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Kuo YT, Schubert V, Marques A, Schubert I, Houben A. Centromere diversity: How different repeat-based holocentromeres may have evolved. Bioessays 2024; 46:e2400013. [PMID: 38593286 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202400013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2024] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
In addition to monocentric eukaryotes, which have a single localized centromere on each chromosome, there are holocentric species, with extended repeat-based or repeat-less centromeres distributed over the entire chromosome length. At least two types of repeat-based holocentromeres exist, one composed of many small repeat-based centromere units (small unit-type), and another one characterized by a few large centromere units (large unit-type). We hypothesize that the transposable element-mediated dispersal of hundreds of short satellite arrays formed the small centromere unit-type holocentromere in Rhynchospora pubera. The large centromere unit-type of the plant Chionographis japonica is likely a product of simultaneous DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), which initiated the de novo formation of repeat-based holocentromeres via insertion of satellite DNA, derived from extra-chromosomal circular DNAs (eccDNAs). The number of initial DSBs along the chromosomes must be higher than the number of centromere units since only a portion of the breaks will have incorporated eccDNA at an appropriate position to serve as future centromere unit sites. Subsequently, preferential incorporation of the centromeric histone H3 variant at these positions is assumed. The identification of repeat-based holocentromeres across lineages will unveil the centromere plasticity and elucidate the mechanisms underlying the diverse formation of holocentromeres.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Tzu Kuo
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK) Gatersleben, Seeland, Germany
| | - Veit Schubert
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK) Gatersleben, Seeland, Germany
| | - André Marques
- Department of Chromosome Biology, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Cologne, Germany
| | - Ingo Schubert
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK) Gatersleben, Seeland, Germany
| | - Andreas Houben
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK) Gatersleben, Seeland, Germany
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2
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Schubert I. Macromutations Yielding Karyotype Alterations (and the Process(es) behind Them) Are the Favored Route of Carcinogenesis and Speciation. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:554. [PMID: 38339305 PMCID: PMC10854648 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16030554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
It is argued that carcinogenesis and speciation are evolutionary events which are based on changes in the 'karyotypic code' through a phase of 'genome instability', followed by a bottleneck of selection for the viability and adaptability of the initial cells. Genomic (i.e., chromosomal) instability is caused by (massive) DNA breakage and the subsequent mis-repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) resulting in various chromosome rearrangements. Potential tumor cells are selected for rapid somatic proliferation. Cells eventually yielding a novel species need not only to be viable and proliferation proficient, but also to have a balanced genome which, after passing meiosis as another bottleneck and fusing with an identical gamete, can result in a well-adapted organism. Such new organisms should be genetically or geographically isolated from the ancestral population and possess or develop an at least partial sexual barrier.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingo Schubert
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), 04644 Gatersleben, Germany
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3
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Ye JC, Heng HH. Tracking Karyotype Changes in Treatment-Induced Drug-Resistant Evolution. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2825:263-280. [PMID: 38913315 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3946-7_15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/25/2024]
Abstract
Karyotype coding, which encompasses the complete chromosome sets and their topological genomic relationships within a given species, encodes system-level information that organizes and preserves genes' function, and determines the macroevolution of cancer. This new recognition emphasizes the crucial role of karyotype characterization in cancer research. To advance this cancer cytogenetic/cytogenomic concept and its platforms, this study outlines protocols for monitoring the karyotype landscape during treatment-induced rapid drug resistance in cancer. It emphasizes four key perspectives: combinational analyses of phenotype and karyotype, a focus on the entire evolutionary process through longitudinal analysis, a comparison of whole landscape dynamics by including various types of NCCAs (including genome chaos), and the use of the same process to prioritize different genomic scales. This protocol holds promise for studying numerous evolutionary aspects of cancers, and it further enhances the power of karyotype analysis in cancer research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Christine Ye
- Department of Lymphoma/Myeloma, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Henry H Heng
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA.
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Yang X, Liu X, Nie Y, Zhan F, Zhu B. Oxidative stress and ROS-mediated cellular events in RSV infection: potential protective roles of antioxidants. Virol J 2023; 20:224. [PMID: 37798799 PMCID: PMC10557227 DOI: 10.1186/s12985-023-02194-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a member of the Pneumoviridae family, can cause severe acute lower respiratory tract infection in infants, young children, immunocompromised individuals and elderly people. RSV is associated with an augmented innate immune response, enhanced secretion of inflammatory cytokines, and necrosis of infected cells. Oxidative stress, which is mainly characterized as an imbalance in the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidant responses, interacts with all the pathophysiologic processes above and is receiving increasing attention in RSV infection. A gradual accumulation of evidence indicates that ROS overproduction plays an important role in the pathogenesis of severe RSV infection and serves as a major factor in pulmonary inflammation and tissue damage. Thus, antioxidants seem to be an effective treatment for severe RSV infection. This article mainly reviews the information on oxidative stress and ROS-mediated cellular events during RSV infection for the first time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Yang
- Department of Pediatrics, Xiangyang Central Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Hubei University of Arts and Science, Xiangyang, 441021, Hubei, China
| | - Xue Liu
- Department of Pediatrics, Xiangyang Central Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Hubei University of Arts and Science, Xiangyang, 441021, Hubei, China
| | - Yujun Nie
- Department of Pediatrics, Xiangyang Central Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Hubei University of Arts and Science, Xiangyang, 441021, Hubei, China
| | - Fei Zhan
- Department of Pediatrics, Xiangyang Central Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Hubei University of Arts and Science, Xiangyang, 441021, Hubei, China
| | - Bin Zhu
- Department of Pediatrics, Xiangyang Central Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Hubei University of Arts and Science, Xiangyang, 441021, Hubei, China.
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5
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Benada J, Alsowaida D, Megeney LA, Sørensen CS. Self-inflicted DNA breaks in cell differentiation and cancer. Trends Cell Biol 2023; 33:850-859. [PMID: 36997393 DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2023.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 03/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023]
Abstract
Self-inflicted DNA strand breaks are canonically linked with cell death pathways and the establishment of genetic diversity in immune and germline cells. Moreover, this form of DNA damage is an established source of genome instability in cancer development. However, recent studies indicate that nonlethal self-inflicted DNA strand breaks play an indispensable but underappreciated role in a variety of cell processes, including differentiation and cancer therapy responses. Mechanistically, these physiological DNA breaks originate from the activation of nucleases, which are best characterized for inducing DNA fragmentation in apoptotic cell death. In this review, we outline the emerging biology of one critical nuclease, caspase-activated DNase (CAD), and how directed activation or deployment of this enzyme can lead to divergent cell fate outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Benada
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre, University of Copenhagen, Ole Maaløes Vej 5, Copenhagen 2200 N, Denmark
| | - Dalal Alsowaida
- Sprott Centre for Stem Cell Research, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute and the Departments of Medicine and Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, K1H 8L6, Canada; Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Lynn A Megeney
- Sprott Centre for Stem Cell Research, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute and the Departments of Medicine and Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, K1H 8L6, Canada.
| | - Claus S Sørensen
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre, University of Copenhagen, Ole Maaløes Vej 5, Copenhagen 2200 N, Denmark.
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Ding X, Gong X, Fan Y, Cao J, Zhao J, Zhang Y, Wang X, Meng K. DNA double-strand break genetic variants in patients with premature ovarian insufficiency. J Ovarian Res 2023; 16:135. [PMID: 37430352 DOI: 10.1186/s13048-023-01221-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) is a clinically heterogeneous disease that may seriously affect the physical and mental health of women of reproductive age. POI primarily manifests as ovarian function decline and endocrine disorders in women prior to age 40 and is an established cause of female infertility. It is crucial to elucidate the causative factors of POI, not only to expand the understanding of ovarian physiology, but also to provide genetic counselling and fertility guidance to affected patients. Factors leading to POI are multifaceted with genetic factors accounting for 7% to 30%. In recent years, an increasing number of DNA damage-repair-related genes have been linked with the occurrence of POI. Among them, DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), one of the most damaging to DNA, and its main repair methods including homologous recombination (HR) and non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) are of particular interest. Numerous genes are known to be involved in the regulation of programmed DSB formation and damage repair. The abnormal expression of several genes have been shown to trigger defects in the overall repair pathway and induce POI and other diseases. This review summarises the DSB-related genes that may contribute to the development of POI and their potential regulatory mechanisms, which will help to further establish role of DSB in the pathogenesis of POI and provide theoretical guidance for the study of the pathogenesis and clinical treatment of this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuechun Ding
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Birth Defect Research and Transformation of Shandong Province, Jining Medical University, Jining, China
- College of Second Clinical Medical, Jining Medical University, Jining, China
| | - Xiaowei Gong
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Birth Defect Research and Transformation of Shandong Province, Jining Medical University, Jining, China
- College of Second Clinical Medical, Jining Medical University, Jining, China
| | - Yingying Fan
- Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University, Jining, China
| | - Jinghe Cao
- Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University, Jining, China
| | - Jingyu Zhao
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Birth Defect Research and Transformation of Shandong Province, Jining Medical University, Jining, China
- College of Second Clinical Medical, Jining Medical University, Jining, China
| | - Yixin Zhang
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Birth Defect Research and Transformation of Shandong Province, Jining Medical University, Jining, China
- College of Second Clinical Medical, Jining Medical University, Jining, China
| | - Xiaomei Wang
- College of Basic Medicine, Jining Medical University, Jining, China.
| | - Kai Meng
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Birth Defect Research and Transformation of Shandong Province, Jining Medical University, Jining, China.
- Lin He's Academician Workstation of New Medicine and Clinical Translation, Jining Medical University, Jining, China.
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7
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Li C, Guo Y, Wang L, Yan S. The SMC5/6 complex recruits the PAF1 complex to facilitate DNA double-strand break repair in Arabidopsis. EMBO J 2023; 42:e112756. [PMID: 36815434 PMCID: PMC10068331 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2022112756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are one of the most toxic forms of DNA damage, which threatens genome stability. Homologous recombination is an error-free DSB repair pathway, in which the evolutionarily conserved SMC5/6 complex (SMC5/6) plays essential roles. The PAF1 complex (PAF1C) is well known to regulate transcription. Here we show that SMC5/6 recruits PAF1C to facilitate DSB repair in plants. In a genetic screen for DNA damage response mutants (DDRMs), we found that the Arabidopsis ddrm4 mutant is hypersensitive to DSB-inducing agents and is defective in homologous recombination. DDRM4 encodes PAF1, a core subunit of PAF1C. Further biochemical and genetic studies reveal that SMC5/6 recruits PAF1C to DSB sites, where PAF1C further recruits the E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes UBC1/2, which interact with the E3 ubiquitin ligases HUB1/2 to mediate the monoubiquitination of histone H2B at DSBs. These results implicate SMC5/6-PAF1C-UBC1/2-HUB1/2 as a new axis for DSB repair through homologous recombination, revealing a new mechanism of SMC5/6 and uncovering a novel function of PAF1C.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cunliang Li
- Hubei Hongshan LaboratoryWuhanChina
- College of Life Science and TechnologyHuazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhanChina
- Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and HealthHuazhong Agricultural UniversityShenzhenChina
- Shenzhen BranchGuangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern AgricultureShenzhenChina
- Agricultural Genomics Institute at ShenzhenChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesShenzhenChina
| | - Yuyu Guo
- Hubei Hongshan LaboratoryWuhanChina
- College of Life Science and TechnologyHuazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhanChina
- Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and HealthHuazhong Agricultural UniversityShenzhenChina
- Shenzhen BranchGuangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern AgricultureShenzhenChina
- Agricultural Genomics Institute at ShenzhenChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesShenzhenChina
| | - Lili Wang
- Hubei Hongshan LaboratoryWuhanChina
- College of Life Science and TechnologyHuazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhanChina
- Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and HealthHuazhong Agricultural UniversityShenzhenChina
- Shenzhen BranchGuangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern AgricultureShenzhenChina
- Agricultural Genomics Institute at ShenzhenChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesShenzhenChina
| | - Shunping Yan
- Hubei Hongshan LaboratoryWuhanChina
- College of Life Science and TechnologyHuazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhanChina
- Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and HealthHuazhong Agricultural UniversityShenzhenChina
- Shenzhen BranchGuangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern AgricultureShenzhenChina
- Agricultural Genomics Institute at ShenzhenChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesShenzhenChina
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8
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Jiang J, Ou X, Han D, He Z, Liu S, Mao N, Zhang Z, Peng CL, Lai J, Yang C. A diRNA-protein scaffold module mediates SMC5/6 recruitment in plant DNA repair. THE PLANT CELL 2022; 34:3899-3914. [PMID: 35775944 PMCID: PMC9516202 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koac191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
In eukaryotes, the STRUCTURAL MAINTENANCE OF CHROMOSOME 5/6 (SMC5/6) complex is critical to maintaining chromosomal structures around double-strand breaks (DSBs) in DNA damage repair. However, the recruitment mechanism of this conserved complex at DSBs remains unclear. In this study, using Arabidopsis thaliana as a model, we found that SMC5/6 localization at DSBs is dependent on the protein scaffold containing INVOLVED IN DE NOVO 2 (IDN2), CELL DIVISION CYCLE 5 (CDC5), and ALTERATION/DEFICIENCY IN ACTIVATION 2B (ADA2b), whose recruitment is further mediated by DNA-damage-induced RNAs (diRNAs) generated from DNA regions around DSBs. The physical interactions of protein components including SMC5-ADA2b, ADA2b-CDC5, and CDC5-IDN2 result in formation of the protein scaffold. Further analysis indicated that the DSB localization of IDN2 requires its RNA-binding activity and ARGONAUTE 2 (AGO2), indicating a role for the AGO2-diRNA complex in this process. Given that most of the components in the scaffold are conserved, the mechanism presented here, which connects SMC5/6 recruitment and small RNAs, will improve our understanding of DNA repair mechanisms in eukaryotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jieming Jiang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Plant Development, School of Life Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Xiaolin Ou
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Plant Development, School of Life Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Danlu Han
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Plant Development, School of Life Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Zhipeng He
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Plant Development, School of Life Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Song Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Plant Development, School of Life Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Ning Mao
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Plant Development, School of Life Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Zhonghui Zhang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Plant Development, School of Life Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Chang-Lian Peng
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Plant Development, School of Life Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Jianbin Lai
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Plant Development, School of Life Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Chengwei Yang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Plant Development, School of Life Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
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Lysak MA. Celebrating Mendel, McClintock, and Darlington: On end-to-end chromosome fusions and nested chromosome fusions. THE PLANT CELL 2022; 34:2475-2491. [PMID: 35441689 PMCID: PMC9252491 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koac116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
The evolution of eukaryotic genomes is accompanied by fluctuations in chromosome number, reflecting cycles of chromosome number increase (polyploidy and centric fissions) and decrease (chromosome fusions). Although all chromosome fusions result from DNA recombination between two or more nonhomologous chromosomes, several mechanisms of descending dysploidy are exploited by eukaryotes to reduce their chromosome number. Genome sequencing and comparative genomics have accelerated the identification of inter-genome chromosome collinearity and gross chromosomal rearrangements and have shown that end-to-end chromosome fusions (EEFs) and nested chromosome fusions (NCFs) may have played a more important role in the evolution of eukaryotic karyotypes than previously thought. The present review aims to summarize the limited knowledge on the origin, frequency, and evolutionary implications of EEF and NCF events in eukaryotes and especially in land plants. The interactions between nonhomologous chromosomes in interphase nuclei and chromosome (mis)pairing during meiosis are examined for their potential importance in the origin of EEFs and NCFs. The remaining open questions that need to be addressed are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin A Lysak
- CEITEC—Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, CZ-625 00, Czech Republic
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Hörandl E. Novel Approaches for Species Concepts and Delimitation in Polyploids and Hybrids. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 11:plants11020204. [PMID: 35050093 PMCID: PMC8781807 DOI: 10.3390/plants11020204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Revised: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Hybridization and polyploidization are important processes for plant evolution. However, classification of hybrid or polyploid species has been notoriously difficult because of the complexity of processes and different evolutionary scenarios that do not fit with classical species concepts. Polyploid complexes are formed via combinations of allopolyploidy, autopolyploidy and homoploid hybridization with persisting sexual reproduction, resulting in many discrete lineages that have been classified as species. Polyploid complexes with facultative apomixis result in complicated net-work like clusters, or rarely in agamospecies. Various case studies illustrate the problems that apply to traditional species concepts to hybrids and polyploids. Conceptual progress can be made if lineage formation is accepted as an inevitable consequence of meiotic sex, which is established already in the first eukaryotes as a DNA restoration tool. The turnaround of the viewpoint that sex forms species as lineages helps to overcome traditional thinking of species as "units". Lineage formation and self-sustainability is the prerequisite for speciation and can also be applied to hybrids and polyploids. Species delimitation is aided by the improved recognition of lineages via various novel -omics methods, by understanding meiosis functions, and by recognizing functional phenotypes by considering morphological-physiological-ecological adaptations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elvira Hörandl
- Department of Systematics, Biodiversity and Evolution of Plants (with Herbarium), University of Goettingen, 37073 Göttingen, Germany
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Crkvenjakov R, Heng HH. Further illusions: On key evolutionary mechanisms that could never fit with Modern Synthesis. PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2021; 169-170:3-11. [PMID: 34767862 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2021.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Revised: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
In the light of illusions of the Modern Synthesis (MS) listed by Noble (2021a), its key concept, that gradual accumulation of gene mutations within microevolution leads to macroevolution, requires reexamination. In this article, additional illusions of the MS are identified as being caused by the absence of system information and correct history. First, the MS lacks distinction among the two basic types of information: genome-defined system and gene-defined parts-information, as its treatment was based mostly on gene information. In contrast, it is argued here that system information is maintained by species-specific karyotype code, and macroevolution is based on the whole genome information package rather than on specific genes. Linking the origin of species with system information shows that the creation and accumulation of the latter in evolution is the fundamental question omitted from the MS. Second, modern evidence eliminates the MS's preferred theory that present evolutionary events can be linearly extrapolated to the past to reconstruct Life's history, wrongly assuming that most of the fossil record supports the gradual change while ignoring the true karyotype/genome patterns. Furthermore, stasis, as the most prominent pattern of the deep history of Life, remains a puzzle to the MS, but can be explained by the mechanism of karyotype-preservation-via-sex. Consequently, the concept of system-information is smoothly integrated into the two-phased evolutionary model that paleontology requires (Eldredge and Gould, 1972). Finally, research on genome-level causation of evolution, which does not fit the MS, is summarized. The availability of alternative concepts further illustrates that it is time to depart from the MS.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Henry H Heng
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Genomics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA; Department of Pathology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA.
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