysical parameters of photosynthesis that can be investigated with gas exchange measurements and we provide step-by-step guidance on how to reliably measure them. We advise on best practices for using gas exchange equipment and highlight potential pitfalls in experimental design and data interpretation. The Supporting Information contains exemplary data sets, experimental protocols and data-modelling routines. This review is a community effort to equip both the experimental researcher and the data modeller with a solid understanding of the theoretical basis of gas-exchange measurements, the rationale behind different experimental protocols and the approaches to data interpretation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian A Busch
- School of Biosciences and Birmingham Institute of Forest Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Captial Territory, Australia
| | | | - Anna Amtmann
- School of Molecular Biosciences, College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Amanda P Cavanagh
- School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester, UK
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Steven M Driever
- Centre for Crop Systems Analysis, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - John N Ferguson
- School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester, UK
| | - Johannes Kromdijk
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, USA
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Tracy Lawson
- School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester, UK
| | - Andrew D B Leakey
- Departments of Plant Biology and Crop Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | | | | | - Richard L Vath
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- LI-COR Environmental, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
| | - Silvere Vialet-Chabrand
- Department of Plant Sciences, Horticulture and Product Physiology, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Berkley J Walker
- Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Maria Papanatsiou
- School of Molecular Biosciences, College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
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3
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Heyduk K, McAssey EV, Field R, Leebens-Mack J. The Agavoideae: an emergent model clade for CAM evolutionary biology. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2023; 132:727-737. [PMID: 37191440 PMCID: PMC10799990 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcad062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Revised: 04/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Crassulacean acid metabolism - or CAM photosynthesis - was described in the early to mid-20th century, and our understanding of this metabolic pathway was later expanded upon through detailed biochemical analyses of carbon balance. Soon after, scientists began to study the ecophysiological implications of CAM, and a large part of this early work was conducted in the genus Agave, in the subfamily Agavoideae of the family Asparagaceae. Today, the Agavoideae continues to be important for the study of CAM photosynthesis, from the ecophysiology of CAM species, to the evolution of the CAM phenotype and to the genomics underlying CAM traits. Here we review past and current work on CAM in the Agavoideae, in particular highlighting the work of Park Nobel in Agave, and focusing on the powerful comparative system the Agavoideae has become for studying the origins of CAM. We also highlight new genomics research and the potential for studying intraspecific variation within species of the Agavoideae, particularly species in the genus Yucca. The Agavoideae has served as an important model clade for CAM research for decades, and undoubtedly will continue to help push our understanding of CAM biology and evolution in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karolina Heyduk
- School of Life Sciences, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | - Edward V McAssey
- School of Life Sciences, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | - Richard Field
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Jim Leebens-Mack
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
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4
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Pereira L, Bianconi ME, Osborne CP, Christin PA, Dunning LT. Alloteropsis semialata as a study system for C4 evolution in grasses. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2023; 132:365-382. [PMID: 37422712 PMCID: PMC10667010 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcad078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Numerous groups of plants have adapted to CO2 limitations by independently evolving C4 photosynthesis. This trait relies on concerted changes in anatomy and biochemistry to concentrate CO2 within the leaf and thereby boost productivity in tropical conditions. The ecological and economic importance of C4 photosynthesis has motivated intense research, often relying on comparisons between distantly related C4 and non-C4 plants. The photosynthetic type is fixed in most species, with the notable exception of the grass Alloteropsis semialata. This species includes populations exhibiting the ancestral C3 state in southern Africa, intermediate populations in the Zambezian region and C4 populations spread around the palaeotropics. SCOPE We compile here the knowledge on the distribution and evolutionary history of the Alloteropsis genus as a whole and discuss how this has furthered our understanding of C4 evolution. We then present a chromosome-level reference genome for a C3 individual and compare the genomic architecture with that of a C4 accession of A. semialata. CONCLUSIONS Alloteropsis semialata is one of the best systems in which to investigate the evolution of C4 photosynthesis because the genetic and phenotypic variation provides a fertile ground for comparative and population-level studies. Preliminary comparative genomic investigations show that the C3 and C4 genomes are highly syntenic and have undergone a modest amount of gene duplication and translocation since the different photosynthetic groups diverged. The background knowledge and publicly available genomic resources make A. semialata a great model for further comparative analyses of photosynthetic diversification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara Pereira
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN,UK
| | - Matheus E Bianconi
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN,UK
| | - Colin P Osborne
- Plants, Photosynthesis and Soil, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Pascal-Antoine Christin
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN,UK
| | - Luke T Dunning
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN,UK
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5
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Schlüter U, Bouvier JW, Guerreiro R, Malisic M, Kontny C, Westhoff P, Stich B, Weber APM. Brassicaceae display variation in efficiency of photorespiratory carbon-recapturing mechanisms. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2023; 74:6631-6649. [PMID: 37392176 PMCID: PMC10662225 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erad250] [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: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/03/2023]
Abstract
Carbon-concentrating mechanisms enhance the carboxylase efficiency of Rubisco by providing supra-atmospheric concentrations of CO2 in its surroundings. Beside the C4 photosynthesis pathway, carbon concentration can also be achieved by the photorespiratory glycine shuttle which requires fewer and less complex modifications. Plants displaying CO2 compensation points between 10 ppm and 40 ppm are often considered to utilize such a photorespiratory shuttle and are termed 'C3-C4 intermediates'. In the present study, we perform a physiological, biochemical, and anatomical survey of a large number of Brassicaceae species to better understand the C3-C4 intermediate phenotype, including its basic components and its plasticity. Our phylogenetic analysis suggested that C3-C4 metabolism evolved up to five times independently in the Brassicaceae. The efficiency of the pathway showed considerable variation. Centripetal accumulation of organelles in the bundle sheath was consistently observed in all C3-C4-classified taxa, indicating a crucial role for anatomical features in CO2-concentrating pathways. Leaf metabolite patterns were strongly influenced by the individual species, but accumulation of photorespiratory shuttle metabolites glycine and serine was generally observed. Analysis of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase activities suggested that C4-like shuttles have not evolved in the investigated Brassicaceae. Convergent evolution of the photorespiratory shuttle indicates that it represents a distinct photosynthesis type that is beneficial in some environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Urte Schlüter
- Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Cluster of Excellence for Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), Heinrich Heine University, Universitätsstr. 1, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Jacques W Bouvier
- Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Cluster of Excellence for Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), Heinrich Heine University, Universitätsstr. 1, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Ricardo Guerreiro
- Institute for Quantitative Genetics and Genomics of Plants, Cluster of Excellence for Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), Heinrich Heine University, Universitätsstr. 1, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Milena Malisic
- Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Cluster of Excellence for Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), Heinrich Heine University, Universitätsstr. 1, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Carina Kontny
- Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Cluster of Excellence for Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), Heinrich Heine University, Universitätsstr. 1, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Philipp Westhoff
- Metabolomics and Metabolism Laboratory, Cluster of Excellence for Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), Heinrich Heine University, Universitätsstr. 1, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Benjamin Stich
- Institute for Quantitative Genetics and Genomics of Plants, Cluster of Excellence for Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), Heinrich Heine University, Universitätsstr. 1, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Andreas P M Weber
- Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Cluster of Excellence for Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), Heinrich Heine University, Universitätsstr. 1, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
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6
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Simpson CJC, Singh P, Sogbohossou DEO, Eric Schranz M, Hibberd JM. A rapid method to quantify vein density in C 4 plants using starch staining. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2023; 46:2928-2938. [PMID: 37350263 PMCID: PMC10947256 DOI: 10.1111/pce.14656] [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: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
C4 photosynthesis has evolved multiple times in the angiosperms and typically involves alterations to the biochemistry, cell biology and development of leaves. One common modification found in C4 plants compared with the ancestral C3 state is an increase in vein density such that the leaf contains a larger proportion of bundle sheath cells. Recent findings indicate that there may be significant intraspecific variation in traits such as vein density in C4 plants but to use such natural variation for trait-mapping, rapid phenotyping would be required. Here we report a high-throughput method to quantify vein density that leverages the bundle sheath-specific accumulation of starch found in C4 species. Starch staining allowed high-contrast images to be acquired permitting image analysis with MATLAB- and Python-based programmes. The method works for dicotyledons and monocotolydons. We applied this method to Gynandropsis gynandra where significant variation in vein density was detected between natural accessions, and Zea mays where no variation was apparent in the genotypically diverse lines assessed. We anticipate this approach will be useful to map genes controlling vein density in C4 species demonstrating natural variation for this trait.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Pallavi Singh
- Department of Plant SciencesUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | | | - M. Eric Schranz
- Biosystematics GroupWageningen UniversityWageningenThe Netherlands
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7
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Wang S, Epron D, Kobayashi K, Takanashi S, Dannoura M. Sources of carbon supporting the fast growth of developing immature moso bamboo ( Phyllostachys edulis) culms: inference from carbon isotopes and anatomy. AOB PLANTS 2023; 15:plad046. [PMID: 37497441 PMCID: PMC10368343 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plad046] [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: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
Phyllostachys edulis is a spectacularly fast-growing species that completes its height growth within 2 months after the shoot emerges without producing leaves (fast-growing period, FGP). This phase was considered heterotrophic, with the carbon necessary for the growth being transferred from the mature culms via the rhizomes, although previous studies observed key enzymes and anatomical features related to C4-carbon fixation in developing culms. We tested whether C4-photosynthesis or dark-CO2 fixation through anaplerotic reactions significantly contributes to the FGP, resulting in differences in the natural abundance of δ13C in bulk organic matter and organic compounds. Further, pulse-13CO2-labelling was performed on developing culms, either from the surface or from the internal hollow, to ascertain whether significant CO2 fixation occurs in developing culms. δ13C of young shoots and developing culms were higher (-26.3 to -26.9 ‰) compared to all organs of mature bamboos (-28.4 to -30.1 ‰). Developing culms contained chlorophylls, most observed in the skin tissues. After pulse-13CO2-labelling, the polar fraction extracted from the skin tissues was slightly enriched in 13C, and only a weak 13C enrichment was observed in inner tissues. Main carbon source sustaining the FGP was not assimilated by the developing culm, while a limited anaplerotic fixation of respired CO2 cannot be excluded and is more likely than C4-photosynthetic carbon fixation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Daniel Epron
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa Oiwake-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Keito Kobayashi
- Kansai Research Centre, Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, 68 Momoyamacho Nagaikyutaro, Fushimi-ku, Kyoto 612-0855, Japan
| | - Satoru Takanashi
- Kansai Research Centre, Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, 68 Momoyamacho Nagaikyutaro, Fushimi-ku, Kyoto 612-0855, Japan
| | - Masako Dannoura
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa Oiwake-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
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8
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Alenazi AS, Bianconi ME, Middlemiss E, Milenkovic V, Curran EV, Sotelo G, Lundgren MR, Nyirenda F, Pereira L, Christin PA, Dunning LT, Osborne CP. Leaf anatomy explains the strength of C 4 activity within the grass species Alloteropsis semialata. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2023. [PMID: 37184423 DOI: 10.1111/pce.14607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2022] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
C4 photosynthesis results from anatomical and biochemical characteristics that together concentrate CO2 around ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco), increasing productivity in warm conditions. This complex trait evolved through the gradual accumulation of components, and particular species possess only some of these, resulting in weak C4 activity. The consequences of adding C4 components have been modelled and investigated through comparative approaches, but the intraspecific dynamics responsible for strengthening the C4 pathway remain largely unexplored. Here, we evaluate the link between anatomical variation and C4 activity, focusing on populations of the photosynthetically diverse grass Alloteropsis semialata that fix various proportions of carbon via the C4 cycle. The carbon isotope ratios in these populations range from values typical of C3 to those typical of C4 plants. This variation is statistically explained by a combination of leaf anatomical traits linked to the preponderance of bundle sheath tissue. We hypothesize that increased investment in bundle sheath boosts the strength of the intercellular C4 pump and shifts the balance of carbon acquisition towards the C4 cycle. Carbon isotope ratios indicating a stronger C4 pathway are associated with warmer, drier environments, suggesting that incremental anatomical alterations can lead to the emergence of C4 physiology during local adaptation within metapopulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed S Alenazi
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Border University, Arar, Saudi Arabia
| | - Matheus E Bianconi
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Ella Middlemiss
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Vanja Milenkovic
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Emma V Curran
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Graciela Sotelo
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Marjorie R Lundgren
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Florence Nyirenda
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Lara Pereira
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Pascal-Antoine Christin
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Luke T Dunning
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Colin P Osborne
- Plants, Photosynthesis and Soil, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
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9
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Amy Lyu MJ, Tang Q, Wang Y, Essemine J, Chen F, Ni X, Chen G, Zhu XG. Evolution of gene regulatory network of C 4 photosynthesis in the genus Flaveria reveals the evolutionary status of C 3-C 4 intermediate species. PLANT COMMUNICATIONS 2023; 4:100426. [PMID: 35986514 PMCID: PMC9860191 DOI: 10.1016/j.xplc.2022.100426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Revised: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
C4 photosynthesis evolved from ancestral C3 photosynthesis by recruiting pre-existing genes to fulfill new functions. The enzymes and transporters required for the C4 metabolic pathway have been intensively studied and well documented; however, the transcription factors (TFs) that regulate these C4 metabolic genes are not yet well understood. In particular, how the TF regulatory network of C4 metabolic genes was rewired during the evolutionary process is unclear. Here, we constructed gene regulatory networks (GRNs) for four closely evolutionarily related species from the genus Flaveria, which represent four different evolutionary stages of C4 photosynthesis: C3 (F. robusta), type I C3-C4 (F. sonorensis), type II C3-C4 (F. ramosissima), and C4 (F. trinervia). Our results show that more than half of the co-regulatory relationships between TFs and core C4 metabolic genes are species specific. The counterparts of the C4 genes in C3 species were already co-regulated with photosynthesis-related genes, whereas the required TFs for C4 photosynthesis were recruited later. The TFs involved in C4 photosynthesis were widely recruited in the type I C3-C4 species; nevertheless, type II C3-C4 species showed a divergent GRN from C4 species. In line with these findings, a 13CO2 pulse-labeling experiment showed that the CO2 initially fixed into C4 acid was not directly released to the Calvin-Benson-Bassham cycle in the type II C3-C4 species. Therefore, our study uncovered dynamic changes in C4 genes and TF co-regulation during the evolutionary process; furthermore, we showed that the metabolic pathway of the type II C3-C4 species F. ramosissima represents an alternative evolutionary solution to the ammonia imbalance in C3-C4 intermediate species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming-Ju Amy Lyu
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiming Tang
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
| | - Yanjie Wang
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
| | - Jemaa Essemine
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Faming Chen
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoxiang Ni
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
| | - Genyun Chen
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Xin-Guang Zhu
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
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10
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Simpson CJC, Reeves G, Tripathi A, Singh P, Hibberd JM. Using breeding and quantitative genetics to understand the C4 pathway. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2022; 73:3072-3084. [PMID: 34747993 PMCID: PMC9126733 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erab486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Reducing photorespiration in C3 crops could significantly increase rates of photosynthesis and yield. One method to achieve this would be to integrate C4 photosynthesis into C3 species. This objective is challenging as it involves engineering incompletely understood traits into C3 leaves, including complex changes to their biochemistry, cell biology, and anatomy. Quantitative genetics and selective breeding offer underexplored routes to identify regulators of these processes. We first review examples of natural intraspecific variation in C4 photosynthesis as well as the potential for hybridization between C3 and C4 species. We then discuss how quantitative genetic approaches including artificial selection and genome-wide association could be used to better understand the C4 syndrome and in so doing guide the engineering of the C4 pathway into C3 crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conor J C Simpson
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Gregory Reeves
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Anoop Tripathi
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Pallavi Singh
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Julian M Hibberd
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Correspondence:
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11
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Bianconi ME, Sotelo G, Curran EV, Milenkovic V, Samaritani E, Dunning LT, Bertolino LT, Osborne CP, Christin PA. Upregulation of C 4 characteristics does not consistently improve photosynthetic performance in intraspecific hybrids of a grass. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2022. [PMID: 35201618 DOI: 10.1101/2021.08.10.455822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
C4 photosynthesis is thought to have evolved via intermediate stages, with changes towards the C4 phenotype gradually enhancing photosynthetic performance. This hypothesis is widely supported by modelling studies, but experimental tests are missing. Mixing of C4 components to generate artificial intermediates can be achieved via crossing, and the grass Alloteropsis semialata represents an outstanding study system since it includes C4 and non-C4 populations. Here, we analyse F1 hybrids between C3 and C4 , and C3 +C4 and C4 genotypes to determine whether the acquisition of C4 characteristics increases photosynthetic performance. The hybrids have leaf anatomical characters and C4 gene expression profiles that are largely intermediate between those of their parents. Carbon isotope ratios are similarly intermediate, which suggests that a partial C4 cycle coexists with C3 carbon fixation in the hybrids. This partial C4 phenotype is associated with C4 -like photosynthetic efficiency in C3 +C4 × C4 , but not in C3 × C4 hybrids, which are overall less efficient than both parents. Our results support the hypothesis that the photosynthetic gains from the upregulation of C4 characteristics depend on coordinated changes in anatomy and biochemistry. The order of acquisition of C4 components is thus constrained, with C3 +C4 species providing an essential step for C4 evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matheus E Bianconi
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK
| | - Graciela Sotelo
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK
| | - Emma V Curran
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK
| | - Vanja Milenkovic
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK
| | - Emanuela Samaritani
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK
| | - Luke T Dunning
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK
| | - Lígia T Bertolino
- Plants, Photosynthesis and Soil, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK
| | - Colin P Osborne
- Plants, Photosynthesis and Soil, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK
| | - Pascal-Antoine Christin
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK
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12
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Bianconi ME, Sotelo G, Curran EV, Milenkovic V, Samaritani E, Dunning LT, Bertolino LT, Osborne CP, Christin P. Upregulation of C 4 characteristics does not consistently improve photosynthetic performance in intraspecific hybrids of a grass. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2022; 45:1398-1411. [PMID: 35201618 PMCID: PMC9314825 DOI: 10.1111/pce.14301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Revised: 11/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/21/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
C4 photosynthesis is thought to have evolved via intermediate stages, with changes towards the C4 phenotype gradually enhancing photosynthetic performance. This hypothesis is widely supported by modelling studies, but experimental tests are missing. Mixing of C4 components to generate artificial intermediates can be achieved via crossing, and the grass Alloteropsis semialata represents an outstanding study system since it includes C4 and non-C4 populations. Here, we analyse F1 hybrids between C3 and C4 , and C3 +C4 and C4 genotypes to determine whether the acquisition of C4 characteristics increases photosynthetic performance. The hybrids have leaf anatomical characters and C4 gene expression profiles that are largely intermediate between those of their parents. Carbon isotope ratios are similarly intermediate, which suggests that a partial C4 cycle coexists with C3 carbon fixation in the hybrids. This partial C4 phenotype is associated with C4 -like photosynthetic efficiency in C3 +C4 × C4 , but not in C3 × C4 hybrids, which are overall less efficient than both parents. Our results support the hypothesis that the photosynthetic gains from the upregulation of C4 characteristics depend on coordinated changes in anatomy and biochemistry. The order of acquisition of C4 components is thus constrained, with C3 +C4 species providing an essential step for C4 evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matheus E. Bianconi
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of BiosciencesUniversity of SheffieldWestern BankSheffieldUK
| | - Graciela Sotelo
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of BiosciencesUniversity of SheffieldWestern BankSheffieldUK
| | - Emma V. Curran
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of BiosciencesUniversity of SheffieldWestern BankSheffieldUK
| | - Vanja Milenkovic
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of BiosciencesUniversity of SheffieldWestern BankSheffieldUK
| | - Emanuela Samaritani
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of BiosciencesUniversity of SheffieldWestern BankSheffieldUK
| | - Luke T. Dunning
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of BiosciencesUniversity of SheffieldWestern BankSheffieldUK
| | - Lígia T. Bertolino
- Plants, Photosynthesis and Soil, School of BiosciencesUniversity of SheffieldWestern BankSheffieldUK
| | - Colin P. Osborne
- Plants, Photosynthesis and Soil, School of BiosciencesUniversity of SheffieldWestern BankSheffieldUK
| | - Pascal‐Antoine Christin
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of BiosciencesUniversity of SheffieldWestern BankSheffieldUK
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13
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Huang W, Zhang L, Columbus JT, Hu Y, Zhao Y, Tang L, Guo Z, Chen W, McKain M, Bartlett M, Huang CH, Li DZ, Ge S, Ma H. A well-supported nuclear phylogeny of Poaceae and implications for the evolution of C 4 photosynthesis. MOLECULAR PLANT 2022; 15:755-777. [PMID: 35093593 DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2022.01.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Revised: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Poaceae (the grasses) includes rice, maize, wheat, and other crops, and is the most economically important angiosperm family. Poaceae is also one of the largest plant families, consisting of over 11 000 species with a global distribution that contributes to diverse ecosystems. Poaceae species are classified into 12 subfamilies, with generally strong phylogenetic support for their monophyly. However, many relationships within subfamilies, among tribes and/or subtribes, remain uncertain. To better resolve the Poaceae phylogeny, we generated 342 transcriptomic and seven genomic datasets; these were combined with other genomic and transcriptomic datasets to provide sequences for 357 Poaceae species in 231 genera, representing 45 tribes and all 12 subfamilies. Over 1200 low-copy nuclear genes were retrieved from these datasets, with several subsets obtained using additional criteria, and used for coalescent analyses to reconstruct a Poaceae phylogeny. Our results strongly support the monophyly of 11 subfamilies; however, the subfamily Puelioideae was separated into two non-sister clades, one for each of the two previously defined tribes, supporting a hypothesis that places each tribe in a separate subfamily. Molecular clock analyses estimated the crown age of Poaceae to be ∼101 million years old. Ancestral character reconstruction of C3/C4 photosynthesis supports the hypothesis of multiple independent origins of C4 photosynthesis. These origins are further supported by phylogenetic analysis of the ppc gene family that encodes the phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase, which suggests that members of three paralogous subclades (ppc-aL1a, ppc-aL1b, and ppc-B2) were recruited as functional C4ppc genes. This study provides valuable resources and a robust phylogenetic framework for evolutionary analyses of the grass family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weichen Huang
- Department of Biology, 510 Mueller Laboratory, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, State College, PA 16802, USA
| | - Lin Zhang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering and State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Institute of Biodiversity Sciences and Institute of Plant Biology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, 2005 Songhu Road, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - J Travis Columbus
- Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden and Claremont Graduate University, 1500 North College Avenue, Claremont, CA 91711, USA
| | - Yi Hu
- Department of Biology, 510 Mueller Laboratory, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, State College, PA 16802, USA
| | - Yiyong Zhao
- Department of Biology, 510 Mueller Laboratory, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, State College, PA 16802, USA; Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering and State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Institute of Biodiversity Sciences and Institute of Plant Biology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, 2005 Songhu Road, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Lin Tang
- Department of Biology, 510 Mueller Laboratory, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, State College, PA 16802, USA; College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - Zhenhua Guo
- Plant Germplasm and Genomics Center, Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650201 China
| | - Wenli Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
| | - Michael McKain
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, 411 Mary Harmon Bryant Hall, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, USA
| | - Madelaine Bartlett
- Biology Department, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 611 North Pleasant Street, 221 Morrill 3, Amherst, MA 01003 USA
| | - Chien-Hsun Huang
- Department of Biology, 510 Mueller Laboratory, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, State College, PA 16802, USA; Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering and State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Institute of Biodiversity Sciences and Institute of Plant Biology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, 2005 Songhu Road, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - De-Zhu Li
- Plant Germplasm and Genomics Center, Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650201 China
| | - Song Ge
- State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
| | - Hong Ma
- Department of Biology, 510 Mueller Laboratory, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, State College, PA 16802, USA.
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14
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Oono J, Hatakeyama Y, Yabiku T, Ueno O. Effects of growth temperature and nitrogen nutrition on expression of C 3-C 4 intermediate traits in Chenopodium album. JOURNAL OF PLANT RESEARCH 2022; 135:15-27. [PMID: 34519912 DOI: 10.1007/s10265-021-01346-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Proto-Kranz plants represent an initial phase in the evolution from C3 to C3-C4 intermediate to C4 plants. The ecological and adaptive aspects of C3-C4 plants would provide an important clue to understand the evolution of C3-C4 plants. We investigated whether growth temperature and nitrogen (N) nutrition influence the expression of C3-C4 traits in Chenopodium album (proto-Kranz) in comparison with Chenopodium quinoa (C3). Plants were grown during 5 weeks at 20 or 30 °C under standard or low N supply levels (referred to as 20SN, 20LN, 30SN, and 30LN). Net photosynthetic rate and leaf N content were higher in 20SN and 30SN plants than in 20LN and 30LN plants of C. album but did not differ among growth conditions in C. quinoa. The CO2 compensation point (Γ) of C. album was lowest in 30LN plants (36 µmol mol-1), highest in 20SN plants (51 µmol mol-1), and intermediate in 20LN and 30SN plants, whereas Γ of C. quinoa did not differ among the growth conditions (51-52 µmol mol-1). The anatomical structure of leaves was not considerably affected by growth conditions in either species. However, ultrastructural observations in C. album showed that the number of mitochondria per mesophyll or bundle sheath (BS) cell was lower in 20LN and 30LN plants than in 20SN and 30SN plants. Immunohistochemical observations revealed that lower accumulation level of P-protein of glycine decarboxylase (GDC-P) in mesophyll mitochondria than in BS mitochondria is the major factor causing the decrease in Γ values in C. album plants grown under low N supply and high temperature. These results suggest that high growth temperature and low N supply lead to the expression of C3-C4 traits (the reduction of Γ) in the proto-Kranz plants of C. album through the regulation of GDC-P expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jemin Oono
- Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University, Motooka 744, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan
| | - Yuto Hatakeyama
- Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University, Motooka 744, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan
| | - Takayuki Yabiku
- Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University, Motooka 744, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan
| | - Osamu Ueno
- Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, Motooka 744, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan.
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15
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Johnson JE, Field CB, Berry JA. The limiting factors and regulatory processes that control the environmental responses of C 3, C 3-C 4 intermediate, and C 4 photosynthesis. Oecologia 2021; 197:841-866. [PMID: 34714387 PMCID: PMC8591018 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-021-05062-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Accepted: 10/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Here, we describe a model of C3, C3-C4 intermediate, and C4 photosynthesis that is designed to facilitate quantitative analysis of physiological measurements. The model relates the factors limiting electron transport and carbon metabolism, the regulatory processes that coordinate these metabolic domains, and the responses to light, carbon dioxide, and temperature. It has three unique features. First, mechanistic expressions describe how the cytochrome b6f complex controls electron transport in mesophyll and bundle sheath chloroplasts. Second, the coupling between the mesophyll and bundle sheath expressions represents how feedback regulation of Cyt b6f coordinates electron transport and carbon metabolism. Third, the temperature sensitivity of Cyt b6f is differentiated from that of the coupling between NADPH, Fd, and ATP production. Using this model, we present simulations demonstrating that the light dependence of the carbon dioxide compensation point in C3-C4 leaves can be explained by co-occurrence of light saturation in the mesophyll and light limitation in the bundle sheath. We also present inversions demonstrating that population-level variation in the carbon dioxide compensation point in a Type I C3-C4 plant, Flaveria chloraefolia, can be explained by variable allocation of photosynthetic capacity to the bundle sheath. These results suggest that Type I C3-C4 intermediate plants adjust pigment and protein distributions to optimize the glycine shuttle under different light and temperature regimes, and that the malate and aspartate shuttles may have originally functioned to smooth out the energy supply and demand associated with the glycine shuttle. This model has a wide range of potential applications to physiological, ecological, and evolutionary questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer E Johnson
- Department of Global Ecology, Carnegie Institution for Science, 260 Panama Street, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
| | - Christopher B Field
- Department of Global Ecology, Carnegie Institution for Science, 260 Panama Street, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.,Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment, Stanford University, 473 Via Ortega, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Joseph A Berry
- Department of Global Ecology, Carnegie Institution for Science, 260 Panama Street, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
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16
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Cui H. Challenges and Approaches to Crop Improvement Through C3-to-C4 Engineering. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:715391. [PMID: 34594351 PMCID: PMC8476962 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.715391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
With a rapidly growing world population and dwindling natural resources, we are now facing the enormous challenge of increasing crop yields while simultaneously improving the efficiency of resource utilization. Introduction of C4 photosynthesis into C3 crops is widely accepted as a key strategy to meet this challenge because C4 plants are more efficient than C3 plants in photosynthesis and resource usage, particularly in hot climates, where the potential for productivity is high. Lending support to the feasibility of this C3-to-C4 engineering, evidence indicates that C4 photosynthesis has evolved from C3 photosynthesis in multiple lineages. Nevertheless, C3-to-C4 engineering is not an easy task, as several features essential to C4 photosynthesis must be introduced into C3 plants. One such feature is the spatial separation of the two phases of photosynthesis (CO2 fixation and carbohydrate synthesis) into the mesophyll and bundle sheath cells, respectively. Another feature is the Kranz anatomy, characterized by a close association between the mesophyll and bundle sheath (BS) cells (1:1 ratio). These anatomical features, along with a C4-specific carbon fixation enzyme (PEPC), form a CO2-concentration mechanism that ensures a high photosynthetic efficiency. Much effort has been taken in the past to introduce the C4 mechanism into C3 plants, but none of these attempts has met with success, which is in my opinion due to a lack of system-level understanding and manipulation of the C3 and C4 pathways. As a prerequisite for the C3-to-C4 engineering, I propose that not only the mechanisms that control the Kranz anatomy and cell-type-specific expression in C3 and C4 plants must be elucidated, but also a good understanding of the gene regulatory network underlying C3 and C4 photosynthesis must be achieved. In this review, I first describe the past and current efforts to increase photosynthetic efficiency in C3 plants and their limitations; I then discuss a systems approach to tackling down this challenge, some practical issues, and recent technical innovations that would help us to solve these problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongchang Cui
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, United States
- College of Life Science, Northwest Science University of Agriculture and Forestry, Yangling, China
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17
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Lyu MJA, Gowik U, Kelly S, Covshoff S, Hibberd JM, Sage RF, Ludwig M, Wong GKS, Westhoff P, Zhu XG. The coordination of major events in C 4 photosynthesis evolution in the genus Flaveria. Sci Rep 2021; 11:15618. [PMID: 34341365 PMCID: PMC8329263 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-93381-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
C4 photosynthesis is a remarkable complex trait, elucidations of the evolutionary trajectory of C4 photosynthesis from its ancestral C3 pathway can help us better understand the generic principles of the evolution of complex traits and guide the engineering of C3 crops for higher yields. Here, we used the genus Flaveria that contains C3, C3-C4, C4-like and C4 species as a system to study the evolution of C4 photosynthesis. We first mapped transcript abundance, protein sequence and morphological features onto the phylogenetic tree of the genus Flaveria, and calculated the evolutionary correlation of different features; we then predicted the relative changes of ancestral nodes of those features to illustrate the major events during the evolution of C4 photosynthesis. We found that gene expression and protein sequence showed consistent modification patterns in the phylogenetic tree. High correlation coefficients ranging from 0.46 to 0.9 among gene expression, protein sequence and morphology were observed. The greatest modification of those different features consistently occurred at the transition between C3-C4 species and C4-like species. Our results show highly coordinated changes in gene expression, protein sequence and morphological features, which support evolutionary major events during the evolution of C4 metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming-Ju Amy Lyu
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Udo Gowik
- Institute of Plant Molecular and Developmental Biology, Heinrich-Heine-University, Dusseldorf, Germany
| | - Steve Kelly
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Sarah Covshoff
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Julian M Hibberd
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Rowan F Sage
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Martha Ludwig
- School of Molecular Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
| | - Gane Ka-Shu Wong
- BGI-Shenzhen, Beishan Industrial Zone, Yantian District, Shenzhen, 518083, China.,Department of Medicine and Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E1, Canada
| | - Peter Westhoff
- Institute of Plant Molecular and Developmental Biology, Heinrich-Heine-University, Dusseldorf, Germany
| | - Xin-Guang Zhu
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
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18
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Chowrasia S, Nishad J, Pandey R, Mondal TK. Oryza coarctata is a triploid plant with initial events of C4 photosynthesis evolution. PLANT SCIENCE : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PLANT BIOLOGY 2021; 308:110878. [PMID: 34034879 DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2021.110878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2021] [Revised: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Oryza coarctata is an obligate halophyte of wild species of rice which thrives well under high saline as well as submerged conditions. We report here for the first time that O. coarctata is triploid (2n = 3x = 36), though it was previously known as tetraploid (2n = 4x = 48). The chromosome number of O. coarctata was determined from mitotic plates of root tips and ploidy level was determined by flow cytometer, where it was found to be triploid (2n = 3x = 36). In addition, this species was found to possess several unique anatomical features in leaves such as presence of Kranz-anatomy, increased vein density and higher ratio of bundle sheath to mesophyll cell area as compared to rice variety (IR-29). Ultra-structure of leaf showed the presence of bundle sheath cells with significant number of chloroplasts and mitochondria which were arranged centrifugally. Chloroplasts lack grana in bundle sheath cell whereas, mesophyll cell contain well-developed grana. These anatomical and ultra structural characteristics indicate that this plant is in initial stage of evolving towards C4 photosynthesis due to high selection pressure which might help it to survive in wide range of ecological conditions i.e. from submerged saline to non-saline terrestrial condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soni Chowrasia
- ICAR-National Institute for Plant Biotechnology, LBS Centre, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, 110012, India
| | - Jyoti Nishad
- ICAR-National Institute for Plant Biotechnology, LBS Centre, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, 110012, India
| | - Rakesh Pandey
- Division of Plant Physiology, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, 110012, India
| | - Tapan Kumar Mondal
- ICAR-National Institute for Plant Biotechnology, LBS Centre, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, 110012, India.
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19
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Heyduk K, Ray JN, Leebens-Mack J. Leaf anatomy is not correlated to CAM function in a C3+CAM hybrid species, Yucca gloriosa. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2021; 127:437-449. [PMID: 32166326 PMCID: PMC7988526 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcaa036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2019] [Accepted: 03/05/2020] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) is often considered to be a complex trait, requiring orchestration of leaf anatomy and physiology for optimal performance. However, the observation of trait correlations is based largely on comparisons between C3 and strong CAM species, resulting in a lack of understanding as to how such traits evolve and the level of intraspecific variability for CAM and associated traits. METHODS To understand intraspecific variation for traits underlying CAM and how these traits might assemble over evolutionary time, we conducted detailed time course physiological screens and measured aspects of leaf anatomy in 24 genotypes of a C3+CAM hybrid species, Yucca gloriosa (Asparagaceae). Comparisons were made to Y. gloriosa's progenitor species, Y. filamentosa (C3) and Y. aloifolia (CAM). KEY RESULTS Based on gas exchange and measurement of leaf acids, Y. gloriosa appears to use both C3 and CAM, and varies across genotypes in the degree to which CAM can be upregulated under drought stress. While correlations between leaf anatomy and physiology exist when testing across all three Yucca species, such correlations break down at the species level in Y. gloriosa. CONCLUSIONS The variation in CAM upregulation in Y. gloriosa is a result of its relatively recent hybrid origin. The lack of trait correlations between anatomy and physiology within Y. gloriosa indicate that the evolution of CAM, at least initially, can proceed through a wide combination of anatomical traits, and more favourable combinations are eventually selected for in strong CAM plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karolina Heyduk
- School of Life Sciences, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- For correspondence. E-mail
| | - Jeremy N Ray
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Jim Leebens-Mack
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
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20
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Olofsson JK, Curran EV, Nyirenda F, Bianconi ME, Dunning LT, Milenkovic V, Sotelo G, Hidalgo O, Powell RF, Lundgren MR, Leitch IJ, Nosil P, Osborne CP, Christin PA. Low dispersal and ploidy differences in a grass maintain photosynthetic diversity despite gene flow and habitat overlap. Mol Ecol 2021; 30:2116-2130. [PMID: 33682242 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2020] [Revised: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Geographical isolation facilitates the emergence of distinct phenotypes within a single species, but reproductive barriers or selection are needed to maintain the polymorphism after secondary contact. Here, we explore the processes that maintain intraspecific variation of C4 photosynthesis, a complex trait that results from the combined action of multiple genes. The grass Alloteropsis semialata includes C4 and non-C4 populations, which have coexisted as a polyploid series for more than 1 million years in the miombo woodlands of Africa. Using population genomics, we show that there is genome-wide divergence for the photosynthetic types, but the current geographical distribution does not reflect a simple habitat displacement scenario as the genetic clusters overlap, being occasionally mixed within a given habitat. Despite evidence of recurrent introgression between non-C4 and C4 groups, in both diploids and polyploids, the distinct genetic lineages retain their identity, potentially because of selection against hybrids. Coupled with strong isolation by distance within each genetic group, this selection created a geographical mosaic of photosynthetic types. Diploid C4 and non-C4 types never grew together, and the C4 type from mixed populations constantly belonged to the hexaploid lineage. By limiting reproductive interactions between photosynthetic types, the ploidy difference probably allows their co-occurrence, reinforcing the functional diversity within this species. Together, these factors enabled the persistence of divergent physiological traits of ecological importance within a single species despite gene flow and habitat overlap.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jill K Olofsson
- Department of Animal and Plant Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Emma V Curran
- Department of Animal and Plant Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Florence Nyirenda
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Matheus E Bianconi
- Department of Animal and Plant Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Luke T Dunning
- Department of Animal and Plant Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Vanja Milenkovic
- Department of Animal and Plant Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Graciela Sotelo
- Department of Animal and Plant Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | | | | | - Marjorie R Lundgren
- Department of Animal and Plant Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | | | - Patrik Nosil
- Department of Animal and Plant Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Colin P Osborne
- Department of Animal and Plant Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
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21
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Russ Monson and the evolution of C 4 photosynthesis. Oecologia 2021; 197:823-840. [PMID: 33661402 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-021-04883-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Early in his career, Russ Monson produced a series of influential eco-physiological papers that helped lay the foundation for the study of C4 plant evolution. Among the most important was a 1984 paper with Maurice Ku and Gerry Edwards that outlined the pathway for the evolutionary bridge from C3 to C4 photosynthesis. This model proposed C4 photosynthesis arose out of a shuttle that imported photorespiratory metabolites into bundle sheath (BS) cells, where glycine decarboxylase cleaved off CO2, allowing it to accumulate and be efficiently refixed by BS Rubisco. By the mid-1990's, Monson's research focus had shifted away from C4 plants, save for one 2003 paper on C3 versus C4 stomatal control with Travis Huxman, and a series of critical reviews on C4 evolution. These reviews heavily influenced the modern synthesis of C4 evolutionary studies, which incorporates phylogenomic understanding with physiological, molecular, and structural characterizations of trait shifts in multiple evolutionary lineages. Subsequent research supported the Monson et al. model from 1984, by showing a glycine shuttle occurs in nearly all C3-C4 intermediate species identified. Monson also examined the physiological controls over the ecological distribution of C3, C3-C4 intermediate, and C4 photosynthesis, building our understanding of the fitness value of the intermediate and C4 pathway in relevant microenvironments. By establishing the foundation for discoveries that followed, Russ Monson can rightly be considered a leading pioneer contributing to the evolutionary biology of C4 photosynthesis.
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22
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Tashima M, Yabiku T, Ueno O. Coleataenia prionitis, a C 4-like species in the Poaceae. PHOTOSYNTHESIS RESEARCH 2021; 147:211-227. [PMID: 33393063 DOI: 10.1007/s11120-020-00808-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
C4-like plants represent the penultimate stage of evolution from C3 to C4 plants. Although Coleataenia prionitis (formerly Panicum prionitis) has been described as a C4 plant, its leaf anatomy and gas exchange traits suggest that it may be a C4-like plant. Here, we reexamined the leaf structure and biochemical and physiological traits of photosynthesis in this grass. The large vascular bundles were surrounded by two layers of bundle sheath (BS): a colorless outer BS and a chloroplast-rich inner BS. Small vascular bundles, which generally had a single BS layer with various vascular structures, also occurred throughout the mesophyll together with BS cells not associated with vascular tissue. The mesophyll cells did not show a radial arrangement typical of Kranz anatomy. These features suggest that the leaf anatomy of C. prionitis is on the evolutionary pathway to a complete C4 Kranz type. Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) and pyruvate, Pi dikinase occurred in the mesophyll and outer BS. Glycine decarboxylase was confined to the inner BS. Ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) accumulated in the mesophyll and both BSs. C. prionitis had biochemical traits of NADP-malic enzyme type, whereas its gas exchange traits were close to those of C4-like intermediate plants rather than C4 plants. A gas exchange study with a PEPC inhibitor suggested that Rubisco in the mesophyll could fix atmospheric CO2. These data demonstrate that C. prionitis is not a true C4 plant but should be considered as a C4-like plant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maho Tashima
- Graduate School of Bioresources and Environmental Sciences, Kyushu University, Motooka, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan
| | - Takayuki Yabiku
- Graduate School of Bioresources and Environmental Sciences, Kyushu University, Motooka, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan
| | - Osamu Ueno
- Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, Motooka, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan.
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23
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Lundgren MR. C 2 photosynthesis: a promising route towards crop improvement? THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2020; 228:1734-1740. [PMID: 32080851 DOI: 10.1111/nph.16494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2019] [Accepted: 02/08/2020] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
C2 photosynthesis is a carbon concentrating mechanism that can increase net CO2 assimilation by capturing, concentrating and re-assimilating CO2 released by photorespiration. Empirical and modelling studies indicate that C2 plants assimilate more carbon than C3 plants under high temperature, bright light, and low CO2 conditions. I argue that engineering C2 photosynthesis into C3 crops is a promising approach to improve photosynthetic performance under these - and temporally heterogeneous - environments, and review the modifications that may re-create a C2 phenotype in C3 plants. Although a C2 engineering program would encounter many of the same challenges faced by C4 engineering programmes, the simpler leaf anatomical requirements make C2 engineering a feasible approach to improve crops in the medium term.
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24
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Bianconi ME, Dunning LT, Curran EV, Hidalgo O, Powell RF, Mian S, Leitch IJ, Lundgren MR, Manzi S, Vorontsova MS, Besnard G, Osborne CP, Olofsson JK, Christin PA. Contrasted histories of organelle and nuclear genomes underlying physiological diversification in a grass species. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20201960. [PMID: 33171085 PMCID: PMC7735283 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.1960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
C4 photosynthesis evolved multiple times independently in angiosperms, but most origins are relatively old so that the early events linked to photosynthetic diversification are blurred. The grass Alloteropsis semialata is an exception, as this species encompasses C4 and non-C4 populations. Using phylogenomics and population genomics, we infer the history of dispersal and secondary gene flow before, during and after photosynthetic divergence in A. semialata. We further analyse the genome composition of individuals with varied ploidy levels to establish the origins of polyploids in this species. Detailed organelle phylogenies indicate limited seed dispersal within the mountainous region of origin and the emergence of a C4 lineage after dispersal to warmer areas of lower elevation. Nuclear genome analyses highlight repeated secondary gene flow. In particular, the nuclear genome associated with the C4 phenotype was swept into a distantly related maternal lineage probably via unidirectional pollen flow. Multiple intraspecific allopolyploidy events mediated additional secondary genetic exchanges between photosynthetic types. Overall, our results show that limited dispersal and isolation allowed lineage divergence, with photosynthetic innovation happening after migration to new environments, and pollen-mediated gene flow led to the rapid spread of the derived C4 physiology away from its region of origin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matheus E Bianconi
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Luke T Dunning
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Emma V Curran
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Oriane Hidalgo
- Comparative Plant and Fungal Biology, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 3AB, UK
| | - Robyn F Powell
- Comparative Plant and Fungal Biology, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 3AB, UK
| | - Sahr Mian
- Comparative Plant and Fungal Biology, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 3AB, UK
| | - Ilia J Leitch
- Comparative Plant and Fungal Biology, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 3AB, UK
| | - Marjorie R Lundgren
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Sophie Manzi
- Laboratoire Evolution and Diversité Biologique (EDB UMR5174), Université de Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier, CNRS, IRD, 118 route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse, France
| | - Maria S Vorontsova
- Comparative Plant and Fungal Biology, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 3AB, UK
| | - Guillaume Besnard
- Laboratoire Evolution and Diversité Biologique (EDB UMR5174), Université de Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier, CNRS, IRD, 118 route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse, France
| | - Colin P Osborne
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Jill K Olofsson
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Pascal-Antoine Christin
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
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25
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Young SNR, Sack L, Sporck-Koehler MJ, Lundgren MR. Why is C4 photosynthesis so rare in trees? JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2020; 71:4629-4638. [PMID: 32409834 PMCID: PMC7410182 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/eraa234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 05/12/2020] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Since C4 photosynthesis was first discovered >50 years ago, researchers have sought to understand how this complex trait evolved from the ancestral C3 photosynthetic machinery on >60 occasions. Despite its repeated emergence across the plant kingdom, C4 photosynthesis is notably rare in trees, with true C4 trees only existing in Euphorbia. Here we consider aspects of the C4 trait that could limit but not preclude the evolution of a C4 tree, including reduced quantum yield, increased energetic demand, reduced adaptive plasticity, evolutionary constraints, and a new theory that the passive symplastic phloem loading mechanism observed in trees, combined with difficulties in maintaining sugar and water transport over a long pathlength, could make C4 photosynthesis largely incompatible with the tree lifeform. We conclude that the transition to a tree habit within C4 lineages as well as the emergence of C4 photosynthesis within pre-existing trees would both face a series of challenges that together explain the global rarity of C4 photosynthesis in trees. The C4 trees in Euphorbia are therefore exceptional in how they have circumvented every potential barrier to the rare C4 tree lifeform.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie N R Young
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
| | - Lawren Sack
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | - Marjorie R Lundgren
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
- Correspondence:
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26
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Blount ZD, Maddamsetti R, Grant NA, Ahmed ST, Jagdish T, Baxter JA, Sommerfeld BA, Tillman A, Moore J, Slonczewski JL, Barrick JE, Lenski RE. Genomic and phenotypic evolution of Escherichia coli in a novel citrate-only resource environment. eLife 2020; 9:55414. [PMID: 32469311 PMCID: PMC7299349 DOI: 10.7554/elife.55414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2020] [Accepted: 05/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Evolutionary innovations allow populations to colonize new ecological niches. We previously reported that aerobic growth on citrate (Cit+) evolved in an Escherichia coli population during adaptation to a minimal glucose medium containing citrate (DM25). Cit+ variants can also grow in citrate-only medium (DM0), a novel environment for E. coli. To study adaptation to this niche, we founded two sets of Cit+ populations and evolved them for 2500 generations in DM0 or DM25. The evolved lineages acquired numerous parallel mutations, many mediated by transposable elements. Several also evolved amplifications of regions containing the maeA gene. Unexpectedly, some evolved populations and clones show apparent declines in fitness. We also found evidence of substantial cell death in Cit+ clones. Our results thus demonstrate rapid trait refinement and adaptation to the new citrate niche, while also suggesting a recalcitrant mismatch between E. coli physiology and growth on citrate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary D Blount
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, United States.,The BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, East Lansing, United States
| | - Rohan Maddamsetti
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, United States
| | - Nkrumah A Grant
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, United States.,The BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, East Lansing, United States
| | - Sumaya T Ahmed
- Department of Biology, Kenyon College, Gambier, United States
| | - Tanush Jagdish
- The BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, East Lansing, United States.,Program for Systems, Synthetic, and Quantitative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
| | - Jessica A Baxter
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, United States
| | - Brooke A Sommerfeld
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, United States
| | - Alice Tillman
- Department of Biology, Kenyon College, Gambier, United States
| | - Jeremy Moore
- Department of Biology, Kenyon College, Gambier, United States
| | | | - Jeffrey E Barrick
- The BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, East Lansing, United States.,Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas, Austin, United States
| | - Richard E Lenski
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, United States.,The BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, East Lansing, United States
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27
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Abstract
C4 photosynthesis evolved multiple times independently from ancestral C3 photosynthesis in a broad range of flowering land plant families and in both monocots and dicots. The evolution of C4 photosynthesis entails the recruitment of enzyme activities that are not involved in photosynthetic carbon fixation in C3 plants to photosynthesis. This requires a different regulation of gene expression as well as a different regulation of enzyme activities in comparison to the C3 context. Further, C4 photosynthesis relies on a distinct leaf anatomy that differs from that of C3, requiring a differential regulation of leaf development in C4. We summarize recent progress in the understanding of C4-specific features in evolution and metabolic regulation in the context of C4 photosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Urte Schlüter
- Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), Heinrich Heine University, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany; ,
| | - Andreas P M Weber
- Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), Heinrich Heine University, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany; ,
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28
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Edwards EJ. Evolutionary trajectories, accessibility and other metaphors: the case of C 4 and CAM photosynthesis. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2019; 223:1742-1755. [PMID: 30993711 DOI: 10.1111/nph.15851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2018] [Accepted: 03/18/2019] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Are evolutionary outcomes predictable? Adaptations that show repeated evolutionary convergence across the Tree of Life provide a special opportunity to dissect the context surrounding their origins, and identify any commonalities that may predict why certain traits evolved many times in particular clades and yet never evolved in others. The remarkable convergence of C4 and Crassulacean Acid Metabolism (CAM) photosynthesis in vascular plants makes them exceptional model systems for understanding the repeated evolution of complex phenotypes. This review highlights what we have learned about the recurring assembly of C4 and CAM, focusing on the increasingly predictable stepwise evolutionary integration of anatomy and biochemistry. With the caveat that we currently understand C4 evolution better than we do CAM, I propose a general model that explains and unites C4 and CAM evolutionary trajectories. Available data suggest that anatomical modifications are the 'rate-limiting step' in each trajectory, which in large part determines the evolutionary accessibility of both syndromes. The idea that organismal structure exerts a primary influence on innovation is discussed in the context of other systems. Whether the rate-limiting step occurs early or late in the evolutionary assembly of a new phenotype may have profound implications for its distribution across the Tree of Life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika J Edwards
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, 165 Prospect St, New Haven, CT, 06520-8105, USA
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29
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Dunning LT, Moreno-Villena JJ, Lundgren MR, Dionora J, Salazar P, Adams C, Nyirenda F, Olofsson JK, Mapaura A, Grundy IM, Kayombo CJ, Dunning LA, Kentatchime F, Ariyarathne M, Yakandawala D, Besnard G, Quick WP, Bräutigam A, Osborne CP, Christin PA. Key changes in gene expression identified for different stages of C4 evolution in Alloteropsis semialata. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2019; 70:3255-3268. [PMID: 30949663 PMCID: PMC6598098 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erz149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2018] [Accepted: 03/19/2019] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
C4 photosynthesis is a complex trait that boosts productivity in tropical conditions. Compared with C3 species, the C4 state seems to require numerous novelties, but species comparisons can be confounded by long divergence times. Here, we exploit the photosynthetic diversity that exists within a single species, the grass Alloteropsis semialata, to detect changes in gene expression associated with different photosynthetic phenotypes. Phylogenetically informed comparative transcriptomics show that intermediates with a weak C4 cycle are separated from the C3 phenotype by increases in the expression of 58 genes (0.22% of genes expressed in the leaves), including those encoding just three core C4 enzymes: aspartate aminotransferase, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase. The subsequent transition to full C4 physiology was accompanied by increases in another 15 genes (0.06%), including only the core C4 enzyme pyruvate orthophosphate dikinase. These changes probably created a rudimentary C4 physiology, and isolated populations subsequently improved this emerging C4 physiology, resulting in a patchwork of expression for some C4 accessory genes. Our work shows how C4 assembly in A. semialata happened in incremental steps, each requiring few alterations over the previous step. These create short bridges across adaptive landscapes that probably facilitated the recurrent origins of C4 photosynthesis through a gradual process of evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke T Dunning
- Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK
| | | | - Marjorie R Lundgren
- Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK
| | | | - Paolo Salazar
- International Rice Research Institute, DAPO, Metro Manila, Philippines
| | - Claire Adams
- Botany Department, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa
| | - Florence Nyirenda
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Jill K Olofsson
- Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK
| | | | - Isla M Grundy
- Institute of Environmental Studies, University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | | | - Lucy A Dunning
- Department of Social Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | | | - Menaka Ariyarathne
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, University of Peradeniya, Peradeiya, Sri Lanka
| | - Deepthi Yakandawala
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, University of Peradeniya, Peradeiya, Sri Lanka
| | - Guillaume Besnard
- Laboratoire Évolution et Diversité Biologique (EDB UMR5174), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, IRD, UPS, Toulouse, France
| | - W Paul Quick
- Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK
- International Rice Research Institute, DAPO, Metro Manila, Philippines
| | | | - Colin P Osborne
- Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK
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30
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Stata M, Sage TL, Sage RF. Mind the gap: the evolutionary engagement of the C 4 metabolic cycle in support of net carbon assimilation. CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY 2019; 49:27-34. [PMID: 31150949 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2019.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2019] [Revised: 04/20/2019] [Accepted: 04/23/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
C4 photosynthesis evolved dozens of times, with a critical step being the engagement of a C4 metabolic cycle to concentrate CO2 into a bundle sheath-like compartment. While C3-C4 intermediate species show a progressive increase in the activity of a C4 metabolic cycle, the integration of the C4 and C3 biochemical cycles in enhancing photosynthetic carbon gain occurs in a punctuated manner, at an initial C4 cycle activity near 60%. Punctuated integration of the C4 cycle could result from the evolutionary acquisition of traits that coordinate the C3 and C4 biochemical cycles (for example, an enzymatic, regulatory or transport function) or from a sudden reduction in the mesophyll C3 cycle. Alternatively, a punctuated pattern could be an artifact of low numbers of C3-C4 intermediates in the evolutionary space where C4 cycle engagement occurs, due to incomplete sampling of natural diversity or evolutionary dynamics rendering such intermediates unstable. Understanding how the C4 cycle becomes integrated with the C3 cycle could reveal new avenues for engineering the C4 pathway into C3 plants. Such efforts would be facilitated by the generation of hybrids, or the discovery of additional intermediates, that span the transition from low to high C4 cycle engagement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matt Stata
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks Street, M5S3B2, Canada
| | - Tammy L Sage
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks Street, M5S3B2, Canada
| | - Rowan F Sage
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks Street, M5S3B2, Canada.
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31
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32
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Niklaus M, Kelly S. The molecular evolution of C4 photosynthesis: opportunities for understanding and improving the world's most productive plants. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2019; 70:795-804. [PMID: 30462241 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/ery416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2018] [Accepted: 11/09/2018] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
C4 photosynthesis is a convergent evolutionary trait that enhances photosynthetic efficiency in a variety of environmental conditions. It has evolved repeatedly following a fall in atmospheric CO2 concentration such that there is up to a 30 million year difference in the amount of time that natural selection has had to improve C4 function between the oldest and youngest C4 lineages. This large difference in time, coupled with the phylogenetic distance between lineages, has resulted in a large disparity in anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry between extant C4 species. This review summarizes the myriad of molecular sequence changes that have been linked to the evolution of C4 photosynthesis. These range from single nucleotide changes to duplication of entire genes, and provide a roadmap for how natural selection has adapted enzymes and pathways for enhanced C4 function. Finally, this review discusses how this molecular diversity can provide opportunities for understanding and improving photosynthesis for multiple important C4 food, feed, and bioenergy crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Niklaus
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Steven Kelly
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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33
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Lundgren MR, Dunning LT, Olofsson JK, Moreno-Villena JJ, Bouvier JW, Sage TL, Khoshravesh R, Sultmanis S, Stata M, Ripley BS, Vorontsova MS, Besnard G, Adams C, Cuff N, Mapaura A, Bianconi ME, Long CM, Christin PA, Osborne CP. C 4 anatomy can evolve via a single developmental change. Ecol Lett 2018; 22:302-312. [PMID: 30557904 PMCID: PMC6849723 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2018] [Accepted: 10/31/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
C4 photosynthesis is a complex trait that boosts productivity in warm environments. Paradoxically, it evolved independently in numerous plant lineages, despite requiring specialised leaf anatomy. The anatomical modifications underlying C4 evolution have previously been evaluated through interspecific comparisons, which capture numerous changes besides those needed for C4 functionality. Here, we quantify the anatomical changes accompanying the transition between non‐C4 and C4 phenotypes by sampling widely across the continuum of leaf anatomical traits in the grass Alloteropsis semialata. Within this species, the only trait that is shared among and specific to C4 individuals is an increase in vein density, driven specifically by minor vein development that yields multiple secondary effects facilitating C4 function. For species with the necessary anatomical preconditions, developmental proliferation of veins can therefore be sufficient to produce a functional C4 leaf anatomy, creating an evolutionary entry point to complex C4 syndromes that can become more specialised.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marjorie R Lundgren
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Luke T Dunning
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Jill K Olofsson
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Jose J Moreno-Villena
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Jacques W Bouvier
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Tammy L Sage
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3B2, Canada
| | - Roxana Khoshravesh
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3B2, Canada
| | - Stefanie Sultmanis
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3B2, Canada
| | - Matt Stata
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3B2, Canada
| | - Brad S Ripley
- Botany Department, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, 6139, South Africa
| | - Maria S Vorontsova
- Comparative Plant and Fungal Biology, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3AB, UK
| | - Guillaume Besnard
- Laboratoire Évolution & Diversité Biologique (EDB UMR5174), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, ENSFEA, UPS, IRD, 118 route de Narbonne, 31062, Toulouse, France
| | - Claire Adams
- Botany Department, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, 6139, South Africa
| | - Nicholas Cuff
- Northern Territory Herbarium, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, PO Box 496, Palmerston, NT, 0831, Australia
| | | | - Matheus E Bianconi
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Christine M Long
- Department of Primary Industry and Fisheries, Northern Territory Government, Darwin, NT, 0801, Australia
| | - Pascal-Antoine Christin
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Colin P Osborne
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
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34
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Some like it hot: the physiological ecology of C 4 plant evolution. Oecologia 2018; 187:941-966. [PMID: 29955992 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-018-4191-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2017] [Accepted: 06/05/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
The evolution of C4 photosynthesis requires an intermediate phase where photorespiratory glycine produced in the mesophyll cells must flow to the vascular sheath cells for metabolism by glycine decarboxylase. This glycine flux concentrates photorespired CO2 within the sheath cells, allowing it to be efficiently refixed by sheath Rubisco. A modest C4 biochemical cycle is then upregulated, possibly to support the refixation of photorespired ammonia in sheath cells, with subsequent increases in C4 metabolism providing incremental benefits until an optimized C4 pathway is established. 'Why' C4 photosynthesis evolved is largely explained by ancestral C3 species exploiting photorespiratory CO2 to improve carbon gain and thus enhance fitness. While photorespiration depresses C3 performance, it produces a resource (photorespired CO2) that can be exploited to build an evolutionary bridge to C4 photosynthesis. 'Where' C4 evolved is indicated by the habitat of species branching near C3-to-C4 transitions on phylogenetic trees. Consistent with the photorespiratory bridge hypothesis, transitional species show that the large majority of > 60 C4 lineages arose in hot, dry, and/or saline regions where photorespiratory potential is high. 'When' C4 evolved has been clarified by molecular clock analyses using phylogenetic data, coupled with isotopic signatures from fossils. Nearly all C4 lineages arose after 25 Ma when atmospheric CO2 levels had fallen to near current values. This reduction in CO2, coupled with persistent high temperature at low-to-mid-latitudes, met a precondition where photorespiration was elevated, thus facilitating the evolutionary selection pressure that led to C4 photosynthesis.
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35
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Bianconi ME, Dunning LT, Moreno-Villena JJ, Osborne CP, Christin PA. Gene duplication and dosage effects during the early emergence of C4 photosynthesis in the grass genus Alloteropsis. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2018; 69:1967-1980. [PMID: 29394370 PMCID: PMC6018922 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/ery029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2017] [Accepted: 01/17/2018] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
The importance of gene duplication for evolutionary diversification has been mainly discussed in terms of genetic redundancy allowing neofunctionalization. In the case of C4 photosynthesis, which evolved via the co-option of multiple enzymes to boost carbon fixation in tropical conditions, the importance of genetic redundancy has not been consistently supported by genomic studies. Here, we test for a different role for gene duplication in the early evolution of C4 photosynthesis, via dosage effects creating rapid step changes in expression levels. Using genome-wide data for accessions of the grass genus Alloteropsis that recently diversified into different photosynthetic types, we estimate gene copy numbers and demonstrate that recurrent duplications in two important families of C4 genes coincided with increases in transcript abundance along the phylogeny, in some cases via a pure dosage effect. While increased gene copy number during the initial emergence of C4 photosynthesis probably offered a rapid route to enhanced expression, we also find losses of duplicates following the acquisition of genes encoding better-suited isoforms. The dosage effect of gene duplication might therefore act as a transient process during the evolution of a C4 biochemistry, rendered obsolete by the fixation of regulatory mutations increasing expression levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matheus E Bianconi
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Luke T Dunning
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | | | - Colin P Osborne
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
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Saarela JM, Burke SV, Wysocki WP, Barrett MD, Clark LG, Craine JM, Peterson PM, Soreng RJ, Vorontsova MS, Duvall MR. A 250 plastome phylogeny of the grass family (Poaceae): topological support under different data partitions. PeerJ 2018; 6:e4299. [PMID: 29416954 PMCID: PMC5798404 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.4299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2017] [Accepted: 01/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The systematics of grasses has advanced through applications of plastome phylogenomics, although studies have been largely limited to subfamilies or other subgroups of Poaceae. Here we present a plastome phylogenomic analysis of 250 complete plastomes (179 genera) sampled from 44 of the 52 tribes of Poaceae. Plastome sequences were determined from high throughput sequencing libraries and the assemblies represent over 28.7 Mbases of sequence data. Phylogenetic signal was characterized in 14 partitions, including (1) complete plastomes; (2) protein coding regions; (3) noncoding regions; and (4) three loci commonly used in single and multi-gene studies of grasses. Each of the four main partitions was further refined, alternatively including or excluding positively selected codons and also the gaps introduced by the alignment. All 76 protein coding plastome loci were found to be predominantly under purifying selection, but specific codons were found to be under positive selection in 65 loci. The loci that have been widely used in multi-gene phylogenetic studies had among the highest proportions of positively selected codons, suggesting caution in the interpretation of these earlier results. Plastome phylogenomic analyses confirmed the backbone topology for Poaceae with maximum bootstrap support (BP). Among the 14 analyses, 82 clades out of 309 resolved were maximally supported in all trees. Analyses of newly sequenced plastomes were in agreement with current classifications. Five of seven partitions in which alignment gaps were removed retrieved Panicoideae as sister to the remaining PACMAD subfamilies. Alternative topologies were recovered in trees from partitions that included alignment gaps. This suggests that ambiguities in aligning these uncertain regions might introduce a false signal. Resolution of these and other critical branch points in the phylogeny of Poaceae will help to better understand the selective forces that drove the radiation of the BOP and PACMAD clades comprising more than 99.9% of grass diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffery M. Saarela
- Beaty Centre for Species Discovery and Botany Section, Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Sean V. Burke
- Plant Molecular and Bioinformatics Center, Biological Sciences, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA
| | - William P. Wysocki
- Center for Data Intensive Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Matthew D. Barrett
- Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority, Kings Park and Botanic Garden, West Perth, WA, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
| | - Lynn G. Clark
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | | | - Paul M. Peterson
- Department of Botany, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Robert J. Soreng
- Department of Botany, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Maria S. Vorontsova
- Comparative Plant & Fungal Biology, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, UK
| | - Melvin R. Duvall
- Plant Molecular and Bioinformatics Center, Biological Sciences, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA
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Dunning LT, Lundgren MR, Moreno-Villena JJ, Namaganda M, Edwards EJ, Nosil P, Osborne CP, Christin PA. Introgression and repeated co-option facilitated the recurrent emergence of C 4 photosynthesis among close relatives. Evolution 2017; 71:1541-1555. [PMID: 28395112 PMCID: PMC5488178 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2016] [Accepted: 04/04/2017] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
The origins of novel traits are often studied using species trees and modeling phenotypes as different states of the same character, an approach that cannot always distinguish multiple origins from fewer origins followed by reversals. We address this issue by studying the origins of C4 photosynthesis, an adaptation to warm and dry conditions, in the grass Alloteropsis. We dissect the C4 trait into its components, and show two independent origins of the C4 phenotype via different anatomical modifications, and the use of distinct sets of genes. Further, inference of enzyme adaptation suggests that one of the two groups encompasses two transitions to a full C4 state from a common ancestor with an intermediate phenotype that had some C4 anatomical and biochemical components. Molecular dating of C4 genes confirms the introgression of two key C4 components between species, while the inheritance of all others matches the species tree. The number of origins consequently varies among C4 components, a scenario that could not have been inferred from analyses of the species tree alone. Our results highlight the power of studying individual components of complex traits to reconstruct trajectories toward novel adaptations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke T Dunning
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, United Kingdom
| | - Marjorie R Lundgren
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, United Kingdom
| | - Jose J Moreno-Villena
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, United Kingdom
| | | | - Erika J Edwards
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, 02912
| | - Patrik Nosil
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, United Kingdom
| | - Colin P Osborne
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, United Kingdom
| | - Pascal-Antoine Christin
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, United Kingdom
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38
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Silva C, Besnard G, Piot A, Razanatsoa J, Oliveira RP, Vorontsova MS. Museomics resolve the systematics of an endangered grass lineage endemic to north-western Madagascar. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2017; 119:339-351. [PMID: 28028020 PMCID: PMC5314640 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcw208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2016] [Revised: 07/28/2016] [Accepted: 08/24/2016] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Recent developments in DNA sequencing, so-called next-generation sequencing (NGS) methods, can help the study of rare lineages that are known from museum specimens. Here, the taxonomy and evolution of the Malagasy grass lineage Chasechloa was investigated with the aid of NGS. METHODS Full chloroplast genome data and some nuclear sequences were produced by NGS from old herbarium specimens, while some selected markers were generated from recently collected Malagasy grasses. In addition, a scanning electron microscopy analysis of the upper floret and cross-sections of the rachilla appendages followed by staining with Sudan IV were performed on Chasechloa to examine the morphology of the upper floret and the presence of oils in the appendages. KEY RESULTS Chasechloa was recovered within tribe Paniceae, sub-tribe Boivinellinae, contrary to its previous placement as a member of the New World genus Echinolaena (tribe Paspaleae). Chasechloa originated in Madagascar between the Upper Miocene and the Pliocene. It comprises two species, one of them collected only once in 1851. The genus is restricted to north-western seasonally dry deciduous forests. The appendages at the base of the upper floret of Chasechloa have been confirmed as elaiosomes, an evolutionary adaptation for myrmecochory. CONCLUSIONS Chasechloa is reinstated at the generic level and a taxonomic treatment is presented, including conservation assessments of its species. Our study also highlights the power of NGS technology to analyse relictual or probably extinct groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Silva
- Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Programa de Pós-graduação em Botânica, Av. Transnordestina s.n., Feira de Santana, Bahia 44036-900, Brazil
| | - Guillaume Besnard
- CNRS, Université de Toulouse, ENFA, UMR5174 EDB (Laboratoire Évolution & Diversité Biologique), 118 route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse, France
| | - Anthony Piot
- CNRS, Université de Toulouse, ENFA, UMR5174 EDB (Laboratoire Évolution & Diversité Biologique), 118 route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse, France
| | - Jacqueline Razanatsoa
- Herbier, Département Flore, Parc Botanique et Zoologique de Tsimbazaza, BP 4096, Antananarivo 101, Madagascar
| | - Reyjane P Oliveira
- Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Programa de Pós-graduação em Botânica, Av. Transnordestina s.n., Feira de Santana, Bahia 44036-900, Brazil
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39
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Sage RF. A portrait of the C4 photosynthetic family on the 50th anniversary of its discovery: species number, evolutionary lineages, and Hall of Fame. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2017; 68:4039-4056. [PMID: 28110278 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erx005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Fifty years ago, the C4 photosynthetic pathway was first characterized. In the subsequent five decades, much has been learned about C4 plants, such that it is now possible to place nearly all C4 species into their respective evolutionary lineages. Sixty-one independent lineages of C4 photosynthesis are identified, with additional, ancillary C4 origins possible in 12 of these principal lineages. The lineages produced ~8100 C4 species (5044 grasses, 1322 sedges, and 1777 eudicots). Using midpoints of stem and crown node dates in their respective phylogenies, the oldest and most speciose C4 lineage is the grass lineage Chloridoideae, estimated to be near 30 million years old. Most C4 lineages are estimated to be younger than 15 million years. Older C4 lineages tend to be more speciose, while those younger than 7 million years have <43 species each. To further highlight C4 photosynthesis for a 50th anniversary snapshot, a Hall of Fame comprised of the 40 most significant C4 species is presented. Over the next 50 years, preservation of the Earth's C4 diversity is a concern, largely because of habitat loss due to elevated CO2 effects, invasive species, and expanded agricultural activities. Ironically, some members of the C4 Hall of Fame are leading threats to the natural C4 flora due to their association with human activities on landscapes where most C4 plants occur.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rowan F Sage
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks Street, Toronto, ON M5R3C6
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40
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Lundgren MR, Christin PA. Despite phylogenetic effects, C3-C4 lineages bridge the ecological gap to C4 photosynthesis. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2017; 68:241-254. [PMID: 28025316 PMCID: PMC5853900 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erw451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2016] [Accepted: 11/09/2016] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
C4 photosynthesis is a physiological innovation involving several anatomical and biochemical components that emerged recurrently in flowering plants. This complex trait evolved via a series of physiological intermediates, broadly termed 'C3-C4', which have been widely studied to understand C4 origins. While this research program has focused on biochemistry, physiology, and anatomy, the ecology of these intermediates remains largely unexplored. Here, we use global occurrence data and local habitat descriptions to characterize the niches of multiple C3-C4 lineages, as well as their close C3 and C4 relatives. While C3-C4 taxa tend to occur in warm climates, their abiotic niches are spread along other dimensions, making it impossible to define a universal C3-C4 niche. Phylogeny-based comparisons suggest that, despite shifts associated with photosynthetic types, the precipitation component of the C3-C4 niche is particularly lineage specific, being highly correlated with that of closely related C3 and C4 taxa. Our large-scale analyses suggest that C3-C4 lineages converged toward warm habitats, which may have facilitated the transition to C4 photosynthesis, effectively bridging the ecological gap between C3 and C4 plants. The intermediates retained some precipitation aspects of their C3 ancestors' habitat, and likely transmitted them to their C4 descendants, contributing to the diversity among C4 lineages seen today.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marjorie R Lundgren
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Pascal-Antoine Christin
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
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41
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Bellasio C. A generalized stoichiometric model of C3, C2, C2+C4, and C4 photosynthetic metabolism. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2017; 68:269-282. [PMID: 27535993 PMCID: PMC5853385 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erw303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2016] [Accepted: 07/21/2016] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
The goal of suppressing photorespiration in crops to maximize assimilation and yield is stimulating considerable interest among researchers looking to bioengineer carbon-concentrating mechanisms into C3 plants. However, detailed quantification of the biochemical activities in the bundle sheath is lacking. This work presents a general stoichiometric model for C3, C2, C2+C4, and C4 assimilation (SMA) in which energetics, metabolite traffic, and the different decarboxylating enzymes (NAD-dependent malic enzyme, NADP-dependent malic enzyme, or phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase) are explicitly included. The SMA can be used to refine experimental data analysis or formulate hypothetical scenarios, and is coded in a freely available Microsoft Excel workbook. The theoretical underpinnings and general model behaviour are analysed with a range of simulations, including (i) an analysis of C3, C2, C2+C4, and C4 in operational conditions; (ii) manipulating photorespiration in a C3 plant; (iii) progressively upregulating a C2 shuttle in C3 photosynthesis; (iv) progressively upregulating a C4 cycle in C2 photosynthesis; and (v) manipulating processes that are hypothesized to respond to transient environmental inputs. Results quantify the functional trade-offs, such as the electron transport needed to meet ATP/NADPH demand, as well as metabolite traffic, inherent to different subtypes. The SMA refines our understanding of the stoichiometry of photosynthesis, which is of paramount importance for basic and applied research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chandra Bellasio
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
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42
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Olofsson JK, Bianconi M, Besnard G, Dunning LT, Lundgren MR, Holota H, Vorontsova MS, Hidalgo O, Leitch IJ, Nosil P, Osborne CP, Christin P. Genome biogeography reveals the intraspecific spread of adaptive mutations for a complex trait. Mol Ecol 2016; 25:6107-6123. [PMID: 27862505 PMCID: PMC6849575 DOI: 10.1111/mec.13914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2016] [Revised: 10/27/2016] [Accepted: 11/09/2016] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Physiological novelties are often studied at macro-evolutionary scales such that their micro-evolutionary origins remain poorly understood. Here, we test the hypothesis that key components of a complex trait can evolve in isolation and later be combined by gene flow. We use C4 photosynthesis as a study system, a derived physiology that increases plant productivity in warm, dry conditions. The grass Alloteropsis semialata includes C4 and non-C4 genotypes, with some populations using laterally acquired C4 -adaptive loci, providing an outstanding system to track the spread of novel adaptive mutations. Using genome data from C4 and non-C4 A. semialata individuals spanning the species' range, we infer and date past migrations of different parts of the genome. Our results show that photosynthetic types initially diverged in isolated populations, where key C4 components were acquired. However, rare but recurrent subsequent gene flow allowed the spread of adaptive loci across genetic pools. Indeed, laterally acquired genes for key C4 functions were rapidly passed between populations with otherwise distinct genomic backgrounds. Thus, our intraspecific study of C4 -related genomic variation indicates that components of adaptive traits can evolve separately and later be combined through secondary gene flow, leading to the assembly and optimization of evolutionary innovations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jill K. Olofsson
- Department of Animal and Plant SciencesUniversity of SheffieldWestern BankSheffieldS10 2TNUK
| | - Matheus Bianconi
- Department of Animal and Plant SciencesUniversity of SheffieldWestern BankSheffieldS10 2TNUK
| | - Guillaume Besnard
- Laboratoire Évolution & Diversité Biologique (EDB UMR5174)Université de ToulouseCNRS, ENSFEA, UPS118 route de NarbonneF‐31062ToulouseFrance
| | - Luke T. Dunning
- Department of Animal and Plant SciencesUniversity of SheffieldWestern BankSheffieldS10 2TNUK
| | - Marjorie R. Lundgren
- Department of Animal and Plant SciencesUniversity of SheffieldWestern BankSheffieldS10 2TNUK
| | - Helene Holota
- Laboratoire Évolution & Diversité Biologique (EDB UMR5174)Université de ToulouseCNRS, ENSFEA, UPS118 route de NarbonneF‐31062ToulouseFrance
| | | | | | | | - Patrik Nosil
- Department of Animal and Plant SciencesUniversity of SheffieldWestern BankSheffieldS10 2TNUK
| | - Colin P. Osborne
- Department of Animal and Plant SciencesUniversity of SheffieldWestern BankSheffieldS10 2TNUK
| | - Pascal‐Antoine Christin
- Department of Animal and Plant SciencesUniversity of SheffieldWestern BankSheffieldS10 2TNUK
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43
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Bellasio C, Lundgren MR. Anatomical constraints to C4 evolution: light harvesting capacity in the bundle sheath. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2016; 212:485-496. [PMID: 27375085 DOI: 10.1111/nph.14063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2016] [Accepted: 05/10/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
In C4 photosynthesis CO2 assimilation and reduction are typically coordinated across mesophyll (M) and bundle sheath (BS) cells, respectively. This system consequently requires sufficient light to reach BS to generate enough ATP to allow ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate (RuBP) regeneration in BS. Leaf anatomy influences BS light penetration and therefore constrains C4 cycle functionality. Using an absorption scattering model (coded in Excel, and freely downloadable) we simulate light penetration profiles and rates of ATP production in BS across the C3 , C3 -C4 and C4 anatomical continua. We present a trade-off for light absorption between BS pigment concentration and space allocation. C3 BS anatomy limits light absorption and benefits little from high pigment concentrations. Unpigmented BS extensions increase BS light penetration. C4 and C3 -C4 anatomies have the potential to generate sufficient ATP in the BS, whereas typical C3 anatomy does not, except some C3 taxa closely related to C4 groups. Insufficient volume of BS, relative to M, will hamper a C4 cycle via insufficient BS light absorption. Thus, BS ATP production and RuBP regeneration, coupled with increased BS investments, allow greater operational plasticity. We propose that larger BS in C3 lineages may be co-opted for C3 -C4 and C4 biochemistry requirements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chandra Bellasio
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK.
| | - Marjorie R Lundgren
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
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44
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Reeves G, Hibberd JM. Broadening the spectrum of photosynthesis in the grass, Alloteropsis semialata. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2016; 39:1871-1873. [PMID: 26641208 DOI: 10.1111/pce.12685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2015] [Accepted: 12/02/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
This article comments on: Evolutionary implications of C3 -C4 intermediates in the grass Alloteropsis semialata.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory Reeves
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Site, Cambridge, CB2 3EA, UK
| | - Julian M Hibberd
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Site, Cambridge, CB2 3EA, UK
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45
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Sage RF. A portrait of the C4 photosynthetic family on the 50th anniversary of its discovery: species number, evolutionary lineages, and Hall of Fame. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2016; 67:4039-56. [PMID: 27053721 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erw156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Fifty years ago, the C4 photosynthetic pathway was first characterized. In the subsequent five decades, much has been learned about C4 plants, such that it is now possible to place nearly all C4 species into their respective evolutionary lineages. Sixty-one independent lineages of C4 photosynthesis are identified, with additional, ancillary C4 origins possible in 12 of these principal lineages. The lineages produced ~8100 C4 species (5044 grasses, 1322 sedges, and 1777 eudicots). Using midpoints of stem and crown node dates in their respective phylogenies, the oldest and most speciose C4 lineage is the grass lineage Chloridoideae, estimated to be near 30 million years old. Most C4 lineages are estimated to be younger than 15 million years. Older C4 lineages tend to be more speciose, while those younger than 7 million years have <43 species each. To further highlight C4 photosynthesis for a 50th anniversary snapshot, a Hall of Fame comprised of the 40 most significant C4 species is presented. Over the next 50 years, preservation of the Earth's C4 diversity is a concern, largely because of habitat loss due to elevated CO2 effects, invasive species, and expanded agricultural activities. Ironically, some members of the C4 Hall of Fame are leading threats to the natural C4 flora due to their association with human activities on landscapes where most C4 plants occur.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rowan F Sage
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks Street, Toronto, ON M5R3C6
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46
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Khoshravesh R, Stinson CR, Stata M, Busch FA, Sage RF, Ludwig M, Sage TL. C3-C4 intermediacy in grasses: organelle enrichment and distribution, glycine decarboxylase expression, and the rise of C2 photosynthesis. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2016; 67:3065-78. [PMID: 27073202 PMCID: PMC4867898 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erw150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Photorespiratory glycine shuttling and decarboxylation in bundle sheath (BS) cells exhibited by C2 species is proposed to be the evolutionary bridge to C4 photosynthesis in eudicots. To evaluate this in grasses, we compare anatomy, cellular localization of glycine decarboxylase (GDC), and photosynthetic physiology of a suspected C2 grass, Homolepis aturensis, with these traits in known C2 grasses, Neurachne minor and Steinchisma hians, and C3 S laxum that is sister to S hians We also use publicly available genome and RNA-sequencing data to examine the evolution of GDC subunits and enhance our understanding of the evolution of BS-specific GDC expression in C2 and C4 grasses. Our results confirm the identity of H aturensis as a C2 species; GDC is confined predominantly to the organelle-enriched BS cells in H aturensis and S hians and to mestome sheath cells of N minor Phylogenetic analyses and data obtained from immunodetection of the P-subunit of GDC are consistent with the hypothesis that the BS dominant levels of GDC in C2 and C4 species are due to changes in expression of a single GLDP gene in M and BS cells. All BS mitochondria and peroxisomes and most chloroplasts in H aturensis and S hians are situated centripetally in a pattern identical to C2 eudicots. In S laxum, which has C3-like gas exchange patterns, mitochondria and peroxisomes are positioned centripetally as they are in S hians This subcellular phenotype, also present in eudicots, is posited to initiate a facilitation cascade leading to C2 and C4 photosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roxana Khoshravesh
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks St., Ontario, ON M5S 3B2, Canada
| | - Corey R Stinson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks St., Ontario, ON M5S 3B2, Canada
| | - Matt Stata
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks St., Ontario, ON M5S 3B2, Canada
| | - Florian A Busch
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Rowan F Sage
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks St., Ontario, ON M5S 3B2, Canada
| | - Martha Ludwig
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Tammy L Sage
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks St., Ontario, ON M5S 3B2, Canada
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