Macroevolutionary patterns in seed component mass and different evolutionary trajectories across seed desiccation responses ($) (New Phytol)
Plant Science Research WeeklySeeds are made out of two functionally distinct components: the seed coat and the seed reserves (which include endosperm and embryo). It is known that the relative contribution of these parts to the total seed mass varies greatly among species. Still, little is known about the evolution of each component's…
Review: Sequencing and analyzing the transcriptomes of a thousand plant species (Annu. Rev. Plant Biol.)
Plant Science Research WeeklyOver the past decade, Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) has been used for de novo assembly of crop genomes (i.e., tomato, potato) under the motto “If it tastes good, let’s sequence it”. By contrast, the One Thousand Plant (1KP) Initiative set out to obtain transcriptomic data of phylogenetically…
Multiple metabolic innovations and losses are associated with major transitions in land plant evolution (Curr. Biol.)
Plant Science Research WeeklyThe colonization of land by a single streptophyte algae lineage around 450 million years ago culminated in the evolution and radiation of all terrestrial flora, the embryophytes. Adapting and thriving in the land environment required many morphological and physiological innovations, as well as the acquisition…
Genomic evidence for convergent evolution of gene clusters for momilactone (PNAS)
Plant Science Research WeeklyPlants produce a rich diversity of chemical compounds. In fungi, the genes encoding specialized biosynthetic pathways are frequently arranged in contiguous loci forming biosynthetic gene clusters (BGC). In plants, BGCs are not common, however, some cases have been found in angiosperms. Among the known…
Repurposed genes and the evolution of plant carnivory (Curr. Biol.)
Plant Science Research WeeklyCarnivorous plants attract, trap, digest, and import nutrients from small animal prey, enabling these plants to thrive in nutrient-poor soil. Palfalvi et al. sequenced, annotated, and compared draft genomes from the family Droseraceae for the Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula), the waterwheel plant (Aldrovanda…
Design principles of a minimal auxin response system (Nature Plants)
Plant Science Research WeeklyAuxin controls virtually all facets of growth and development. This plant hormone is sensed by TIR1/AFB F-box receptors which promote ubiquitin-mediated degradation of AUX/IAA transcriptional repressors, releasing ARF transcription factors from inhibition. Phylogenetic analyses divide the ARF family…
Horizontal gene transfer of Fhb7 from fungus underlies Fusarium head blight resistance in wheat (Science)
Plant Science Research WeeklyMycotoxins are fungal toxins with harmful health effects on humans and other animals. Fusarium head blight is a fungal disease of wheat inflorescences that can contaminate the grain and harm its consumers. Previously, Fhb7 was identified in the wheat relative Thinopyrum elongatum as a quantitative trait…
Advanced vascular function discovered in a widespread moss (Nature Plants)
Plant Science Research WeeklyIn order to grow upwards into the dry atmosphere, plants need to keep their elevated tissues hydrated and functional. In vascular plants this is achieved by a lignified water transport system in conjunction with stomatal regulation of gas exchange and the encasement of photosynthetic tissues in an impermeable…
Review: Evo-physio: on stress responses and the earliest land plants (J. Exp. Bot.)
Plant Science Research WeeklyStreptophytes are a grade of mostly freshwater algae that transitioned into land, a singularity that in turn gave rise to all present terrestrial flora. This passage along the hydrological gradient that culminated in land habitation required key adaptations to overcome previously unencountered terrestrial…