scholarly journals Reassessing the evolution of strigolactone synthesis and signalling

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catriona Walker ◽  
Tom Bennett
Keyword(s):  
Ubiquitin Ligase ◽  
Evolutionary History ◽  
Land Plant ◽  
Flowering Plants ◽  
Target Proteins ◽  
The Core ◽  
Endogenous Plant Hormones ◽  
Signalling Molecule ◽  
History Of ◽  
Endogenous Plant

ABSTRACTStrigolactones (SLs) are an important class of carotenoid-derived signalling molecule in plants, which function both as exogenous signals in the rhizosphere, and as endogenous plant hormones. In flowering plants, SLs are synthesized by a core pathway of four enzymes, and are perceived by the DWARF14 (D14) receptor, leading to degradation of SMAX1-LIKE7 (SMXL7) target proteins in a manner dependent on the SCFMAX2 ubiquitin ligase. The evolutionary history of SLs is poorly understood, and it is not clear whether SL synthesis and signalling are present in all land plant lineages, nor when these traits evolved. We have utilized recently-generated genomic and transcriptomic sequences from across the land plant clade to resolve the origin of each known component of SL synthesis and signalling. We show that all enzymes in the core SL synthesis pathway originated at or before the base of land plants, consistent with the previously observed distribution of SLs themselves in land plant lineages. We also show that the late-acting enzyme LATERAL BRANCHING OXIDOREDUCTASE (LBO) is considerably more ancient than previously thought. We perform a detailed phylogenetic analysis of SMXL proteins, and show that specific SL target proteins only arose in flowering plants. We also assess diversity and protein structure in the SMXL family, identifying several previously unknown clades. Overall, our results suggest that SL synthesis is much more ancient than canonical SL signalling, consistent with the idea that SLs first evolved as rhizosphere signals, and were only recruited much later as hormonal signals.

A fossil record of land plant origins from charophyte algae

Science ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 373 (6556) ◽  
pp. 792-796 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul K. Strother ◽  
Clinton Foster
Keyword(s):  
Fossil Record ◽  
Evolutionary History ◽  
Phylogenetic Signal ◽  
Land Plant ◽  
Fossil Plants ◽  
Fossil Plant ◽  
Molecular Phylogenetic ◽  
History Of ◽  
Time Gap ◽  
Evolutionary Continuity

Molecular time trees indicating that embryophytes originated around 500 million years ago (Ma) during the Cambrian are at odds with the record of fossil plants, which first appear in the mid-Silurian almost 80 million years later. This time gap has been attributed to a missing fossil plant record, but that attribution belies the case for fossil spores. Here, we describe a Tremadocian (Early Ordovician, about 480 Ma) assemblage with elements of both Cambrian and younger embryophyte spores that provides a new level of evolutionary continuity between embryophytes and their algal ancestors. This finding suggests that the molecular phylogenetic signal retains a latent evolutionary history of the acquisition of the embryophytic developmental genome, a history that perhaps began during Ediacaran-Cambrian time but was not completed until the mid-Silurian (about 430 Ma).

scholarly journals Most Compositae (Asteraceae) are descendants of a paleohexaploid and all share a paleotetraploid ancestor with the Calyceraceae

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael S. Barker ◽  
Zheng Li ◽  
Thomas I. Kidder ◽  
Chris R. Reardon ◽  
Zhao Lai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Family ◽  
Linkage Map ◽  
Evolutionary History ◽  
Genome Duplication ◽  
Nuclear Gene ◽  
Flowering Plants ◽  
The Family ◽  
History Of ◽  
Phylogenomic Analyses

AbstractPremise of the studyLike many other flowering plants, members of the Compositae (Asteraceae) have a polyploid ancestry. Previous analyses found evidence for an ancient duplication or possibly triplication in the early evolutionary history of the family. We sought to better place this paleopolyploidy in the phylogeny and assess its nature.MethodsWe sequenced new transcriptomes for Barnadesia, the lineage sister to all other Compositae, and four representatives of closely related families. Using a recently developed algorithm, MAPS, we analyzed nuclear gene family phylogenies for evidence of paleopolyploidy.Key resultsWe found that the previously recognized Compositae paleopolyploidy is also in the ancestry of the Calyceraceae. Our phylogenomic analyses uncovered evidence for a successive second round of genome duplication among all sampled Compositae except Barnadesia.ConclusionsOur analyses of new samples with new tools provide a revised view of paleopolyploidy in the Compositae. Together with results from a high density Lactuca linkage map, our results suggest that the Compositae and Calyceraceae have a common paleotetraploid ancestor and most Compositae are descendants of a paleohexaploid. Although paleohexaploids have been previously identified, this is the first example where the paleotetraploid and paleohexaploid lineages have survived over tens of millions of years. The complex polyploidy in the ancestry of the Compositae and Calyceraceae represents a unique opportunity to study the long-term evolutionary fates and consequences of different ploidal levels.

scholarly journals The earliest beetle with mouthparts specialized for feeding on nectar is a parasitoid of mid-Cretaceous Hymenoptera

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Batelka ◽  
Jakub Prokop
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary History ◽  
Close Association ◽  
Flowering Plants ◽  
Feeding Strategies ◽  
Life Stages ◽  
Early Permian ◽  
Burmese Amber ◽  
Nectar Feeding ◽  
Extant Species ◽  
History Of

Abstract Background During the Mesozoic, there were many insects in several holometabolous orders (Neuroptera, Mecoptera and Diptera) with elongated mouthparts adapted for feeding on nectar. The evolutionary history of the megadiverse order Coleptera, which has a great diversity of mouthparts and feeding strategies, is well documented since early Permian with a significant peak in diversity in the Triassic. Currently, however, there is no evidence that in the Mesozoic these beetles fed on nectar despite the recorded specializations for pollination of flowering plants in several families since the mid-Cretaceous. Results Here we describe a new wedge-shaped beetle Melanosiagon serraticornis gen. et sp. nov. from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber attributed to Macrosiagonini (Ripiphoridae: Ripiphorinae), which has elongated galea comparable to that in the extant parasitoid genus Macrosiagon, and a well known example of adaptation for nectar feeding in Coleoptera. Furthermore, Salignacicola gen. nov. is established for Macrosiagon ebboi Perrichot, Nel et Néraudeau, 2004, based on the holotype found in mid-Cretaceous amber from France. Systematic positions of both newly established genera are discussed. A list of potential wasp and bee hosts of Ripiphorinae from the Mesozoic is provided. Conclusions This study presents evidence of the earliest occurrence of specialized nectar feeding mouthparts in Coleoptera. Melanosiagon serraticornis is closely related to extant Macrosiagonini. In all genera belonging to subfamily Ripiphorinae the primary larvae are adapted for parasitism on aculeate Hymenoptera (bees and wasps) and adults are associated with blossoms of flowering plants, in terms of their specialized morphology. Adults of Macrosiagon visit blossoms of flowering plants to obtain nectar and lay eggs from which the hatching larvae attack visiting wasps and bees. An association with flowers of some tropical trees is already corroborated in some extant species. Interestingly the larvae of Ripiphorinae are also found in Burmese amber. Thus, both life stages of the mid-Cretaceous Ripiphorinae indicate a close association of this lineage with flowering trees.

scholarly journals Cryogenian Origin and Subsequent Diversification of the Plant Cell-Wall Enzyme XTH Family

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naoki Shinohara ◽  
Kazuhiko Nishitani
Keyword(s):  
Cell Wall ◽  
Plant Cell ◽  
Evolutionary History ◽  
Plant Cell Wall ◽  
Plant Biomass ◽  
Land Plant ◽  
Cell Wall Polysaccharides ◽  
Fungal Cell ◽  
Considerable Uncertainty ◽  
History Of

Abstract All land plants encode large multigene families of xyloglucan endotransglucosylase/hydrolases (XTHs), plant-specific enzymes that cleave and reconnect plant cell-wall polysaccharides. Despite the ubiquity of these enzymes, considerable uncertainty remains regarding the evolutionary history of the XTH family. Phylogenomic and comparative analyses in this study traced the non-plant origins of the XTH family to Alphaproteobacteria ExoKs, bacterial enzymes involved in loosening biofilms, rather than Firmicutes licheninases, plant biomass digesting enzymes, as previously supposed. The relevant horizontal gene transfer (HGT) event was mapped to the divergence of non-swimming charophycean algae in the Cryogenian geological period. This HGT event was the likely origin of charophycean EG16-2s, which are putative intermediates between ExoKs and XTHs. Another HGT event in the Cryogenian may have led from EG16-2s or ExoKs to fungal CRHs, enzymes that cleave and reconnect chitin and glucans in fungal cell walls. This successive transfer of enzyme-encoding genes may have supported the adaptation of plants and fungi to the ancient icy environment by facilitating their sessile lifestyles. Furthermore, several protein evolutionary steps, including coevolution of substrate-interacting residues and putative intra-family gene fusion, occurred in the land plant lineage and drove diversification of the XTH family. At least some of those events correlated with the evolutionary gain of broader substrate specificities, which may have underpinned the expansion of the XTH family by enhancing duplicated gene survival. Together, this study highlights the Precambrian evolution of life and the mode of multigene family expansion in the evolutionary history of the XTH family.

scholarly journals The Aquilegia genome reveals a hybrid origin of core eudicots

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gökçe Aköz ◽  
Magnus Nordborg
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary History ◽  
Genetic Material ◽  
Diploid Species ◽  
Hybrid Origin ◽  
The Core ◽  
Whole Genome Duplications ◽  
Core Eudicots ◽  
Eventual Return ◽  
Genome Duplications ◽  
History Of

AbstractBackgroundWhole-genome duplications (WGD) have dominated the evolutionary history of plants. One consequence of WGD is a dramatic restructuring of the genome as it undergoes diploidization, a process under which deletions and rearrangements of various sizes scramble the genetic material, leading to a repacking of the genome and eventual return to diploidy. Here, we investigate the history of WGD in the columbine genus Aquilegia, a basal eudicot, and use it to illuminate the origins of the core eudicots.ResultsWithin-genome synteny confirms that columbines are ancient tetraploids, and comparison with the grape genome reveals that this tetraploidy appears to be shared with the core eudicots. Thus, the ancient gamma hexaploidy found in all core eudicots must have involved a two-step process: first tetraploidy in the ancestry of all eudicots, then hexaploidy in the ancestry of core eudicots. Furthermore, the precise pattern of synteny sharing suggests that the latter involved allopolyploidization, and that core eudicots thus have a hybrid origin.ConclusionsNovel analyses of synteny sharing together with the well-preserved structure of the columbine genome reveal that the gamma hexaploidy at the root of core eudicots is likely a result of hybridization between a tetraploid and a diploid species.

scholarly journals Late Cretaceous domatia reveal the antiquity of plant–mite mutualisms in flowering plants

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (11) ◽  
pp. 20190657 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Augusta Maccracken ◽  
Ian M. Miller ◽  
Conrad C. Labandeira
Keyword(s):  
Late Cretaceous ◽  
Fossil Record ◽  
Evolutionary History ◽  
Upper Cretaceous ◽  
Flowering Plants ◽  
Predaceous Mites ◽  
First Occurrence ◽  
History Of ◽  
Living Species ◽  
Cenozoic Era

Mite houses, or acarodomatia, are found on the leaves of over 2000 living species of flowering plants today. These structures facilitate tri-trophic interactions between the host plant, its fungi or herbivore adversaries, and fungivorous or predaceous mites by providing shelter for the mite consumers. Previously, the oldest acarodomatia were described on a Cenozoic Era fossil leaf dating to 49 Myr in age. Here, we report the first occurrence of Mesozoic Era acarodomatia in the fossil record from leaves discovered in the Upper Cretaceous Kaiparowits Formation (76.6–74.5 Ma) in southern UT, USA. This discovery extends the origin of acarodomatia by greater than 25 Myr, and the antiquity of this plant–mite mutualism provides important constraints for the evolutionary history of acarodomatia on angiosperms.

scholarly journals The Aquilegia genome reveals a hybrid origin of core eudicots

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gökçe Aköz ◽  
Magnus Nordborg
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary History ◽  
Genetic Material ◽  
Diploid Species ◽  
Hybrid Origin ◽  
The Core ◽  
Whole Genome Duplications ◽  
Core Eudicots ◽  
Eventual Return ◽  
Genome Duplications ◽  
History Of

Abstract Background Whole-genome duplications (WGDs) have dominated the evolutionary history of plants. One consequence of WGD is a dramatic restructuring of the genome as it undergoes diploidization, a process under which deletions and rearrangements of various sizes scramble the genetic material, leading to a repacking of the genome and eventual return to diploidy. Here, we investigate the history of WGD in the columbine genus Aquilegia, a basal eudicot, and use it to illuminate the origins of the core eudicots. Results Within-genome synteny confirms that columbines are ancient tetraploids, and comparison with the grape genome reveals that this tetraploidy appears to be shared with the core eudicots. Thus, the ancient gamma hexaploidy found in all core eudicots must have involved a two-step process: first, tetraploidy in the ancestry of all eudicots, then hexaploidy in the ancestry of core eudicots. Furthermore, the precise pattern of synteny sharing suggests that the latter involved allopolyploidization and that core eudicots thus have a hybrid origin. Conclusions Novel analyses of synteny sharing together with the well-preserved structure of the columbine genome reveal that the gamma hexaploidy at the root of core eudicots is likely a result of hybridization between a tetraploid and a diploid species.

scholarly journals Evolutionary history of mammalian UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT)1 and UGT2 families: the emergence of UGT2B subfamily in eutherians after the diversification of flowering plants

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yusuke K. Kawai ◽  
Kasumi Sano ◽  
Yoshinori Ikenaka ◽  
Shouta M.M. Nakayama ◽  
Mitsuki Kondo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Family ◽  
Evolutionary History ◽  
Feeding Habits ◽  
Xenobiotic Metabolism ◽  
Flowering Plants ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Number Of Genes ◽  
History Of ◽  
Udp Glucuronosyltransferase ◽  
Cretaceous Period

AbstractThe UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) gene family is responsible for the transfer of glucuronic acid to exogenous and endogenous chemicals. Based on the highly diversified number of genes, the mammalian UGT1A and UGT2B subfamily genes are believed to be involved in the conjugation reactions of xenobiotic metabolism. However, it is speculated that the UGT2 family genes are not involved in the xenobiotic metabolism of avian species due to the less diverse number of genes. In this study, we aimed to investigate the evolutionary history of mammalian UGT1 and UGT2 family genes and determine when the diversification of UGT2B genes occurred. We also attempted to identify the main factors responsible for the diversification of UGT genes. By examining the genomic information and feeding habits of 67 species representing each mammalian family, we discovered that the UGT2B genes emerged in the Eutheria on or after Cretaceous period and that their number were higher in plant-eating mammals (herbivore or omnivore) than in carnivorous mammals. We also found that the UGT2B genes in some herbivorous mammals underwent positive selection. In contrast, the diversity of the UGT1 family genes was inherited from the common ancestor of birds and mammals. Thus, our findings suggest that the emergence of angiosperms (flowering plants) and the occurrence of “animal–plant warfare” influenced the evolution of this gene family involved in the xenobiotic metabolism of eutherians. Furthermore, future research investigating the marsupials and birds that do not possess UGT2B genes is required to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the metabolism of chemical substances in these species.

scholarly journals The eIF4F and eIFiso4F Complexes of Plants: An Evolutionary Perspective

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan M. Patrick ◽  
Karen S. Browning
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary History ◽  
Sequence Data ◽  
Flowering Plants ◽  
Plant Genome ◽  
Target Point ◽  
Evolutionary Perspective ◽  
Initiation Factors ◽  
Eif4f Complex ◽  
History Of ◽  
Common Target

Translation initiation in eukaryotes requires a number of initiation factors to recruit the assembled ribosome to mRNA. The eIF4F complex plays a key role in initiation and is a common target point for regulation of protein synthesis. Most work on the translation machinery of plants to date has focused on flowering plants, which have both the eIF4F complex (eIF4E and eIF4G) as well as the plant-specific eIFiso4F complex (eIFiso4E and eIFiso4G). The increasing availability of plant genome sequence data has made it possible to trace the evolutionary history of these two complexes in plants, leading to several interesting discoveries. eIFiso4G is conserved throughout plants, while eIFiso4E only appears with the evolution of flowering plants. The eIF4G N-terminus, which has been difficult to annotate, appears to be well conserved throughout the plant lineage and contains two motifs of unknown function. Comparison of eIFiso4G and eIF4G sequence data suggests conserved features unique to eIFiso4G and eIF4G proteins. These findings have answered some questions about the evolutionary history of the two eIF4F complexes of plants, while raising new ones.

scholarly journals Phylogeny of the Neotropical element of the Randia clade (Gardenieae, Rubiaceae, Gentianales)

2021 ◽  
Vol 154 (3) ◽  
pp. 458-469
Author(s):  
Rodrigo Lopes Borges ◽  
Sylvain G. Razafimandimbison ◽  
Nádia Roque ◽  
Catarina Rydin
Keyword(s):  
Maximum Likelihood ◽  
Evolutionary History ◽  
Sequence Data ◽  
Bayesian Analyses ◽  
The Core ◽  
Close Affinity ◽  
History Of ◽  
Geographic Distributions ◽  
Future Work

Background and aims – Generic limits of the tropical tribe Gardenieae (Ixoroideae, Rubiaceae) have partly remained unsettled. We produced a new phylogeny of the Randia clade, with emphasis on its Neotropical clade comprising five genera (Casasia, Randia, Rosenbergiodendron, Sphinctanthus, and Tocoyena). The result was subsequently used to evaluate and discuss: a) the respective monophyly of the above-mentioned genera and their interrelationships; b) relationships within Tocoyena and the evolutionary relevance of its subgeneric classification; and c) the monophyly of the morphologically variable T. formosa.Material and methods – We examined the phylogeny of the Randia clade based on maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses of sequence data from two nuclear (ETS and Xdh) and two plastid (petB-petD and trnT-F) DNA regions from 59 individuals (including seven representatives from the remaining Ixoroideae).Key results – The Neotropical clade of the Randia clade comprises three major lineages, the Randia armata subclade, the Randia-Casasia subclade and the Rosenbergiodendron subclade. Neither Casasia nor Randia is monophyletic. Tocoyena is sister to Rosenbergiodendron + Sphinctanthus and is subdivided into three lineages: the Tocoyena pittieri group, the Tocoyena guianensis group, and the core Tocoyena. Tocoyena williamsii is paraphyletic with respect to T. pittieri. Tocoyena formosa is polyphyletic and should be re-circumscribed.Conclusions – Our results demonstrate the monophyly of each of the relatively species-poor genera Rosenbergiodendron, Sphinctanthus, and Tocoyena, and confirm their close affinity. The serial classification of Tocoyena does not reflect the evolutionary history of the genus. The paraphyly of T. williamsii with respect to T. pittieri, together with their morphological similarities and geographic distributions, support the inclusion of the former in the latter. Our study calls for additional phylogenetic work on Casasia and the more species-rich genus Randia. While the respective monophyly of both genera is rejected here, future work with a broader representation of Randia is needed.

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