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Danzey LM, Briceño VF, Cook AM, Nicotra AB, Peyre G, Rossetto M, Yap JYS, Leigh A. Environmental and Biogeographic Drivers behind Alpine Plant Thermal Tolerance and Genetic Variation. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 13:1271. [PMID: 38732486 PMCID: PMC11085172 DOI: 10.3390/plants13091271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024]
Abstract
In alpine ecosystems, elevation broadly functions as a steep thermal gradient, with plant communities exposed to regular fluctuations in hot and cold temperatures. These conditions lead to selective filtering, potentially contributing to species-level variation in thermal tolerance and population-level genetic divergence. Few studies have explored the breadth of alpine plant thermal tolerances across a thermal gradient or the underlying genetic variation thereof. We measured photosystem heat (Tcrit-hot) and cold (Tcrit-cold) thresholds of ten Australian alpine species across elevation gradients and characterised their neutral genetic variation. To reveal the biogeographical drivers of present-day genetic signatures, we also reconstructed temporal changes in habitat suitability across potential distributional ranges. We found intraspecific variation in thermal thresholds, but this was not associated with elevation, nor underpinned by genetic differentiation on a local scale. Instead, regional population differentiation and considerable homozygosity within populations may, in part, be driven by distributional contractions, long-term persistence, and migrations following habitat suitability. Our habitat suitability models suggest that cool-climate-distributed alpine plants may be threatened by a warming climate. Yet, the observed wide thermal tolerances did not reflect this vulnerability. Conservation efforts should seek to understand variations in species-level thermal tolerance across alpine microclimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa M. Danzey
- School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Broadway, NSW 2007, Australia;
| | - Verónica F. Briceño
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia; (V.F.B.); (A.B.N.)
| | - Alicia M. Cook
- School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Broadway, NSW 2007, Australia;
| | - Adrienne B. Nicotra
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia; (V.F.B.); (A.B.N.)
| | - Gwendolyn Peyre
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of the Andes, Bogota 111711, Colombia;
| | - Maurizio Rossetto
- Research Centre for Ecosystem Resilience, Australian Institute of Botanical Science, Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia; (M.R.); (J.-Y.S.Y.)
- Queensland Alliance of Agriculture and Food Innovation, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Jia-Yee S. Yap
- Research Centre for Ecosystem Resilience, Australian Institute of Botanical Science, Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia; (M.R.); (J.-Y.S.Y.)
- Queensland Alliance of Agriculture and Food Innovation, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Andrea Leigh
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia; (V.F.B.); (A.B.N.)
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Stevenson DW, Ramakrishnan S, de Santis Alves C, Coelho LA, Kramer M, Goodwin S, Ramos OM, Eshel G, Sondervan VM, Frangos S, Zumajo-Cardona C, Jenike K, Ou S, Wang X, Lee YP, Loke S, Rossetto M, McPherson H, Nigris S, Moschin S, Little DP, Katari MS, Varala K, Kolokotronis SO, Ambrose B, Croft LJ, Coruzzi GM, Schatz M, McCombie WR, Martienssen RA. The genome of the Wollemi pine, a critically endangered "living fossil" unchanged since the Cretaceous, reveals extensive ancient transposon activity. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.24.554647. [PMID: 37662366 PMCID: PMC10473749 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.24.554647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
We present the genome of the living fossil, Wollemia nobilis, a southern hemisphere conifer morphologically unchanged since the Cretaceous. Presumed extinct until rediscovery in 1994, the Wollemi pine is critically endangered with less than 60 wild adults threatened by intensifying bushfires in the Blue Mountains of Australia. The 12 Gb genome is among the most contiguous large plant genomes assembled, with extremely low heterozygosity and unusual abundance of DNA transposons. Reduced representation and genome re-sequencing of individuals confirms a relictual population since the last major glacial/drying period in Australia, 120 ky BP. Small RNA and methylome sequencing reveal conservation of ancient silencing mechanisms despite the presence of thousands of active and abundant transposons, including some transferred horizontally to conifers from arthropods in the Jurassic. A retrotransposon burst 8-6 my BP coincided with population decline, possibly as an adaptation enhancing epigenetic diversity. Wollemia, like other conifers, is susceptible to Phytophthora, and a suite of defense genes, similar to those in loblolly pine, are targeted for silencing by sRNAs in leaves. The genome provides insight into the earliest seed plants, while enabling conservation efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Cristiane de Santis Alves
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
| | - Laís Araujo Coelho
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health; Institute for Genomics in Health; Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, and Department of Cell Biology, College of Medicine, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY 11203-2098, USA
| | - Melissa Kramer
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York, USA
| | - Sara Goodwin
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York, USA
| | | | - Gil Eshel
- Center for Genomics & Systems Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | | | - Samantha Frangos
- Center for Genomics & Systems Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | | | - Katherine Jenike
- Department of Computer Science, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Shujun Ou
- Department of Computer Science, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Molecular Genetics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Xiaojin Wang
- Purdue University, 610 Purdue Mall, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Yin Peng Lee
- Charles River Laboratories Australia, 17-19 Hi-Tech Ct, Kilsyth VIC 3137, Australia
| | - Stella Loke
- Charles River Laboratories Australia, 17-19 Hi-Tech Ct, Kilsyth VIC 3137, Australia
| | - Maurizio Rossetto
- Research Centre for Ecosystem Resilience, Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia
| | - Hannah McPherson
- National Herbarium of New South Wales, Australian Botanic Garden, Mount Annan, NSW 2567, Australia
| | - Sebastiano Nigris
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università degli studi di Padova, via U. Bassi 58/B, 35131 Padova, Italy; and Botanical Garden, Università degli studi di Padova, via Orto Botanico 15, 35123 Padova, Italy
| | - Silvia Moschin
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università degli studi di Padova, via U. Bassi 58/B, 35131 Padova, Italy; and Botanical Garden, Università degli studi di Padova, via Orto Botanico 15, 35123 Padova, Italy
| | - Damon P. Little
- The New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY 10458, USA
| | - Manpreet S. Katari
- Center for Genomics & Systems Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Kranthi Varala
- Purdue University, 610 Purdue Mall, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Sergios-Orestis Kolokotronis
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health; Institute for Genomics in Health; Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, and Department of Cell Biology, College of Medicine, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY 11203-2098, USA
| | - Barbara Ambrose
- The New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY 10458, USA
| | - Larry J. Croft
- School of Medicine, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Victoria 3216, Australia
| | - Gloria M. Coruzzi
- Center for Genomics & Systems Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Michael Schatz
- Department of Computer Science, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - Robert A. Martienssen
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
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Wilson TC, Rossetto M, Bain D, Yap JS, Wilson PD, Stimpson ML, Weston PH, Croft L. A turn in species conservation for hairpin banksias: demonstration of oversplitting leads to better management of diversity. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2022; 109:1652-1671. [PMID: 36164832 PMCID: PMC9828017 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.16074] [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: 04/07/2022] [Revised: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Understanding evolutionary history and classifying discrete units of organisms remain overwhelming tasks, and lags in this workload concomitantly impede an accurate documentation of biodiversity and conservation management. Rapid advances and improved accessibility of sensitive high-throughput sequencing tools are fortunately quickening the resolution of morphological complexes and thereby improving the estimation of species diversity. The recently described and critically endangered Banksia vincentia is morphologically similar to the hairpin banksia complex (B. spinulosa s.l.), a group of eastern Australian flowering shrubs whose continuum of morphological diversity has been responsible for taxonomic controversy and possibly questionable conservation initiatives. METHODS To assist conservation while testing the current taxonomy of this group, we used high-throughput sequencing to infer a population-scale evolutionary scenario for a sample set that is comprehensive in its representation of morphological diversity and a 2500-km distribution. RESULTS Banksia spinulosa s.l. represents two clades, each with an internal genetic structure shaped through historical separation by biogeographic barriers. This structure conflicts with the existing taxonomy for the group. Corroboration between phylogeny and population statistics aligns with the hypothesis that B. collina, B. neoanglica, and B. vincentia should not be classified as species. CONCLUSIONS The pattern here supports how morphological diversity can be indicative of a locally expressed suite of traits rather than relationship. Oversplitting in the hairpin banksias is atypical since genomic analyses often reveal that species diversity is underestimated. However, we show that erring on overestimation can yield negative consequences, such as the disproportionate prioritization of a geographically anomalous population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trevor C. Wilson
- Plant Discovery and Evolution, Australian Institute of Botanical ScienceRoyal Botanic Gardens and Domain TrustSydneyAustralia
- Research Centre for Ecosystem Resilience, Australian Institute of Botanical ScienceThe Royal Botanic Garden SydneyAustralia
| | - Maurizio Rossetto
- Research Centre for Ecosystem Resilience, Australian Institute of Botanical ScienceThe Royal Botanic Garden SydneyAustralia
| | - David Bain
- Ecosystems and Threatened Species, Biodiversity Conservation and ScienceNSW Department of Planning and EnvironmentWollongongAustralia
| | - Jia‐Yee S. Yap
- Research Centre for Ecosystem Resilience, Australian Institute of Botanical ScienceThe Royal Botanic Garden SydneyAustralia
| | - Peter D. Wilson
- Research Centre for Ecosystem Resilience, Australian Institute of Botanical ScienceThe Royal Botanic Garden SydneyAustralia
| | - Margaret L. Stimpson
- Botany, School of Environmental and Rural ScienceUniversity of New EnglandArmidaleNSW2351Australia
| | - Peter H. Weston
- Plant Discovery and Evolution, Australian Institute of Botanical ScienceRoyal Botanic Gardens and Domain TrustSydneyAustralia
| | - Larry Croft
- Centre of Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental SciencesDeakin UniversityGeelong3125VictoriaAustralia
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