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Geng Y, Xie C, Zhang C, Liu X, Zhou Y. Functions and Regulation of HAM Family Genes in Meristems During Gametophyte and Sporophyte Generations. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2025; 48:2125-2131. [PMID: 39558470 PMCID: PMC11788942 DOI: 10.1111/pce.15286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2024] [Revised: 10/10/2024] [Accepted: 11/03/2024] [Indexed: 11/20/2024]
Abstract
A fascinating feature of land plants is their ability to continually initiate new tissues and organs throughout their lifespan, driven by a pool of pluripotent stem cells located in meristems. In seed plants, various types of meristems are initiated and maintained during the sporophyte generation, while their gametophytes lack meristems and rely on sporophyte tissues for growth. In contrast, seed-free vascular plants, such as ferns, develop meristems during both the sporophyte and gametophyte generations, allowing for the independent growth of both generations. Recent findings have highlighted both conserved and lineage-specific roles of the HAIRY MERISTEM (HAM) family of GRAS-domain transcriptional regulators in various meristems throughout the land plant lifecycle. Here, we review and discuss how HAM genes maintain meristem indeterminacy in both sporophytes and gametophytes, with a focus on studies performed in two model species: the flowering plant Arabidopsis thaliana and the fern Ceratopteris richardii. Additionally, we summarize the crucial and tightly regulated functions of the microRNA171 (miR171)-HAM regulatory modules, which define HAM spatial patterns and activities during meristem development across various meristem identities in land plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Geng
- Department of Botany and Plant PathologyPurdue UniversityWest LafayetteIndianaUSA
- Purdue Center for Plant BiologyPurdue UniversityWest LafayetteIndianaUSA
| | - Chong Xie
- Department of Botany and Plant PathologyPurdue UniversityWest LafayetteIndianaUSA
- Purdue Center for Plant BiologyPurdue UniversityWest LafayetteIndianaUSA
| | - Cankui Zhang
- Purdue Center for Plant BiologyPurdue UniversityWest LafayetteIndianaUSA
- Department of AgronomyPurdue UniversityWest LafayetteIndianaUSA
| | - Xing Liu
- Purdue Center for Plant BiologyPurdue UniversityWest LafayetteIndianaUSA
- Department of BiochemistryPurdue UniversityWest LafayetteIndianaUSA
| | - Yun Zhou
- Department of Botany and Plant PathologyPurdue UniversityWest LafayetteIndianaUSA
- Purdue Center for Plant BiologyPurdue UniversityWest LafayetteIndianaUSA
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2
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Xie C, Zhang C, Liu X, Zhou Y. The cellular basis of meristem development in fern gametophytes. Biochem Soc Trans 2025; 53:BST20240728. [PMID: 39945720 DOI: 10.1042/bst20240728] [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: 10/01/2024] [Revised: 01/05/2025] [Accepted: 01/07/2025] [Indexed: 05/09/2025]
Abstract
The life cycle of land plants is characterized by alternating generations of sexual gametophytes and asexual sporophytes. Unlike seed plants, seed-free vascular plants, including ferns, initiate and maintain pluripotent meristems during their gametophyte phase to sustain body expansion and drive the formation of sexual organs for reproduction. This review summarizes meristem development among various fern species during the gametophyte phase, focusing on the cellular basis of meristem initiation, proliferation, and termination. We review the different types of gametophytic meristems in ferns, including apical cell (AC)-based meristems, multicellular apical meristems, and multicellular marginal meristems. We highlight both conserved and lineage-specific patterns of cell division, which are closely associated with these meristem identities and play crucial roles in shaping gametophytic morphology. Additionally, we highlight recent progress in understanding the dynamics of cell division and growth that drive meristem development, through studies that integrate confocal live imaging and computational quantitative analysis. Furthermore, we discuss the influence of environmental and genetic factors on cell division activity in fern gametophytes, including conserved transcriptional regulators that sustain meristem indeterminacy and proliferation in the model fern Ceratopteris richardii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chong Xie
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, U.S.A
- Purdue Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, U.S.A
| | - Cankui Zhang
- Purdue Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, U.S.A
- Department of Agronomy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, U.S.A
| | - Xing Liu
- Purdue Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, U.S.A
- Department of Biochemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, U.S.A
| | - Yun Zhou
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, U.S.A
- Purdue Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, U.S.A
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3
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Yang X, Yan A, Liu X, Volkening A, Zhou Y. Single cell-derived multicellular meristem: insights into male-to-hermaphrodite conversion and de novo meristem formation in Ceratopteris. Development 2025; 152:DEV204411. [PMID: 39817858 PMCID: PMC11883269 DOI: 10.1242/dev.204411] [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: 09/22/2024] [Accepted: 01/04/2025] [Indexed: 01/18/2025]
Abstract
Land plants alternate between asexual sporophytes and sexual gametophytes. Unlike seed plants, ferns develop free-living gametophytes. Gametophytes of the model fern Ceratopteris exhibit two sex types: hermaphrodites with pluripotent meristems and males lacking meristems. In the absence of the pheromone antheridiogen, males convert to hermaphrodites by forming de novo meristems, although the mechanisms remain unclear. Using long-term time-lapse imaging and computational analyses, we captured male-to-hermaphrodite conversion at single-cell resolution and reconstructed the lineage and division atlas of newly formed meristems. Lineage tracing revealed that the de novo-formed meristem originates from a single non-antheridium cell: the meristem progenitor cell (MPC). During conversion, the MPC lineage showed increased mitotic activity, with marginal cells proliferating faster than inner cells. A mathematical model suggested that stochastic variation in cell division, combined with strong inhibitory signals from dividing marginal cells, is sufficient to explain gametophyte dynamics. Experimental disruption of division timing agreed with the model, showing that precise cell cycle progression is essential for MPC establishment and sex-type conversion. These findings reveal cellular mechanisms governing sex conversion and de novo meristem formation in land plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Yang
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
- Purdue Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - An Yan
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Xing Liu
- Purdue Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | | | - Yun Zhou
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
- Purdue Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
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4
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Hetherington AJ. The role of fossils for reconstructing the evolution of plant development. Development 2024; 151:dev204322. [PMID: 39417682 PMCID: PMC11529274 DOI: 10.1242/dev.204322] [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] [Indexed: 10/19/2024]
Abstract
Many of the developmental innovations that underpin the diversity of plant form alive today, such as those facilitating apical growth, branching, leaves, roots, wood and seeds, all evolved over 360 million years ago. Fossils, as our only direct record of plant form in the past, are thus essential for interpreting the origin and evolution of these innovations. The focus of this Spotlight is to showcase the rich plant fossil record open for developmental interpretation and to cement the role that fossils play at a time when increases in genome sequencing and new model species make tackling major questions in the area of plant evolution and development tractable for the first time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander J. Hetherington
- Institute of Molecular Plant Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Max Born Crescent, Edinburgh, EH9 3BF, UK
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5
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Tsuda K. Evolution of the sporophyte shoot axis and functions of TALE HD transcription factors in stem development. CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY 2024; 81:102594. [PMID: 38943830 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2024.102594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2024] [Revised: 05/24/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/01/2024]
Abstract
The stem is one of the major organs in seed plants and is important for plant survival as well as in agriculture. However, due to the lack of clear external landmarks in many species, its developmental and evolutionary processes are understudied compared to other organs. Recent approaches tackling these problems, especially those focused on KNOX1 and BLH transcription factors belonging to the TALE homeodomain superfamily have started unveiling the patterning process of nodes and internodes by connecting previously accumulated knowledge on lateral organ regulators. Fossil records played crucial roles in understanding the evolutionary process of the stem. The aim of this review is to introduce how the stem evolved from ancestorial sporophyte axes and to provide frameworks for future efforts in understanding the developmental process of this elusive but pivotal organ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katsutoshi Tsuda
- Plant Cytogenetics Laboratory, Department of Gene Function and Phenomics, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan; Department of Genetics, School of Life Science, Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Mishima, Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan.
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6
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Hata Y, Ohtsuka J, Hiwatashi Y, Naramoto S, Kyozuka J. Cytokinin and ALOG proteins regulate pluripotent stem cell identity in the moss Physcomitrium patens. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadq6082. [PMID: 39196946 PMCID: PMC11352904 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adq6082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2024] [Accepted: 07/23/2024] [Indexed: 08/30/2024]
Abstract
The shoot apical meristem (SAM) contains pluripotent stem cells that produce all the aerial parts of the plant. Stem cells undergo asymmetric cell divisions to self-renew and to produce differentiating cells. Our research focused on unraveling the mechanisms governing the specification of these two distinct cell fates following the stem cell division. For this purpose, we used the model organism Physcomitrium patens, which features a singular pluripotent stem cell known as the gametophore apical cell. We show that the activity of cytokinins, critical stem cell regulators, is restricted to the gametophore apical cell due to the specific localization of PpLOG, the enzyme responsible for cytokinin activation. In turn, PpTAW, which promotes differentiating cell identity of the merophyte, is excluded from the gametophore apical cell by the action of cytokinins. We propose a cytokinin-based model for the establishment of asymmetry in the pluripotent stem cell division.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuki Hata
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577, Japan
| | - Juri Ohtsuka
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577, Japan
| | - Yuji Hiwatashi
- School of Food Industrial Sciences, Miyagi University, Sendai 982-0215, Japan
| | - Satoshi Naramoto
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577, Japan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0810, Japan
| | - Junko Kyozuka
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577, Japan
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7
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Arnoux-Courseaux M, Coudert Y. Re-examining meristems through the lens of evo-devo. TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024; 29:413-427. [PMID: 38040554 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2023.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 12/03/2023]
Abstract
The concept of the meristem was introduced in 1858 to characterize multicellular, formative, and proliferative tissues that give rise to the entire plant body, based on observations of vascular plants. Although its original definition did not encompass bryophytes, this concept has been used and continuously refined over the past 165 years to describe the diverse apices of all land plants. Here, we re-examine this matter in light of recent evo-devo research and show that, despite displaying high anatomical diversity, land plant meristems are unified by shared genetic control. We also propose a modular view of meristem function and highlight multiple evolutionary mechanisms that are likely to have contributed to the assembly and diversification of the varied meristems during the course of plant evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moïra Arnoux-Courseaux
- Laboratoire Reproduction et Développement des Plantes, Université de Lyon, ENS de Lyon, UCB Lyon 1, CNRS, INRA, INRIA, Lyon 69007, France; Laboratoire Physiologie Cellulaire et Végétale, Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, INRAE, IRIG-DBSCI-LPCV, 17 avenue des Martyrs, F-38054, Grenoble, France
| | - Yoan Coudert
- Laboratoire Reproduction et Développement des Plantes, Université de Lyon, ENS de Lyon, UCB Lyon 1, CNRS, INRA, INRIA, Lyon 69007, France.
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8
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Frangedakis E, Marron AO, Waller M, Neubauer A, Tse SW, Yue Y, Ruaud S, Waser L, Sakakibara K, Szövényi P. What can hornworts teach us? FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1108027. [PMID: 36968370 PMCID: PMC10030945 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1108027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The hornworts are a small group of land plants, consisting of only 11 families and approximately 220 species. Despite their small size as a group, their phylogenetic position and unique biology are of great importance. Hornworts, together with mosses and liverworts, form the monophyletic group of bryophytes that is sister to all other land plants (Tracheophytes). It is only recently that hornworts became amenable to experimental investigation with the establishment of Anthoceros agrestis as a model system. In this perspective, we summarize the recent advances in the development of A. agrestis as an experimental system and compare it with other plant model systems. We also discuss how A. agrestis can help to further research in comparative developmental studies across land plants and to solve key questions of plant biology associated with the colonization of the terrestrial environment. Finally, we explore the significance of A. agrestis in crop improvement and synthetic biology applications in general.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alan O. Marron
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Manuel Waller
- Department of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Zurich-Basel Plant Science Center, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Anna Neubauer
- Department of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Zurich-Basel Plant Science Center, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sze Wai Tse
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Yuling Yue
- Department of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Zurich-Basel Plant Science Center, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Stephanie Ruaud
- Department of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Zurich-Basel Plant Science Center, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Lucas Waser
- Department of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Zurich-Basel Plant Science Center, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Péter Szövényi
- Department of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Zurich-Basel Plant Science Center, Zurich, Switzerland
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9
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Wu X, Liu X, Zhang S, Zhou Y. Cell Division and Meristem Dynamics in Fern Gametophytes. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:209. [PMID: 36616337 PMCID: PMC9823664 DOI: 10.3390/plants12010209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Revised: 12/31/2022] [Accepted: 12/31/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
One of the most important questions in all multicellular organisms is how to define and maintain different cell fates during continuous cell division and proliferation. Plant meristems provide a unique research system to address this fundamental question because meristems dynamically maintain themselves and sustain organogenesis through balancing cell division and cell differentiation. Different from the gametophytes of seed plants that depend on their sporophytes and lack meristems, the gametophytes of seed-free ferns develop different types of meristems (including apical cell-based meristems and multicellular apical and marginal meristems) to promote independent growth and proliferation during the sexual gametophyte phase. Recent studies combining confocal time-lapse imaging and computational image analysis reveal the cellular basis of the initiation and proliferation of different types of meristems in fern gametophytes, providing new insights into the evolution of meristems in land plants. In this review, we summarize the recent progress in understanding the cell growth dynamics in fern gametophytes and discuss both conserved and diversified mechanisms underlying meristem cell proliferation in seed-free vascular plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Wu
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
- Purdue Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
- Center of Pear Engineering Technology Research, State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Xing Liu
- Purdue Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Shaoling Zhang
- Center of Pear Engineering Technology Research, State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Yun Zhou
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
- Purdue Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
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10
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Reinhardt D, Gola EM. Law and order in plants - the origin and functional relevance of phyllotaxis. TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 27:1017-1032. [PMID: 35643801 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2022.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2021] [Revised: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The regular arrangement of organs (phyllotaxis) in vegetative shoots and flowers is one of the most stunning features of plants. Spiral patterns characterized by Fibonacci numbers have attracted the particular interest of natural scientists and mathematicians. Numerous reviews have dealt with the molecular genetic mechanisms underlying phyllotaxis, and modeling studies have sought to recreate phyllotaxis according to mathematical, biochemical, or physical laws. However, what is the functional significance of regular plant architecture, and how did it evolve? We discuss the developmental constraints and selective forces that may have favored the selection of phyllotaxis, and we argue that a central driver of regular phyllotaxis may have been limitations in the allocation of founder cells and metabolic resources to the different tissues in the shoot apex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Didier Reinhardt
- Department of Biology, Route Albert Gockel 3, University of Fribourg, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland.
| | - Edyta M Gola
- Department of Plant Developmental Biology, Faculty of Plant Sciences, University of Wroclaw, Kanonia 6/8, 50-328, Wroclaw, Poland
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11
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Fouracre JP, Harrison CJ. How was apical growth regulated in the ancestral land plant? Insights from the development of non-seed plants. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 190:100-112. [PMID: 35771646 PMCID: PMC9434304 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiac313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Land plant life cycles are separated into distinct haploid gametophyte and diploid sporophyte stages. Indeterminate apical growth evolved independently in bryophyte (moss, liverwort, and hornwort) and fern gametophytes, and tracheophyte (vascular plant) sporophytes. The extent to which apical growth in tracheophytes co-opted conserved gametophytic gene networks, or exploited ancestral sporophytic networks, is a long-standing question in plant evolution. The recent phylogenetic confirmation of bryophytes and tracheophytes as sister groups has led to a reassessment of the nature of the ancestral land plant. Here, we review developmental genetic studies of apical regulators and speculate on their likely evolutionary history.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jim P Fouracre
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - C Jill Harrison
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
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12
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Woudenberg S, Renema J, Tomescu AMF, De Rybel B, Weijers D. Deep origin and gradual evolution of transporting tissues: Perspectives from across the land plants. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 190:85-99. [PMID: 35904762 PMCID: PMC9434249 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiac304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
The evolution of transporting tissues was an important innovation in terrestrial plants that allowed them to adapt to almost all nonaquatic environments. These tissues consist of water-conducting cells and food-conducting cells and bridge plant-soil and plant-air interfaces over long distances. The largest group of land plants, representing about 95% of all known plant species, is associated with morphologically complex transporting tissue in plants with a range of additional traits. Therefore, this entire clade was named tracheophytes, or vascular plants. However, some nonvascular plants possess conductive tissues that closely resemble vascular tissue in their organization, structure, and function. Recent molecular studies also point to a highly conserved toolbox of molecular regulators for transporting tissues. Here, we reflect on the distinguishing features of conductive and vascular tissues and their evolutionary history. Rather than sudden emergence of complex, vascular tissues, plant transporting tissues likely evolved gradually, building on pre-existing developmental mechanisms and genetic components. Improved knowledge of the intimate structure and developmental regulation of transporting tissues across the entire taxonomic breadth of extant plant lineages, combined with more comprehensive documentation of the fossil record of transporting tissues, is required for a full understanding of the evolutionary trajectory of transporting tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Alexandru M F Tomescu
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State Polytechnic University–Humboldt, Arcata, California 95521, USA
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13
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Wu X, Yan A, Yang X, Banks JA, Zhang S, Zhou Y. Cell growth dynamics in two types of apical meristems in fern gametophytes. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2022; 111:149-163. [PMID: 35451138 PMCID: PMC9541313 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.15784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Revised: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
In contrast to seed plants, the gametophytes of seed-free plants develop pluripotent meristems, which promote and sustain their independent growth and development. To date, the cellular basis of meristem development in gametophytes of seed-free ferns remains largely unknown. In this study, we used Woodsia obtusa, the blunt-lobe cliff fern, to quantitatively determine cell growth dynamics in two different types of apical meristems - the apical initial centered meristem and the multicellular apical meristem in gametophytes. Through confocal time-lapse live imaging and computational image analysis and quantification, we determined unique patterns of cell division and growth that sustain or terminate apical initials, dictate the transition from apical initials to multicellular apical meristems, and drive proliferation of apical meristems in ferns. Quantitative results showed that small cells correlated to active cell division in fern gametophytes. The marginal cells of multicellular apical meristems in fern gametophytes undergo division in both anticlinal and periclinal orientations, not only increasing cell numbers but also playing a dominant role in increasing cell layers during gametophyte development. All these findings provide insights into the function and regulation of meristems in gametophytes of seed-free vascular plants, suggesting both conserved and diversified mechanisms underlying meristem cell proliferation across land plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Wu
- Department of Botany and Plant PathologyPurdue UniversityWest LafayetteIndiana47907USA
- Purdue Center for Plant BiologyPurdue UniversityWest LafayetteIndiana47907USA
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Center of Pear Engineering Technology ResearchNanjing Agricultural UniversityNanjingJiangsu210095China
| | - An Yan
- Division of Biology and Biological EngineeringCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaCalifornia91125USA
- Howard Hughes Medical InstituteCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaCalifornia91125USA
| | - Xi Yang
- Department of Botany and Plant PathologyPurdue UniversityWest LafayetteIndiana47907USA
- Purdue Center for Plant BiologyPurdue UniversityWest LafayetteIndiana47907USA
| | - Jo Ann Banks
- Department of Botany and Plant PathologyPurdue UniversityWest LafayetteIndiana47907USA
- Purdue Center for Plant BiologyPurdue UniversityWest LafayetteIndiana47907USA
| | - Shaoling Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Center of Pear Engineering Technology ResearchNanjing Agricultural UniversityNanjingJiangsu210095China
| | - Yun Zhou
- Department of Botany and Plant PathologyPurdue UniversityWest LafayetteIndiana47907USA
- Purdue Center for Plant BiologyPurdue UniversityWest LafayetteIndiana47907USA
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14
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Geng Y, Yan A, Zhou Y. Positional cues and cell division dynamics drive meristem development and archegonium formation in Ceratopteris gametophytes. Commun Biol 2022; 5:650. [PMID: 35778477 PMCID: PMC9249879 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03627-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Fern gametophytes are autotrophic and independent of sporophytes, and they develop pluripotent meristems that drive prothallus development and sexual reproduction. To reveal cellular dynamics during meristem development in fern gametophytes, we performed long-term time-lapse imaging and determined the real-time lineage, identity and division activity of each single cell from meristem initiation to establishment in gametophytes of the fern Ceratopteris richardii. Our results demonstrate that in Ceratopteris gametophytes, only a few cell lineages originated from the marginal layer contribute to meristem initiation and proliferation, and the meristem lacks a distinguishable central zone or apical cell with low division activity. Within the meristem, cell division is independent of cell lineages and cells at the marginal layer are more actively dividing than inner cells. Furthermore, the meristem triggers differentiation of adjacent cells into egg-producing archegonia in a position-dependent manner. These findings advance the understanding of diversified meristem and gametophyte development in land plants. Time-lapse imaging of the fern Ceratopteris richardii during meristem initiation and proliferation provides insights into the lineage, identity and division activity of each cell throughout the growth of gametophytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Geng
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA.,Purdue Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - An Yan
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA
| | - Yun Zhou
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA. .,Purdue Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA.
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15
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Yang NY, Jia XL, Sui CX, Shen SY, Dai XL, Xue JS, Yang ZN. Documenting the Sporangium Development of the Polypodiales Fern Pteris multifida. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:878693. [PMID: 35574127 PMCID: PMC9100820 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.878693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Reconstructing the development of sporangia in seed-free vascular plants provides crucial information about key processes enabling the production of spores that are important in the life cycle of these plants. By applying fluorescence imaging in intact tissues using dyes and confocal microscopy, this study aimed to reconstruct the key steps during the development of sporangia. Special emphasis was taken on the cell wall structures of tapetum and spore mother cells that have been challenged by microscopical documentation in the past. After staining the cell wall and cytoplasm using calcofluor white and basic fuchsin, the sporangium development of Pteris multifida was observed using confocal microscopy. The clear cell lineages from the sporangial initial cell to stalk, epidermis, inner tapetum, outer tapetum, and sporogenous cells were revealed by confocal imaging. The sporangium development improved in this work will be useful for a general understanding of fern spore formation.
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16
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Kinosian SP, Wolf PG. The biology of C. richardii as a tool to understand plant evolution. eLife 2022; 11:e75019. [PMID: 35311640 PMCID: PMC8979586 DOI: 10.7554/elife.75019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The fern Ceratopteris richardii has been studied as a model organism for over 50 years because it is easy to grow and has a short life cycle. In particular, as the first homosporous vascular plant for which genomic resources were developed, C. richardii has been an important system for studying plant evolution. However, we know relatively little about the natural history of C. richardii. In this article, we summarize what is known about this aspect of C. richardii, and discuss how learning more about its natural history could greatly increase our understanding of the evolution of land plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvia P Kinosian
- Negaunee Institute for Plant Conservation Science, Chicago Botanic GardenChicagoUnited States
| | - Paul G Wolf
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of AlabamaHuntsvilleUnited States
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17
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Han H, Zhou Y. Function and Regulation of microRNA171 in Plant Stem Cell Homeostasis and Developmental Programing. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:2544. [PMID: 35269685 PMCID: PMC8910752 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23052544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
MicroRNA171 (miR171), a group of 21-nucleotide single-strand small RNAs, is one ancient and conserved microRNA family in land plants. This review focuses on the recent progress in understanding the role of miR171 in plant stem cell homeostasis and developmental patterning, and the regulation of miR171 by developmental cues and environmental signals. Specifically, miR171 regulates shoot meristem activity and phase transition through repressing the HAIRYMERISTEM (HAM) family genes. In the model species Arabidopsis, miR171 serves as a short-range mobile signal, which initiates in the epidermal layer of shoot meristems and moves downwards within a limited distance, to pattern the apical-basal polarity of gene expression and drive stem cell dynamics. miR171 levels are regulated by light and various abiotic stresses, suggesting miR171 may serve as a linkage between environmental factors and cell fate decisions. Furthermore, miR171 family members also demonstrate both conserved and lineage-specific functions in land plants, which are summarized and discussed here.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Han
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA;
- Purdue Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Yun Zhou
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA;
- Purdue Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
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18
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Wu X, Yan A, Liu X, Zhang S, Zhou Y. Quantitative live-imaging reveals the dynamics of apical cells during gametophyte development in ferns. QUANTITATIVE PLANT BIOLOGY 2022; 3:e25. [PMID: 37077984 PMCID: PMC10095955 DOI: 10.1017/qpb.2022.21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/08/2022] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Meristems in land plants share conserved functions but develop highly variable structures. Meristems in seed-free plants, including ferns, usually contain one or a few pyramid-/wedge-shaped apical cells (ACs) as initials, which are lacking in seed plants. It remained unclear how ACs promote cell proliferation in fern gametophytes and whether any persistent AC exists to sustain fern gametophyte development continuously. Here, we uncovered previously undefined ACs maintained even at late developmental stages in fern gametophytes. Through quantitative live-imaging, we determined division patterns and growth dynamics that maintain the persistent AC in Sphenomeris chinensis, a representative fern. The AC and its immediate progenies form a conserved cell packet, driving cell proliferation and prothallus expansion. At the apical centre of gametophytes, the AC and its adjacent progenies display small dimensions resulting from active cell division instead of reduced cell expansion. These findings provide insight into diversified meristem development in land plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Wu
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana47907, USA
- Purdue Centre for Plant Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana47907, USA
- Centre of Pear Engineering Technology Research, State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - An Yan
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California91125, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California91125, USA
| | - Xing Liu
- Purdue Centre for Plant Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana47907, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana47907, USA
| | - Shaoling Zhang
- Centre of Pear Engineering Technology Research, State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
- Authors for correspondence: S. Zhang, Y. Zhou, E-mail: ;
| | - Yun Zhou
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana47907, USA
- Purdue Centre for Plant Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana47907, USA
- Authors for correspondence: S. Zhang, Y. Zhou, E-mail: ;
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19
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Rensing SA, Weijers D. Flowering plant embryos: How did we end up here? PLANT REPRODUCTION 2021; 34:365-371. [PMID: 34313838 PMCID: PMC8566406 DOI: 10.1007/s00497-021-00427-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/16/2021] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
The seeds of flowering plants are sexually produced propagules that ensure dispersal and resilience of the next generation. Seeds harbor embryos, three dimensional structures that are often miniatures of the adult plant in terms of general structure and primordial organs. In addition, embryos contain the meristems that give rise to post-embryonically generated structures. However common, flowering plant embryos are an evolutionary derived state. Flowering plants are part of a much larger group of embryo-bearing plants, aptly termed Embryophyta. A key question is what evolutionary trajectory led to the emergence of flowering plant embryos. In this opinion, we deconstruct the flowering plant embryo and describe the current state of knowledge of embryos in other plant lineages. While we are far yet from understanding the ancestral state of plant embryogenesis, we argue what current knowledge may suggest and how the knowledge gaps may be closed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan A Rensing
- Plant Cell Biology, Department of Biology, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
- BIOSS Centre for Biological Signalling Studies, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
| | - Dolf Weijers
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Wageningen University, Stippeneng 4, 6708WE, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
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20
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Hata Y, Kyozuka J. Fundamental mechanisms of the stem cell regulation in land plants: lesson from shoot apical cells in bryophytes. PLANT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2021; 107:213-225. [PMID: 33609252 PMCID: PMC8648652 DOI: 10.1007/s11103-021-01126-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
This review compares the molecular mechanisms of stem cell control in the shoot apical meristems of mosses and angiosperms and reveals the conserved features and evolution of plant stem cells. The establishment and maintenance of pluripotent stem cells in the shoot apical meristem (SAM) are key developmental processes in land plants including the most basal, bryophytes. Bryophytes, such as Physcomitrium (Physcomitrella) patens and Marchantia polymorpha, are emerging as attractive model species to study the conserved features and evolutionary processes in the mechanisms controlling stem cells. Recent studies using these model bryophyte species have started to uncover the similarities and differences in stem cell regulation between bryophytes and angiosperms. In this review, we summarize findings on stem cell function and its regulation focusing on different aspects including hormonal, genetic, and epigenetic control. Stem cell regulation through auxin, cytokinin, CLAVATA3/EMBRYO SURROUNDING REGION-RELATED (CLE) signaling and chromatin modification by Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2) and PRC1 is well conserved. Several transcription factors crucial for SAM regulation in angiosperms are not involved in the regulation of the SAM in mosses, but similarities also exist. These findings provide insights into the evolutionary trajectory of the SAM and the fundamental mechanisms involved in stem cell regulation that are conserved across land plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuki Hata
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, 2-1-1, Katahira, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8577, Japan
| | - Junko Kyozuka
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, 2-1-1, Katahira, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8577, Japan.
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21
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Wu X, Yan A, McAdam SAM, Banks JA, Zhang S, Zhou Y. Timing of meristem initiation and maintenance determines the morphology of fern gametophytes. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2021; 72:6990-7001. [PMID: 34181730 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erab307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The alternation of generations in land plants occurs between the sporophyte phase and the gametophyte phase. The sporophytes of seed plants develop self-maintained, multicellular meristems, and these meristems determine plant architecture. The gametophytes of seed plants lack meristems and are heterotrophic. In contrast, the gametophytes of seed-free vascular plants, including ferns, are autotrophic and free-living, developing meristems to sustain their independent growth and proliferation. Compared with meristems in the sporophytes of seed plants, the cellular mechanisms underlying meristem development in fern gametophytes remain largely unknown. Here, using confocal time-lapse live imaging and computational segmentation and quantification, we determined different patterns of cell divisions associated with the initiation and proliferation of two distinct types of meristems in gametophytes of two closely related Pteridaceae ferns, Pteris vittata and Ceratopteris richardii. Our results reveal how the simple timing of a switch between two meristems has considerable consequences for the divergent gametophyte morphologies of the two ferns. They further provide evolutionary insight into the function and regulation of gametophyte meristems in seed-free vascular plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Wu
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
- Purdue Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
- Center of Pear Engineering Technology Research, State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - An Yan
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Scott A M McAdam
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
- Purdue Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Jo Ann Banks
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
- Purdue Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Shaoling Zhang
- Center of Pear Engineering Technology Research, State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yun Zhou
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
- Purdue Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
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22
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Geng Y, Zhou Y. N-terminal region is required for functions of the HAM family member. PLANT SIGNALING & BEHAVIOR 2021; 16:1940001. [PMID: 34152254 PMCID: PMC8331016 DOI: 10.1080/15592324.2021.1940001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Shoot meristems contain stem cells, and they sustain growth and development of the above-ground tissues in land plants. The HAIRY MERISTEM (HAM) family genes, encoding GRAS-domain transcriptional regulators, play essential roles in the control of shoot meristem development and stem cell homeostasis in several flowering plants. Similar to other GRAS proteins, the C-terminal regions of HAM family proteins across land plants are conserved, containing signature motifs that define the GRAS domain. In contrast, the N-terminal regions of HAM family proteins display substantial divergence in sequence and length. Whether the variable and divergent N-termini are required for the conserved functions of HAM proteins is unknown. Our recent work showed that CrHAM - the HAM homolog in the fern Ceratopteris richardii was able to replace the role of type-II HAM genes in Arabidopsis, maintaining established shoot apical meristems and promoting the initiation of new stem cell niches. Here, we provide additional information and show that CrHAM contains a much longer N-terminal region compared to Arabidopsis HAM proteins, which is conserved among different fern HAM homologs. The deletion of this region largely compromises the ability of CrHAM to replace the function of Arabidopsis HAM proteins in shoot meristems. These new data together with previous results suggest that, although lacking the sequence conservation among HAM homologs from different plant lineages, the N-termini are important for the conserved functions of HAM family proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Geng
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
- Purdue Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Yun Zhou
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
- Purdue Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
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23
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De Novo Sporophyte Transcriptome Assembly and Functional Annotation in the Endangered Fern Species Vandenboschia speciosa (Willd.) G. Kunkel. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12071017. [PMID: 34208974 PMCID: PMC8304985 DOI: 10.3390/genes12071017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Revised: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
We sequenced the sporophyte transcriptome of Killarney fern (Vandenboschia speciosa (Willd.) G. Kunkel). In addition to being a rare endangered Macaronesian-European endemism, this species has a huge genome (10.52 Gb) as well as particular biological features and extreme ecological requirements. These characteristics, together with the systematic position of ferns among vascular plants, make it of high interest for evolutionary, conservation and functional genomics studies. The transcriptome was constructed de novo and contained 36,430 transcripts, of which 17,706 had valid BLAST hits. A total of 19,539 transcripts showed at least one of the 7362 GO terms assigned to the transcriptome, whereas 6547 transcripts showed at least one of the 1359 KEGG assigned terms. A prospective analysis of functional annotation results provided relevant insights on genes involved in important functions such as growth and development as well as physiological adaptations. In this context, a catalogue of genes involved in the genetic control of plant development, during the vegetative to reproductive transition, in stress response as well as genes coding for transcription factors is given. Altogether, this study provides a first step towards understanding the gene expression of a significant fern species and the in silico functional and comparative analyses reported here provide important data and insights for further comparative evolutionary studies in ferns and land plants in general.
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24
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Kamamoto N, Tano T, Fujimoto K, Shimamura M. Rotation angle of stem cell division plane controls spiral phyllotaxis in mosses. JOURNAL OF PLANT RESEARCH 2021; 134:457-473. [PMID: 33877466 DOI: 10.1007/s10265-021-01298-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 04/02/2021] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
The spiral arrangement (phyllotaxis) of leaves is a shared morphology in land plants, and exhibits diversity constrained to the Fibonacci sequence. Phyllotaxis in vascular plants is produced at a multicellular meristem, whereas bryophyte phyllotaxis emerges from a single apical stem cell (AC) that is embedded in a growing tip of the gametophyte. An AC is asymmetrically divided into itself and a single 'merophyte', producing a future leaf and a portion of the stem. Although it has been suggested that the arrangement of merophytes is regulated by a rotation of the division plane of an AC, the quantitative description of the merophyte arrangement and its regulatory mechanism remain unclear. To clarify them, we examined three moss species, Tetraphis pellucida, Physcomitrium patens, and Niphotrichum japonicum, which exhibit 1/3, 2/5, and 3/8 spiral phyllotaxis, respectively. We measured the angle between the centroids of adjacent merophytes relative to the AC centroid on cross-transverse sections. At the outer merophytes, this divergence angle converged to nearly 120[Formula: see text] in T. pellucida, 136[Formula: see text] in N. japonicum, and 141[Formula: see text] in P. patens, which was nearly consistent with phyllotaxis, whereas the divergence angle deviated from the converged angle at the inner merophytes near an AC. A mathematical model, which assumes scaling growth of AC and merophytes and a constant angle of division plane rotation, quantitatively reproduced the sequence of the divergence angles. This model showed that successive relocations of the centroid position of an AC upon its division inevitably result in the transient deviation of the divergence angle. As a result, the converged divergence angle was equal to the rotation angle, predicting that the latter is a major regulator of the spiral phyllotaxis diversity in mosses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naoya Kamamoto
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-0043, Japan
| | - Taishi Tano
- Department of Biological Sciences, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima, 739-8528, Japan
| | - Koichi Fujimoto
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-0043, Japan.
| | - Masaki Shimamura
- Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima, 739-8528, Japan.
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25
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Geng Y, Guo L, Han H, Liu X, Banks JA, Wisecaver JH, Zhou Y. Conservation and diversification of HAIRY MERISTEM gene family in land plants. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2021; 106:366-378. [PMID: 33484592 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.15169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Revised: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
The shoot apical meristems (SAMs) of land plants are crucial for plant growth and organ formation. In several angiosperms, the HAIRY MERISTEM (HAM) genes function as key regulators that control meristem development and stem cell homeostasis. To date, the origin and evolutionary history of the HAM family in land plants remains unclear. Potentially shared and divergent functions of HAM family members from angiosperms and non-angiosperms are also not known. In constructing a comprehensive phylogeny of the HAM family, we show that HAM proteins are widely present in land plants and that HAM proteins originated prior to the divergence of bryophytes. The HAM family was duplicated in a common ancestor of angiosperms, leading to two distinct groups: type I and type II. Type-II HAM members are widely present in angiosperms, whereas type-I HAM members were independently lost in different orders of monocots. Furthermore, HAM members from angiosperms and non-angiosperms (including bryophytes, lycophytes, ferns and gymnosperms) are able to replace the role of the type-II HAM genes in Arabidopsis, maintaining established SAMs and promoting the initiation of new stem cell niches. Our results uncover the conserved functions of HAM family members and reveal the conserved regulatory mechanisms underlying HAM expression patterning in meristems, providing insight into the evolution of key stem cell regulators in land plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Geng
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
- Purdue Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Lei Guo
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
- Purdue Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Han Han
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
- Purdue Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Xing Liu
- Purdue Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Jo Ann Banks
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
- Purdue Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Jennifer H Wisecaver
- Purdue Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Yun Zhou
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
- Purdue Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
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26
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Geng Y, Cai C, McAdam SAM, Banks JA, Wisecaver JH, Zhou Y. A De Novo Transcriptome Assembly of Ceratopteris richardii Provides Insights into the Evolutionary Dynamics of Complex Gene Families in Land Plants. Genome Biol Evol 2021; 13:6157829. [PMID: 33681974 PMCID: PMC7975763 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evab042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
As the closest extant sister group to seed plants, ferns are an important reference point to study the origin and evolution of plant genes and traits. One bottleneck to the use of ferns in phylogenetic and genetic studies is the fact that genome-level sequence information of this group is limited, due to the extreme genome sizes of most ferns. Ceratopteris richardii (hereafter Ceratopteris) has been widely used as a model system for ferns. In this study, we generated a transcriptome of Ceratopteris, through the de novo assembly of the RNA-seq data from 17 sequencing libraries that are derived from two sexual types of gametophytes and five different sporophyte tissues. The Ceratopteris transcriptome, together with 38 genomes and transcriptomes from other species across the Viridiplantae, were used to uncover the evolutionary dynamics of orthogroups (predicted gene families using OrthoFinder) within the euphyllophytes and identify proteins associated with the major shifts in plant morphology and physiology that occurred in the last common ancestors of euphyllophytes, ferns, and seed plants. Furthermore, this resource was used to identify and classify the GRAS domain transcriptional regulators of many developmental processes in plants. Through the phylogenetic analysis within each of the 15 GRAS orthogroups, we uncovered which GRAS family members are conserved or have diversified in ferns and seed plants. Taken together, the transcriptome database and analyses reported here provide an important platform for exploring the evolution of gene families in land plants and for studying gene function in seed-free vascular plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Geng
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA.,Purdue Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - Chao Cai
- Purdue University Libraries and School of Information Studies, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - Scott A M McAdam
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA.,Purdue Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - Jo Ann Banks
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA.,Purdue Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - Jennifer H Wisecaver
- Purdue Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA.,Department of Biochemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - Yun Zhou
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA.,Purdue Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
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27
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Véron E, Vernoux T, Coudert Y. Phyllotaxis from a Single Apical Cell. TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 26:124-131. [PMID: 33097400 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2020.09.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Revised: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/25/2020] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Phyllotaxis, the geometry of leaf arrangement around stems, determines plant architecture. Molecular interactions coordinating the formation of phyllotactic patterns have mainly been studied in multicellular shoot apical meristems of flowering plants. Phyllotaxis evolved independently in the major land plant lineages. In mosses, it arises from a single apical cell, raising the question of how asymmetric divisions of a single-celled meristem create phyllotactic patterns and whether associated genetic processes are shared across lineages. We present an overview of the mechanisms governing shoot apical cell specification and activity in the model moss, Physcomitrium patens, and argue that similar molecular regulatory modules have been deployed repeatedly across evolution to operate at different scales and drive apical function in convergent shoot forms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elsa Véron
- Laboratoire Reproduction et Développement des Plantes, Université de Lyon, ENS de Lyon, UCB Lyon 1, CNRS, INRA, INRIA, Lyon 69007, France
| | - Teva Vernoux
- Laboratoire Reproduction et Développement des Plantes, Université de Lyon, ENS de Lyon, UCB Lyon 1, CNRS, INRA, INRIA, Lyon 69007, France.
| | - Yoan Coudert
- Laboratoire Reproduction et Développement des Plantes, Université de Lyon, ENS de Lyon, UCB Lyon 1, CNRS, INRA, INRIA, Lyon 69007, France.
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Furumizu C, Sawa S. The RGF/GLV/CLEL Family of Short Peptides Evolved Through Lineage-Specific Losses and Diversification and Yet Conserves Its Signaling Role Between Vascular Plants and Bryophytes. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:703012. [PMID: 34354727 PMCID: PMC8329595 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.703012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Short secreted plant peptides act as key signaling molecules and control a plethora of developmental and physiological processes. The ROOT GROWTH FACTOR (RGF)/GOLVEN (GLV)/CLE-Like (CLEL) family of peptides was discovered to be involved in root development in Arabidopsis thaliana. In contrast to active research efforts, which have been revealing receptors and downstream signaling components, little attention has been paid to evolutionary processes that shaped the RGF signaling system as we know it in angiosperms today. As a first step toward understanding how RGF signaling emerged and evolved, this study aimed to elucidate the phylogenetic distribution and functional conservation of RGF-like sequences. Using publicly available, genome and transcriptome data, RGF-like sequences were searched in 27 liverworts, 22 mosses, 8 hornworts, 23 lycophytes, 23 ferns, 38 gymnosperms, and 8 angiosperms. This led to the identification of more than four hundreds of RGF-like sequences in all major extant land plant lineages except for hornworts. Sequence comparisons within and between taxonomic groups identified lineage-specific characters. Notably, one of the two major RGF subgroups, represented by A. thaliana RGF6/GLV1/CLEL6, was found only in vascular plants. This subgroup, therefore, likely emerged in a common ancestor of vascular plants after its divergence from bryophytes. In bryophytes, our results infer independent losses of RGF-like sequences in mosses and hornworts. On the other hand, a single, highly similar RGF-like sequence is conserved in liverworts, including Marchantia polymorpha, a genetically tractable model species. When constitutively expressed, the M. polymorpha RGF-like sequence (MpRGF) affected plant development and growth both in A. thaliana and M. polymorpha. This suggests that MpRGF can exert known RGF-like effects and that MpRGF is under transcriptional control so that its potent activities are precisely controlled. These data suggest that RGFs are conserved as signaling molecules in both vascular plants and bryophytes and that lineage-specific diversification has increased sequence variations of RGFs. All together, our findings form a basis for further studies into RGF peptides and their receptors, which will contribute to our understandings of how peptide signaling pathways evolve.
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Weits DA, van Dongen JT, Licausi F. Molecular oxygen as a signaling component in plant development. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2021; 229:24-35. [PMID: 31943217 DOI: 10.1111/nph.16424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2019] [Accepted: 12/10/2019] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
While traditionally hypoxia has been studied as a detrimental component of flooding stress, the last decade has flourished with studies reporting the involvement of molecular oxygen availability in plant developmental processes. Moreover, proliferating and undifferentiated cells from different plant tissues were found to reside in endogenously generated hypoxic niches. Thus, stress-associated acute hypoxia may be distinguished from constitutively generated chronic hypoxia. The Cys/Arg branch of the N-degron pathway assumes a central role in integrating oxygen levels resulting in proteolysis of transcriptional regulators that control different aspects of plant growth and development. As a target of this pathway, group VII of the Ethylene Response Factor (ERF-VII) family has emerged as a hub for the integration of oxygen dynamics in root development and during seedling establishment. Additionally, vegetative shoot meristem activity and reproductive transition were recently associated with oxygen availability via two novel substrates of the N-degron pathways: VERNALISATION 2 (VRN2) and LITTLE ZIPPER 2 (ZPR2). Together, these observations support roles for molecular oxygen as a signalling molecule in plant development, as well as in essential metabolic reactions. Here, we review recent findings regarding oxygen-regulated development, and discuss outstanding questions that spring from these discoveries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daan A Weits
- Plantlab, Institute of Life Sciences, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa, 56010, Italy
| | | | - Francesco Licausi
- Plantlab, Institute of Life Sciences, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa, 56010, Italy
- Biology Department, University of Pisa, Pisa, 56126, Italy
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Abstract
Plants and animals are both important for studies in evolutionary developmental biology (EvoDevo). Plant morphology as a valuable discipline of EvoDevo is set for a paradigm shift. Process thinking and the continuum approach in plant morphology allow us to perceive and interpret growing plants as combinations of developmental processes rather than as assemblages of structural units (“organs”) such as roots, stems, leaves, and flowers. These dynamic philosophical perspectives were already favored by botanists and philosophers such as Agnes Arber (1879–1960) and Rolf Sattler (*1936). The acceptance of growing plants as dynamic continua inspires EvoDevo scientists such as developmental geneticists and evolutionary biologists to move towards a more holistic understanding of plants in time and space. This review will appeal to many young scientists in the plant development research fields. It covers a wide range of relevant publications from the past to present.
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31
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Calvo P, Baluška F, Trewavas A. Integrated information as a possible basis for plant consciousness. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2020; 564:158-165. [PMID: 33081970 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2020.10.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Revised: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 10/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
It is commonly assumed that plants do not possess consciousness. Since the criterion for this assumption is usually human consciousness this assumption represents a top down attitude. It is obvious that plants are not animals and using animal criteria of consciousness will lead to its rejection in plants. However using a bottom up evolutionary approach and a leading theory of consciousness, Integrated Information Theory, we report that we find evidence that indicates that plant meristems act in a conscious fashion although probably at the level of minimal consciousness. Since many plants contain multiple meristems these observations highlight a very different evolutionary approach to consciousness in biological organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paco Calvo
- Minimal Intelligence Laboratory, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain.
| | - František Baluška
- Institute of Cellular and Molecular Botany, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Anthony Trewavas
- Institute of Molecular Plant Science, Kings Buildings, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
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32
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Wu D, Li L, Ma X, Huang G, Yang C. Morphological and anatomical adaptations to dry, shady environments in Adiantum reniforme var. sinense (Pteridaceae). PeerJ 2020; 8:e9937. [PMID: 33062425 PMCID: PMC7532779 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.9937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The natural distribution of the rare perennial fern Adiantum reniforme var. sinense (Pteridaceae), which is endemic to shady cliff environments, is limited to small areas of Wanzhou County, Chongqing, China. In this study, we used brightfield and epifluorescence microscopy to investigate the anatomical structures and histochemical features that may allow this species to thrive in shady, dry cliff environments. The A. reniforme var. sinense sporophyte had a primary structure and a dictyostele. The plants of this species had an endodermis, sclerenchyma layers and hypodermal sterome, reflecting an adaption to dry cliff environments. Blades had a thin cuticle and isolateral mesophyll, suggesting a tolerance of shady environments. These characteristics are similar to many sciophyte ferns such as Lygodium japonicum and Pteris multifida. Thus, the morphological and anatomical characteristics of A. reniforme var. sinense identified in this study are consistent with adaptations to shady, dry cliff environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Di Wu
- Rare Plants Research Institute of Yangtze River, Three Gorges Corporation, Yichang, China
| | - Linbao Li
- Rare Plants Research Institute of Yangtze River, Three Gorges Corporation, Yichang, China
| | - Xiaobo Ma
- Rare Plants Research Institute of Yangtze River, Three Gorges Corporation, Yichang, China
| | - Guiyun Huang
- Rare Plants Research Institute of Yangtze River, Three Gorges Corporation, Yichang, China
| | - Chaodong Yang
- Engineering Research Center of Ecology and Agriculture Use of Wetland, Ministry of Education, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, China
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33
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Vasco A, Ambrose BA. Simple and Divided Leaves in Ferns: Exploring the Genetic Basis for Leaf Morphology Differences in the Genus Elaphoglossum (Dryopteridaceae). Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E5180. [PMID: 32707812 PMCID: PMC7432805 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21155180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2020] [Revised: 07/01/2020] [Accepted: 07/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the implications leaves have for life, their origin and development remain debated. Analyses across ferns and seed plants are fundamental to address the conservation or independent origins of megaphyllous leaf developmental mechanisms. Class I KNOX expression studies have been used to understand leaf development and, in ferns, have only been conducted in species with divided leaves. We performed expression analyses of the Class I KNOX and Histone H4 genes throughout the development of leaf primordia in two simple-leaved and one divided-leaved fern taxa. We found Class I KNOX are expressed (1) throughout young and early developing leaves of simple and divided-leaved ferns, (2) later into leaf development of divided-leaved species compared to simple-leaved species, and (3) at the leaf primordium apex and margins. H4 expression is similar in young leaf primordia of simple and divided leaves. Persistent Class I KNOX expression at the margins of divided leaf primordia compared with simple leaf primordia indicates that temporal and spatial patterns of Class I KNOX expression correlate with different fern leaf morphologies. However, our results also indicate that Class I KNOX expression alone is not sufficient to promote divided leaf development in ferns. Class I KNOX patterns of expression in fern leaves support the conservation of an independently recruited developmental mechanism for leaf dissection in megaphylls, the shoot-like nature of fern leaves compared with seed plant leaves, and the critical role marginal meristems play in fern leaf development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandra Vasco
- Botanical Research Institute of Texas, 1700 University Drive, Fort Worth, TX 76107-3400, USA
| | - Barbara A. Ambrose
- The New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Blvd, Bronx, NY 10458-5126, USA
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Cruz R, Melo-de-Pinna GFA, Vasco A, Prado J, Ambrose BA. Class I KNOX Is Related to Determinacy during the Leaf Development of the Fern Mickelia scandens (Dryopteridaceae). Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21124295. [PMID: 32560264 PMCID: PMC7352642 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21124295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2020] [Revised: 06/08/2020] [Accepted: 06/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Unlike seed plants, ferns leaves are considered to be structures with delayed determinacy, with a leaf apical meristem similar to the shoot apical meristems. To better understand the meristematic organization during leaf development and determinacy control, we analyzed the cell divisions and expression of Class I KNOX genes in Mickelia scandens, a fern that produces larger leaves with more pinnae in its climbing form than in its terrestrial form. We performed anatomical, in situ hybridization, and qRT-PCR experiments with histone H4 (cell division marker) and Class I KNOX genes. We found that Class I KNOX genes are expressed in shoot apical meristems, leaf apical meristems, and pinnae primordia. During early development, cell divisions occur in the most distal regions of the analyzed structures, including pinnae, and are not restricted to apical cells. Fern leaves and pinnae bear apical meristems that may partially act as indeterminate shoots, supporting the hypothesis of homology between shoots and leaves. Class I KNOX expression is correlated with indeterminacy in the apex and leaf of ferns, suggesting a conserved function for these genes in euphyllophytes with compound leaves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Cruz
- Instituto de Botânica, Av. Miguel Estéfano 3687, São Paulo (SP) CEP 04301-902, Brazil;
- Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, Rua do Matão 277, São Paulo (SP) CEP 05422-971, Brazil;
- Correspondence:
| | - Gladys F. A. Melo-de-Pinna
- Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, Rua do Matão 277, São Paulo (SP) CEP 05422-971, Brazil;
| | - Alejandra Vasco
- Botanical Research Institute of Texas, 1700 University Drive, Fort Worth, TX 76107-3400, USA;
| | - Jefferson Prado
- Instituto de Botânica, Av. Miguel Estéfano 3687, São Paulo (SP) CEP 04301-902, Brazil;
- UNESP, IBILCE, Depto. de Zoologia e Botânica, Rua Cristóvão Colombo, 2265, São José do Rio Preto (SP) CEP 15054-000, Brazil
| | - Barbara A. Ambrose
- The New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Blvd, Bronx, NY 10458-5126, USA;
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35
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Knauer S, Javelle M, Li L, Li X, Ma X, Wimalanathan K, Kumari S, Johnston R, Leiboff S, Meeley R, Schnable PS, Ware D, Lawrence-Dill C, Yu J, Muehlbauer GJ, Scanlon MJ, Timmermans MCP. A high-resolution gene expression atlas links dedicated meristem genes to key architectural traits. Genome Res 2019; 29:1962-1973. [PMID: 31744902 PMCID: PMC6886502 DOI: 10.1101/gr.250878.119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2019] [Accepted: 10/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The shoot apical meristem (SAM) orchestrates the balance between stem cell proliferation and organ initiation essential for postembryonic shoot growth. Meristems show a striking diversity in shape and size. How this morphological diversity relates to variation in plant architecture and the molecular circuitries driving it are unclear. By generating a high-resolution gene expression atlas of the vegetative maize shoot apex, we show here that distinct sets of genes govern the regulation and identity of stem cells in maize versus Arabidopsis. Cell identities in the maize SAM reflect the combinatorial activity of transcription factors (TFs) that drive the preferential, differential expression of individual members within gene families functioning in a plethora of cellular processes. Subfunctionalization thus emerges as a fundamental feature underlying cell identity. Moreover, we show that adult plant characters are, to a significant degree, regulated by gene circuitries acting in the SAM, with natural variation modulating agronomically important architectural traits enriched specifically near dynamically expressed SAM genes and the TFs that regulate them. Besides unique mechanisms of maize stem cell regulation, our atlas thus identifies key new targets for crop improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steffen Knauer
- Center for Plant Molecular Biology, University of Tuebingen, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York 11724, USA
| | - Marie Javelle
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York 11724, USA
| | - Lin Li
- Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota 55108, USA
| | - Xianran Li
- Department of Agronomy, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011, USA
| | - Xiaoli Ma
- Center for Plant Molecular Biology, University of Tuebingen, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Kokulapalan Wimalanathan
- Interdepartmental Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Program, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011, USA
| | - Sunita Kumari
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York 11724, USA
| | - Robyn Johnston
- Plant Biology Section, School of Intergrated Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA
| | - Samuel Leiboff
- Plant Biology Section, School of Intergrated Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA
| | - Robert Meeley
- DuPont Pioneer, Agricultural Biotechnology, Johnston, Iowa 50131, USA
| | | | - Doreen Ware
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York 11724, USA
| | - Carolyn Lawrence-Dill
- Department of Agronomy, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011, USA
- Interdepartmental Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Program, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011, USA
| | - Jianming Yu
- Department of Agronomy, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011, USA
| | - Gary J Muehlbauer
- Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota 55108, USA
| | - Michael J Scanlon
- Plant Biology Section, School of Intergrated Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA
| | - Marja C P Timmermans
- Center for Plant Molecular Biology, University of Tuebingen, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York 11724, USA
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37
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Histology versus phylogeny: Viewing plant embryogenesis from an evo-devo perspective. Curr Top Dev Biol 2019; 131:545-564. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2018.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
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38
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Love AC, Yoshida Y. Reflections on Model Organisms in Evolutionary Developmental Biology. Results Probl Cell Differ 2019; 68:3-20. [PMID: 31598850 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-23459-1_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
This chapter reflects on and makes explicit the distinctiveness of reasoning practices associated with model organisms in the context of evolutionary developmental research. Model organisms in evo-devo instantiate a unique synthesis of model systems strategies from developmental biology and comparative strategies from evolutionary biology that negotiate a tension between developmental conservation and evolutionary change to address scientific questions about the evolution of development and the developmental basis of evolutionary change. We review different categories of model systems that have been advanced to understand practices found in the life sciences in order to comprehend how evo-devo model organisms instantiate this synthesis in the context of three examples: the starlet sea anemone and the evolution of bilateral symmetry, leeches and the origins of segmentation in bilaterians, and the corn snake to understand major evolutionary change in axial and appendicular morphology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan C Love
- Department of Philosophy and Minnesota Center for Philosophy of Science, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
| | - Yoshinari Yoshida
- Department of Philosophy and Minnesota Center for Philosophy of Science, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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39
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Deng G, Cheung FMH, Sun Z, Peng X, Li S, Gong P, Cai L. Near-infrared fluorescence imaging for vascular visualization and fungal detection in plants. Chem Commun (Camb) 2018; 54:13240-13243. [PMID: 30406774 DOI: 10.1039/c8cc07782g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
We found that heptamethine dye IR-820 showed distinct emission peaks in both the NIR-Ia and NIR-Ib windows. IR-820 yielded images of vascular structures in the NIR-Ib window with unprecedented details. NIR-Ib fluorescence imaging was useful not only for studying plant transpiration, but also for detecting and differentiating fungal pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guanjun Deng
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nanomedicine, Shenzhen Engineering Laboratory of Nanomedicine and Nanoformulations, CAS-HK Joint Lab of Biomaterials, CAS Key Lab for Health Informatics, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China.
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40
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Wei AH, Zhou DN, Gu ZC, Liu D. HPLC analysis, optimization of extraction and purification conditions, biological evaluation of total protoflavones from Macrothelypteris viridifrons. Nat Prod Res 2018; 33:3167-3170. [PMID: 30449172 DOI: 10.1080/14786419.2018.1522312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
The present study aims to evaluate phytochemical and pharmacological potential of total protoflavones from Macrothelypteris viridifrons. In the phytochemical study, an HPLC analysis method was established, and the optimal extraction and purification conditions were analyzed. The extractive condition was optimized as follows: the backflow extraction with 20 folds of 70% ethanol at 80◦C for 1 h twice. Moreover, by combining the alkali-extraction and acid-precipitation method with the macroporous resin purification technology, the final purity rate of total protoflavones was no less than 54.85%. In the pharmacological study, the total protoflavones from M. viridifrons showed a significant tumor-inhibitory effect in the H22 hepatoma cells transplantation model with a higher inhibitory rate of 55.76% in high dosage (100mg/kg) treatment group compared with the positive control group (20 mg/kg cyclophosphamide). Taken of all, these results support that protoflavones are the material basis of M. viridifrons as an anticancer folk medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- An-Hua Wei
- Department of Pharmacy, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology , Wuhan , China
| | - Dao-Nian Zhou
- Postdoctoral Programme, Mayinglong Pharmaceutical Group Co. Ltd. , Wuhan , China
| | - Zhi-Chun Gu
- Department of Pharmacy, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University , Shanghai , China
| | - Dong Liu
- Department of Pharmacy, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology , Wuhan , China
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41
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Zhang LM, Leng CY, Luo H, Wu XY, Liu ZQ, Zhang YM, Zhang H, Xia Y, Shang L, Liu CM, Hao DY, Zhou YH, Chu CC, Cai HW, Jing HC. Sweet Sorghum Originated through Selection of Dry, a Plant-Specific NAC Transcription Factor Gene. THE PLANT CELL 2018; 30:2286-2307. [PMID: 30309900 PMCID: PMC6241255 DOI: 10.1105/tpc.18.00313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2018] [Revised: 09/04/2018] [Accepted: 10/02/2018] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) is the fifth most popular crop worldwide and a C4 model plant. Domesticated sorghum comes in many forms, including sweet cultivars with juicy stems and grain sorghum with dry, pithy stems at maturity. The Dry locus, which controls the pithy/juicy stem trait, was discovered over a century ago. Here, we found that Dry gene encodes a plant-specific NAC transcription factor. Dry was either deleted or acquired loss-of-function mutations in sweet sorghum, resulting in cell collapse and altered secondary cell wall composition in the stem. Twenty-three Dry ancestral haplotypes, all with dry, pithy stems, were found among wild sorghum and wild sorghum relatives. Two of the haplotypes were detected in domesticated landraces, with four additional dry haplotypes with juicy stems detected in improved lines. These results imply that selection for Dry gene mutations was a major step leading to the origin of sweet sorghum. The Dry gene is conserved in major cereals; fine-tuning its regulatory network could provide a molecular tool to control crop stem texture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Min Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
| | - Chuan-Yuan Leng
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Hong Luo
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
| | - Xiao-Yuan Wu
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
| | - Zhi-Quan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
- Inner Mongolia Research Centre for Prataculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
| | - Yu-Miao Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Hong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yan Xia
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
| | - Li Shang
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
| | - Chun-Ming Liu
- Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Physiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
| | - Dong-Yun Hao
- Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun, Jilin 130124, China
| | - Yi-Hua Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Cheng-Cai Chu
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Hong-Wei Cai
- Department of Plant Genetics and Breeding, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
- Forage Crop Research Institute, Japan Grassland Agricultural and Forage Seed Association, Nasushiobara, Tochigi 329-2742, Japan
| | - Hai-Chun Jing
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Inner Mongolia Research Centre for Prataculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
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Sanitá Lima M, Smith DR. Pervasive Transcription of Mitochondrial, Plastid, and Nucleomorph Genomes across Diverse Plastid-Bearing Species. Genome Biol Evol 2018; 9:2650-2657. [PMID: 29048528 PMCID: PMC5737562 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evx207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/26/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Organelle genomes exhibit remarkable diversity in content, structure, and size, and in their modes of gene expression, which are governed by both organelle- and nuclear-encoded machinery. Next generation sequencing (NGS) has generated unprecedented amounts of genomic and transcriptomic data, which can be used to investigate organelle genome transcription. However, most of the available eukaryotic RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) data are used to study nuclear transcription only, even though large numbers of organelle-derived reads can typically be mined from these experiments. Here, we use publicly available RNA-seq data to assess organelle genome transcription in 59 diverse plastid-bearing species. Our RNA mapping analyses unraveled pervasive (full or near-full) transcription of mitochondrial, plastid, and nucleomorph genomes. In all cases, 85% or more of the organelle genome was recovered from the RNA data, including noncoding (intergenic and intronic) regions. These results reinforce the idea that organelles transcribe all or nearly all of their genomic material and are dependent on post-transcriptional processing of polycistronic transcripts. We explore the possibility that transcribed intergenic regions are producing functional noncoding RNAs, and that organelle genome noncoding content might provide raw material for generating regulatory RNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matheus Sanitá Lima
- Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - David Roy Smith
- Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
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Harrison CJ, Morris JL. The origin and early evolution of vascular plant shoots and leaves. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2018; 373:20160496. [PMID: 29254961 PMCID: PMC5745332 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The morphology of plant fossils from the Rhynie chert has generated longstanding questions about vascular plant shoot and leaf evolution, for instance, which morphologies were ancestral within land plants, when did vascular plants first arise and did leaves have multiple evolutionary origins? Recent advances combining insights from molecular phylogeny, palaeobotany and evo-devo research address these questions and suggest the sequence of morphological innovation during vascular plant shoot and leaf evolution. The evidence pinpoints testable developmental and genetic hypotheses relating to the origin of branching and indeterminate shoot architectures prior to the evolution of leaves, and demonstrates underestimation of polyphyly in the evolution of leaves from branching forms in 'telome theory' hypotheses of leaf evolution. This review discusses fossil, developmental and genetic evidence relating to the evolution of vascular plant shoots and leaves in a phylogenetic framework.This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'The Rhynie cherts: our earliest terrestrial ecosystem revisited'.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Jill Harrison
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Jennifer L Morris
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
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Ruiz-Estévez M, Bakkali M, Martín-Blázquez R, Garrido-Ramos MA. Identification and Characterization of TALE Homeobox Genes in the Endangered Fern Vandenboschia speciosa. Genes (Basel) 2017; 8:E275. [PMID: 29039766 PMCID: PMC5664125 DOI: 10.3390/genes8100275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2017] [Revised: 10/09/2017] [Accepted: 10/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
We report and discuss the results of a quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis of the expression patterns of seven three amino acid loop extension (TALE) homeobox genes (four KNOTTED-like homeobox (KNOX) and three BEL1-like homeobox (BELL) genes) identified after next generation sequencing (NGS) and assembly of the sporophyte and gametophyte transcriptomes of the endangered fern species Vandenboschia speciosa. Among the four KNOX genes, two belonged to the KNOX1 class and the other two belonged to the KNOX2 class. Analysis of the deduced amino acid sequences supported the typical domain structure of both types of TALE proteins, and the homology to TALE proteins of mosses, lycophytes, and seed plant species. The expression analyses demonstrate that these homeodomain proteins appear to have a key role in the establishment and development of the gametophyte and sporophyte phases of V. speciosa lifecycle, as well as in the control of the transition between both phases. Vandenboschia speciosa VsKNAT3 (a KNOX2 class protein) as well as VsBELL4 and VsBELL10 proteins have higher expression levels during the sporophyte program. On the contrary, one V. speciosa KNOX1 protein (VsKNAT6) and one KNOX2 protein (VsKNAT4) seem important during the development of the gametophyte phase. TALE homeobox genes might be among the key regulators in the gametophyte-to-sporophyte developmental transition in regular populations that show alternation of generations, since some of the genes analyzed here (VsKNAT3, VsKNAT6, VsBELL4, and VsBELL6) are upregulated in a non-alternating population in which only independent gametophytes are found (they grow by vegetative reproduction outside of the range of sporophyte distribution). Thus, these four genes might trigger the vegetative propagation of the gametophyte and the repression of the sexual development in populations composed of independent gametophytes. This study represents a comprehensive identification and characterization of TALE homeobox genes in V. speciosa, and gives novel insights about the role of these genes in fern development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mercedes Ruiz-Estévez
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain.
| | - Mohammed Bakkali
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain.
| | - Rubén Martín-Blázquez
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain.
| | - Manuel A Garrido-Ramos
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain.
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Rensing SA. Why we need more non-seed plant models. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2017; 216:355-360. [PMID: 28191633 DOI: 10.1111/nph.14464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2016] [Accepted: 12/18/2016] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Contents 355 I. 355 II. 356 III. 356 IV. 357 V. 358 VI. 359 359 References 359 SUMMARY: Out of a hundred sequenced and published land plant genomes, four are not of flowering plants. This severely skewed taxonomic sampling hinders our comprehension of land plant evolution at large. Moreover, most genetically accessible model species are flowering plants as well. If we are to gain a deeper understanding of how plants evolved and still evolve, and which of their developmental patterns are ancestral or derived, we need to study a more diverse set of plants. Here, I thus argue that we need to sequence genomes of so far neglected lineages, and that we need to develop more non-seed plant model species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan A Rensing
- Faculty of Biology, University of Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch-Str. 8, 35043, Marburg, Germany
- BIOSS Biological Signalling Studies, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestraße 18, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
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Jill Harrison C. Development and genetics in the evolution of land plant body plans. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2017; 372:20150490. [PMID: 27994131 PMCID: PMC5182422 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2015.0490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 119] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The colonization of land by plants shaped the terrestrial biosphere, the geosphere and global climates. The nature of morphological and molecular innovation driving land plant evolution has been an enigma for over 200 years. Recent phylogenetic and palaeobotanical advances jointly demonstrate that land plants evolved from freshwater algae and pinpoint key morphological innovations in plant evolution. In the haploid gametophyte phase of the plant life cycle, these include the innovation of mulitcellular forms with apical growth and multiple growth axes. In the diploid phase of the life cycle, multicellular axial sporophytes were an early innovation priming subsequent diversification of indeterminate branched forms with leaves and roots. Reverse and forward genetic approaches in newly emerging model systems are starting to identify the genetic basis of such innovations. The data place plant evo-devo research at the cusp of discovering the developmental and genetic changes driving the radiation of land plant body plans.This article is part of the themed issue 'Evo-devo in the genomics era, and the origins of morphological diversity'.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Jill Harrison
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
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Field Guide to Plant Model Systems. Cell 2017; 167:325-339. [PMID: 27716506 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2016.08.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2016] [Revised: 07/28/2016] [Accepted: 08/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
For the past several decades, advances in plant development, physiology, cell biology, and genetics have relied heavily on the model (or reference) plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Arabidopsis resembles other plants, including crop plants, in many but by no means all respects. Study of Arabidopsis alone provides little information on the evolutionary history of plants, evolutionary differences between species, plants that survive in different environments, or plants that access nutrients and photosynthesize differently. Empowered by the availability of large-scale sequencing and new technologies for investigating gene function, many new plant models are being proposed and studied.
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Cao H, Chai TT, Wang X, Morais-Braga MFB, Yang JH, Wong FC, Wang R, Yao H, Cao J, Cornara L, Burlando B, Wang Y, Xiao J, Coutinho HDM. Phytochemicals from fern species: potential for medicine applications. PHYTOCHEMISTRY REVIEWS : PROCEEDINGS OF THE PHYTOCHEMICAL SOCIETY OF EUROPE 2017; 16:379-440. [PMID: 32214919 PMCID: PMC7089528 DOI: 10.1007/s11101-016-9488-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2016] [Accepted: 12/21/2016] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Ferns are an important phytogenetic bridge between lower and higher plants. Historically they have been used in many ways by humans, including as ornamental plants, domestic utensils, foods, and in handicrafts. In addition, they have found uses as medicinal herbs. Ferns produce a wide array of secondary metabolites endowed with different bioactivities that could potentially be useful in the treatment of many diseases. However, there is currently relatively little information in the literature on the phytochemicals present in ferns and their pharmacological applications, and the most recent review of the literature on the occurrence, chemotaxonomy and physiological activity of fern secondary metabolites was published over 20 years ago, by Soeder (Bot Rev 51:442-536, 1985). Here, we provide an updated review of this field, covering recent findings concerning the bioactive phytochemicals and pharmacology of fern species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Cao
- College of Food Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002 China
- Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau
| | - Tsun-Thai Chai
- Department of Chemical Science, Faculty of ScienceUniversiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, 31900 Kampar, Malaysia
| | - Xin Wang
- Department of Biology, Shanghai Normal University, 100 Guilin Rd, Shanghai, 200234 China
| | | | - Jing-Hua Yang
- Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry for Natural Resource, Ministry of Education, School of Chemical Science and Technology, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091 China
| | - Fai-Chu Wong
- Department of Chemical Science, Faculty of ScienceUniversiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, 31900 Kampar, Malaysia
- Centre for Biodiversity Research, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, 31900 Kampar, Malaysia
| | - Ruibing Wang
- Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau
| | - Huankai Yao
- School of Pharmacy, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of New Drug Research and Clinical Pharmacy, Xuzhou Medical University, Jiangsu, 221004 China
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau
| | - Jianguo Cao
- Department of Biology, Shanghai Normal University, 100 Guilin Rd, Shanghai, 200234 China
| | - Laura Cornara
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra dell’Ambiente e della Vita, Polo Botanico, Università degli Studi di Genova, Corso Dogali 1M, 16136 Genoa, Italy
| | - Bruno Burlando
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Innovazione Tecnologica, Università del Piemonte Orientale “Amedeo Avogadro”, Viale Teresa Michel 11, 15121 Alessandria, Italy
- Istituto di Biofisica, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via De Marini 6, 16149 Genoa, Italy
| | - Yitao Wang
- Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau
| | - Jianbo Xiao
- College of Food Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002 China
- Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau
| | - Henrique D. M. Coutinho
- Laboratory of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Regional University of Cariri–URCA, Crato, CE Brazil
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Bai SN. Reconsideration of Plant Morphological Traits: From a Structure-Based Perspective to a Function-Based Evolutionary Perspective. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2017; 8:345. [PMID: 28360919 PMCID: PMC5350141 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2017.00345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2017] [Accepted: 02/27/2017] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
This opinion article proposes a novel alignment of traits in plant morphogenesis from a function-based evolutionary perspective. As a member species of the ecosystem on Earth, we human beings view our neighbor organisms from our own sensing system. We tend to distinguish forms and structures (i.e., "morphological traits") mainly through vision. Traditionally, a plant was considered to be consisted of three parts, i.e., the shoot, the leaves, and the root. Based on such a "structure-based perspective," evolutionary analyses or comparisons across species were made on particular parts or their derived structures. So far no conceptual framework has been established to incorporate the morphological traits of all three land plant phyta, i.e., bryophyta, pteridophyta and spermatophyta, for evolutionary developmental analysis. Using the tenets of the recently proposed concept of sexual reproduction cycle, the major morphological traits of land plants can be aligned into five categories from a function-based evolutionary perspective. From this perspective, and the resulting alignment, a new conceptual framework emerges, called "Plant Morphogenesis 123." This framework views a plant as a colony of integrated plant developmental units that are each produced via one life cycle. This view provided an alternative perspective for evolutionary developmental investigation in plants.
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50
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Vasco A, Smalls TL, Graham SW, Cooper ED, Wong GKS, Stevenson DW, Moran RC, Ambrose BA. Challenging the paradigms of leaf evolution: Class III HD-Zips in ferns and lycophytes. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2016; 212:745-758. [PMID: 27385116 DOI: 10.1111/nph.14075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2015] [Accepted: 05/23/2016] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Despite the extraordinary significance leaves have for life on Earth, their origin and development remain vigorously debated. More than a century of paleobotanical, morphological, and phylogenetic research has still not resolved fundamental questions about leaves. Developmental genetic data are sparse in ferns, and comparative studies of lycophytes and seed plants have reached opposing conclusions on the conservation of a leaf developmental program. We performed phylogenetic and expression analyses of a leaf developmental regulator (Class III HD-Zip genes; C3HDZs) spanning lycophytes and ferns. We show that a duplication and neofunctionalization of C3HDZs probably occurred in the ancestor of euphyllophytes, and that there is a common leaf developmental mechanism conserved between ferns and seed plants. We show C3HDZ expression in lycophyte and fern sporangia and show that C3HDZs have conserved expression patterns during initiation of lateral primordia (leaves or sporangia). This expression is maintained throughout sporangium development in lycophytes and ferns and indicates an ancestral role of C3HDZs in sporangium development. We hypothesize that there is a deep homology of all leaves and that a sporangium-specific developmental program was coopted independently for the development of lycophyte and euphyllophyte leaves. This provides molecular genetic support for a paradigm shift in theories of lycophyte leaf evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandra Vasco
- The New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Blvd, Bronx, NY, 10458-5126, USA
- Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico DF, 04510, Mexico
| | - Tynisha L Smalls
- The New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Blvd, Bronx, NY, 10458-5126, USA
| | - Sean W Graham
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, 6270 University Boulevard, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada
- UBC Botanical Garden & Centre for Plant Research, University of British Columbia, 6804 Marine Drive SW, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Endymion D Cooper
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, E1 4NS, UK
| | - Gane Ka-Shu Wong
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E1, Canada
- BGI-Shenzhen, Beishan Industrial Zone, Yantian District, Shenzhen, 518083, China
| | - Dennis W Stevenson
- The New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Blvd, Bronx, NY, 10458-5126, USA
| | - Robbin C Moran
- The New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Blvd, Bronx, NY, 10458-5126, USA
| | - Barbara A Ambrose
- The New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Blvd, Bronx, NY, 10458-5126, USA.
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