1
|
Chen H, Yuan YW. Genetic basis of nectar guide trichome variation between bumblebee- and self-pollinated monkeyflowers ( Mimulus): role of the MIXTA-like gene GUIDELESS. BMC Plant Biol 2024; 24:62. [PMID: 38262916 PMCID: PMC10804488 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-024-04736-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
Nectar guide trichomes play crucial ecological roles in bee-pollinated flowers, as they serve as footholds and guides for foraging bees to access the floral rewards. However, the genetic basis of natural variation in nectar guide trichomes among species remains poorly understood. In this study, we performed genetic analysis of nectar guide trichome variation between two closely related monkeyflower (Mimulus) species, the bumblebee-pollinated Mimulus lewisii and self-pollinated M. parishii. We demonstrate that a MIXTA-like R2R3-MYB gene, GUIDELESS, is a major contributor to the nectar guide trichome length variation between the two species. The short-haired M. parishii carries a recessive allele due to non-synonymous substitutions in a highly conserved motif among MIXTA-like MYB proteins. Furthermore, our results suggest that besides GUIDELESS, additional loci encoding repressors of trichome elongation also contribute to the transition from bumblebee-pollination to selfing. Taken together, these results suggest that during a pollination syndrome switch, changes in seemingly complex traits such as nectar guide trichomes could have a relatively simple genetic basis, involving just a few genes of large effects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hongfei Chen
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA.
| | - Yao-Wu Yuan
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA.
- Institute for Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Williamson M, Gerhard D, Hulme PE, Millar A, Chapman H. High-performing plastic clones best explain the spread of yellow monkeyflower from lowland to higher elevation areas in New Zealand. J Evol Biol 2023; 36:1455-1470. [PMID: 37731241 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.14218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Revised: 08/19/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
The relative contribution of adaptation and phenotypic plasticity can vary between core and edge populations, with implications for invasive success. We investigated the spread of the invasive yellow monkeyflower, Erythranthe gutatta in New Zealand, where it is spreading from lowland agricultural land into high-elevation conservation areas. We investigated the extent of phenotypic variation among clones from across the South Island, looked for adaptation and compared degrees of plasticity among lowland core versus montane range-edge populations. We grew 34 clones and measured their vegetative and floral traits in two common gardens, one in the core range at 9 m a.s.l. and one near the range-edge at 560 m a.s.l. Observed trait variation was explained by a combination of genotypic diversity (as identified through common gardens) and high phenotypic plasticity. We found a subtle signature of local adaptation to lowland habitats but all clones were plastic and able to survive and reproduce in both gardens. In the range-edge garden, above-ground biomass was on average almost double and stolon length almost half that of the same clone in the core garden. Clones from low-elevation sites showed higher plasticity on average than those from higher elevation sites. The highest performing clones in the core garden were also top performers in the range-edge garden. These results suggest some highly fit general-purpose genotypes, possibly pre-adapted to New Zealand montane conditions, best explains the spread of E. gutatta from lowland to higher elevation areas.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Williamson
- Institute of Environmental Science and Research ESR Christchurch, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Daniel Gerhard
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Philip E Hulme
- Department of Pest Management and Conservation, Lincoln University, Lincoln, New Zealand
- Bioprotection Aotearoa, Lincoln University, Lincoln, New Zealand
| | - Aaron Millar
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Hazel Chapman
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Morales‐Briones DF, Lin N, Huang EY, Grossenbacher DL, Sobel JM, Gilmore CD, Tank DC, Yang Y. Phylogenomic analyses in Phrymaceae reveal extensive gene tree discordance in relationships among major clades. Am J Bot 2022; 109:1035-1046. [PMID: 35462411 PMCID: PMC9328367 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Phylogenomic datasets using genomes and transcriptomes provide rich opportunities beyond resolving bifurcating phylogenetic relationships. Monkeyflower (Phrymaceae) is a model system for evolutionary ecology. However, it lacks a well-supported phylogeny as a basis for a stable taxonomy and for macroevolutionary comparisons. METHODS We sampled 24 genomes and transcriptomes in Phrymaceae and closely related families, including eight newly sequenced transcriptomes. We reconstructed the phylogeny using IQ-TREE and ASTRAL, evaluated gene tree discordance using PhyParts, Quartet Sampling, and a cloudogram, and carried out reticulation analyses using PhyloNet and HyDe. We searched for whole genome duplication (WGD) events using chromosome numbers, synonymous distances, and gene duplication events as evidence. RESULTS Most gene trees support the monophyly of Phrymaceae and each of its tribes. Most gene trees also support tribe Mimuleae being sister to Phrymeae + Diplaceae + Leucocarpeae, with extensive gene tree discordance among the latter three. Despite the discordance, the monophyly of Mimulus s.l. is rejected, and no individual reticulation event among the Phrymaceae tribes is well-supported. Reticulation likely occurred among Erythranthe bicolor and closely related species. No ancient WGD was detected in Phrymaceae. Instead, small-scale duplications are among potential drivers of macroevolutionary diversification of Phrymaceae. CONCLUSIONS We show that analysis of reticulate evolution is sensitive to taxon sampling and methods used. We also demonstrate that phylogenomic datasets using genomes and transcriptomes present rich opportunities to investigate gene family evolution and genome duplication events involved in lineage diversification and adaptation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Diego F. Morales‐Briones
- Department of Plant and Microbial BiologyUniversity of Minnesota‐Twin Cities1445 Gortner AvenueSt. PaulMinnesota55108‐1095USA
- Systematics, Biodiversity and Evolution of Plants, Department of Biology I, Ludwig‐Maximilians‐Universität MünchenMenzinger Strasse 6780638MunichGermany
| | - Nan Lin
- Department of Plant and Microbial BiologyUniversity of Minnesota‐Twin Cities1445 Gortner AvenueSt. PaulMinnesota55108‐1095USA
- College of Life ScienceHenan Agricultural University63 Nongye RoadZhengzhouHenan450002China
| | - Eileen Y. Huang
- Department of Plant and Microbial BiologyUniversity of Minnesota‐Twin Cities1445 Gortner AvenueSt. PaulMinnesota55108‐1095USA
| | - Dena L. Grossenbacher
- Biological Sciences DepartmentCalifornia Polytechnic State University, 1 Grand Avenue, San Luis ObispoCalifornia93407USA
| | - James M. Sobel
- Department of Biological SciencesBinghamton University (State University of New York), 4400 Vestal Parkway E, BinghamtonNew York13902USA
| | - Caroline D. Gilmore
- Department of Biological SciencesBinghamton University (State University of New York), 4400 Vestal Parkway E, BinghamtonNew York13902USA
| | - David C. Tank
- Department of Botany & Rocky Mountain HerbariumUniversity of Wyoming, 1000 E. University Avenue, LaramieWyoming82071USA
| | - Ya Yang
- Department of Plant and Microbial BiologyUniversity of Minnesota‐Twin Cities1445 Gortner AvenueSt. PaulMinnesota55108‐1095USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Ding B, Li J, Gurung V, Lin Q, Sun X, Yuan YW. The leaf polarity factors SGS3 and YABBYs regulate style elongation through auxin signaling in Mimulus lewisii. New Phytol 2021; 232:2191-2206. [PMID: 34449905 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Style length is a major determinant of breeding strategies in flowering plants and can vary dramatically between and within species. However, little is known about the genetic and developmental control of style elongation. We characterized the role of two classes of leaf adaxial-abaxial polarity factors, SUPPRESSOR OF GENE SILENCING3 (SGS3) and the YABBY family transcription factors, in the regulation of style elongation in Mimulus lewisii. We also examined the spatiotemporal patterns of auxin response during style development. Loss of SGS3 function led to reduced style length via limiting cell division, and downregulation of YABBY genes by RNA interference resulted in shorter styles by decreasing both cell division and cell elongation. We discovered an auxin response minimum between the stigma and ovary during the early stages of pistil development that marks style differentiation. Subsequent redistribution of auxin response to this region was correlated with style elongation. Auxin response was substantially altered when both SGS3 and YABBY functions were disrupted. We suggest that auxin signaling plays a central role in style elongation and that the way in which auxin signaling controls the different cell division and elongation patterns underpinning natural style length variation is a major question for future research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Baoqing Ding
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA
| | - Jingjian Li
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA
- College of Forestry and Landscape Architecture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Vandana Gurung
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA
| | - Qiaoshan Lin
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA
| | - Xuemei Sun
- Qinghai Key Laboratory of Genetics and Physiology of Vegetables, Qinghai University, Xining, 810008, China
| | - Yao-Wu Yuan
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA
- Institute for Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Simón-Porcar VI, Silva JL, Vallejo-Marín M. Rapid local adaptation in both sexual and asexual invasive populations of monkeyflowers ( Mimulus spp.). Ann Bot 2021; 127:655-668. [PMID: 33604608 PMCID: PMC8052927 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcab004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Traditionally, local adaptation has been seen as the outcome of a long evolutionary history, particularly with regard to sexual lineages. By contrast, phenotypic plasticity has been thought to be most important during the initial stages of population establishment and in asexual species. We evaluated the roles of adaptive evolution and phenotypic plasticity in the invasive success of two closely related species of invasive monkeyflowers (Mimulus) in the UK that have contrasting reproductive strategies: M. guttatus combines sexual (seeds) and asexual (clonal growth) reproduction while M. × robertsii is entirely asexual. METHODS We compared the clonality (number of stolons), floral and vegetative phenotype, and phenotypic plasticity of native (M. guttatus) and invasive (M. guttatus and M. × robertsii) populations grown in controlled environment chambers under the environmental conditions at each latitudinal extreme of the UK. The goal was to discern the roles of temperature and photoperiod on the expression of phenotypic traits. Next, we tested the existence of local adaptation in the two species within the invasive range with a reciprocal transplant experiment at two field sites in the latitudinal extremes of the UK, and analysed which phenotypic traits underlie potential local fitness advantages in each species. KEY RESULTS Populations of M. guttatus in the UK showed local adaptation through sexual function (fruit production), while M. × robertsii showed local adaptation via asexual function (stolon production). Phenotypic selection analyses revealed that different traits are associated with fitness in each species. Invasive and native populations of M. guttatus had similar phenotypic plasticity and clonality. M. × robertsii presents greater plasticity and clonality than native M. guttatus, but most populations have restricted clonality under the warm conditions of the south of the UK. CONCLUSIONS This study provides experimental evidence of local adaptation in a strictly asexual invasive species with high clonality and phenotypic plasticity. This indicates that even asexual taxa can rapidly (<200 years) adapt to novel environmental conditions in which alternative strategies may not ensure the persistence of populations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Violeta I Simón-Porcar
- Departmento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Universidad de Sevilla, Apartado 1095, E-41080 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Jose L Silva
- Pyrenean Institute of Ecology (CSIC), Avenida Montañana 1005, 50059 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Mario Vallejo-Marín
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, Scotland FK9 4LA, UK
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Popovic D, Lowry DB. Contrasting environmental factors drive local adaptation at opposite ends of an environmental gradient in the yellow monkeyflower ( Mimulus guttatus). Am J Bot 2020; 107:298-307. [PMID: 31989586 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2019] [Accepted: 09/13/2019] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Identifying the environmental factors responsible for natural selection across different habitats is crucial for understanding the process of local adaptation in plants. Despite its importance, few studies have successfully isolated the environmental factors driving local adaptation in nature. In this study, we evaluated the agents of selection responsible for local adaptation of the monkeyflower Mimulus guttatus to California's coastal and inland habitats. METHODS We implemented a manipulative reciprocal transplant experiment at coastal and inland sites, where we excluded aboveground stressors in an effort to elucidate their role in the evolution of local adaptation. RESULTS Excluding aboveground stressors, most likely a combination of salt spray and herbivory, completely rescued inland annual plant fitness when transplanted to coastal habitat. The exclosures in inland habitat provided a benefit to the performance of coastal perennial plants. However, the exclosures are unlikely to provide much fitness benefit to the coastal plants at the inland site because of their general inability to flower in time to escape from the summer drought. CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrates that a distinct set of selective agents (aboveground vs. belowground) are responsible for local adaptation at opposite ends of an environmental gradient.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Damian Popovic
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
- Program in Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - David B Lowry
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
- Program in Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
- Plant Resilience Institute, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Abstract
Evolutionary biologists are increasingly using population genetic variation across genomes to address questions around the origin and ongoing evolution of species. Patterns of differentiation between closely related species are highly variable across the genome, and a wide variety of processes contribute to that variation. There is an emerging pattern of parallelism, whereby different species pairs in groups of related species show similar differentiation patterns across their genomes, offering an opportunity to test hypotheses regarding the processes underlying species differentiation. A recent study used both simulations and empirical data to investigate different forms of selection in a radiation of monkeyflowers. The parallel patterns emerged very rapidly after divergence and could not be readily explained by selection for removal of deleterious mutations but instead likely results from some combination of adaptive evolution, species incompatibilities, and ongoing gene flow. Overall, an emerging pattern is that there may be a surprising degree of predictability in the genetic architecture of species differences across groups of related species. Genetic variation across genomes can be used to address long-standing questions over the origin and ongoing evolution of species. This Primer explores the implications of one such study that is suggesting a surprising repeatability in patterns of genetic divergence across genomes and between species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chris D. Jiggins
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Christopher DA, Mitchell RJ, Trapnell DW, Smallwood PA, Semski WR, Karron JD. Hermaphroditism promotes mate diversity in flowering plants. Am J Bot 2019; 106:1131-1136. [PMID: 31403705 PMCID: PMC6852098 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2019] [Accepted: 06/04/2019] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Genetically diverse sibships are thought to increase parental fitness through a reduction in the intensity of sib competition, and through increased opportunities for seedling establishment in spatially or temporally heterogeneous environments. Nearly all research on mate diversity in flowering plants has focused on the number of fathers siring seeds within a fruit or on a maternal plant. Yet as hermaphrodites, plants can also accrue mate diversity by siring offspring on several pollen recipients in a population. Here we explore whether mate composition overlaps between the dual sex functions, and discuss the implications for plant reproductive success. METHODS We established an experimental population of 49 Mimulus ringens (monkeyflower) plants, each trimmed to a single flower. Following pollination by wild bees, we quantified mate composition for each flower through both paternal and maternal function. Parentage was successfully assigned to 240 progeny, 98% of the sampled seeds. RESULTS Comparison of mate composition between male and female function revealed high mate diversity, with almost no outcross mates shared between the two sexual functions of the same flower. CONCLUSIONS Dual sex roles contribute to a near doubling of mate diversity in our experimental population of Mimulus ringens. This finding may help explain the maintenance of hermaphroditism under conditions that would otherwise favor the evolution of separate sexes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dorothy A. Christopher
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Wisconsin – Milwaukee3209 N. Maryland AveMilwaukeeWisconsin53211USA
| | | | - Dorset W. Trapnell
- Department of Plant BiologyUniversity of Georgia120 Carlton StAthensGeorgia30602USA
| | - Patrick A. Smallwood
- Department of Plant BiologyUniversity of Georgia120 Carlton StAthensGeorgia30602USA
| | - Wendy R. Semski
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Wisconsin – Milwaukee3209 N. Maryland AveMilwaukeeWisconsin53211USA
| | - Jeffrey D. Karron
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Wisconsin – Milwaukee3209 N. Maryland AveMilwaukeeWisconsin53211USA
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Colicchio J. Transgenerational effects alter plant defence and resistance in nature. J Evol Biol 2017; 30:664-680. [PMID: 28102915 PMCID: PMC5382043 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2016] [Revised: 01/09/2017] [Accepted: 01/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Trichomes, or leaf hairs, are epidermal extensions that take a variety of forms and perform many functions in plants, including herbivore defence. In this study, I document genetically determined variation, within-generation plasticity, and a direct role of trichomes in herbivore defence for Mimulus guttatus. After establishing the relationship between trichomes and herbivory, I test for transgenerational effects of wounding on trichome density and herbivore resistance. Patterns of interannual variation in herbivore density and the high cost of plant defence makes plant-herbivore interactions a system in which transgenerational phenotypic plasticity (TPP) is apt to evolve. Here, I demonstrate that parental damage alters offspring trichome density and herbivore resistance in nature. Moreover, this response varies between populations. This is among the first studies to demonstrate that TPP contributes to variation in nature, and also suggests that selection can modify TPP in response to local conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J Colicchio
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
von Wettberg EJB, Marques E, Murren CJ. Local adaptation or foreign advantage? Effective use of a single-test site common garden to evaluate adaptation across ecological scales. New Phytol 2016; 211:8-10. [PMID: 27240708 DOI: 10.1111/nph.14029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2016] [Accepted: 04/28/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Eric J B von Wettberg
- Department of Biological Sciences and International Center for Tropical Botany, Florida International University, Miami, FL, 33199, USA
| | - Edward Marques
- Department of Biological Sciences and International Center for Tropical Botany, Florida International University, Miami, FL, 33199, USA
| | - Courtney J Murren
- Department of Biology, College of Charleston, Charleston, SC, 29424, USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Balogun FO, Tshabalala NT, Ashafa AOT. Antidiabetic Medicinal Plants Used by the Basotho Tribe of Eastern Free State: A Review. J Diabetes Res 2016; 2016:4602820. [PMID: 27437404 PMCID: PMC4942634 DOI: 10.1155/2016/4602820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2016] [Revised: 03/09/2016] [Accepted: 03/31/2016] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Diabetes mellitus (DM) belongs to the group of five leading important diseases causing death globally and remains a major health problem in Africa. A number of factors such as poverty, poor eating habit, and hormonal imbalance are responsible for the occurrence of the disease. It poses a major health challenge in Africa continent today and the prevalence continues to increase at an alarming rate. Various treatment options particularly the usage of herbs have been effective against diabetes because they have no adverse effects. Interestingly, South Africa, especially the Basotho tribe, is blessed with numerous medicinal plants whose usage in the treatment of DM has been effective since the conventional drugs are expensive and often unaffordable. The present study attempted to update the various scientific evidence on the twenty-three (23) plants originating from different parts of the world but widely used by the Sotho people in the management of DM. Asteraceae topped the list of sixteen (16) plant families and remained the most investigated according to this review. Although limited information was obtained on the antidiabetic activities of these plants, it is however anticipated that government parastatals and scientific communities will pay more attention to these plants in future research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fatai Oladunni Balogun
- Phytomedicine and Phytopharmacology Research Group, Department of Plant Sciences, University of the Free State, Qwaqwa Campus, Private Bag X 13, Phuthaditjhaba 9866, South Africa
| | - Natu Thomas Tshabalala
- Phytomedicine and Phytopharmacology Research Group, Department of Plant Sciences, University of the Free State, Qwaqwa Campus, Private Bag X 13, Phuthaditjhaba 9866, South Africa
| | - Anofi Omotayo Tom Ashafa
- Phytomedicine and Phytopharmacology Research Group, Department of Plant Sciences, University of the Free State, Qwaqwa Campus, Private Bag X 13, Phuthaditjhaba 9866, South Africa
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Kooyers NJ. The evolution of drought escape and avoidance in natural herbaceous populations. Plant Sci 2015; 234:155-62. [PMID: 25804818 DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2015.02.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 167] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2014] [Revised: 02/04/2015] [Accepted: 02/19/2015] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
While the functional genetics and physiological mechanisms controlling drought resistance in crop plants have been intensely studied, less research has examined the genetic basis of adaptation to drought stress in natural populations. Drought resistance adaptations in nature reflect natural rather than human-mediated selection and may identify novel mechanisms for stress tolerance. Adaptations conferring drought resistance have historically been divided into alternative strategies including drought escape (rapid development to complete a life cycle before drought) and drought avoidance (reducing water loss to prevent dehydration). Recent studies in genetic model systems such as Arabidopsis, Mimulus, and Panicum have begun to elucidate the genes, expression profiles, and physiological changes responsible for ecologically important variation in drought resistance. Similar to most crop plants, variation in drought escape and avoidance is complex, underlain by many QTL of small effect, and pervasive gene by environment interactions. Recently identified major-effect alleles point to a significant role for genetic constraints in limiting the concurrent evolution of both drought escape and avoidance strategies, although these constraints are not universally found. This progress suggests that understanding the mechanistic basic and fitness consequences of gene by environment interactions will be critical for crop improvement and forecasting population persistence in unpredictable environments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J Kooyers
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
|