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Usai G, Fambrini M, Pugliesi C, Simoni S. Exploring the patterns of evolution: Core thoughts and focus on the saltational model. Biosystems 2024; 238:105181. [PMID: 38479653 DOI: 10.1016/j.biosystems.2024.105181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
The Modern Synthesis, a pillar in biological thought, united Darwin's species origin concepts with Mendel's laws of character heredity, providing a comprehensive understanding of evolution within species. Highlighting phenotypic variation and natural selection, it elucidated the environment's role as a selective force, shaping populations over time. This framework integrated additional mechanisms, including genetic drift, random mutations, and gene flow, predicting their cumulative effects on microevolution and the emergence of new species. Beyond the Modern Synthesis, the Extended Evolutionary Synthesis expands perspectives by recognizing the role of developmental plasticity, non-genetic inheritance, and epigenetics. We suggest that these aspects coexist in the plant evolutionary process; in this context, we focus on the saltational model, emphasizing how saltation events, such as dichotomous saltation, chromosomal mutations, epigenetic phenomena, and polyploidy, contribute to rapid evolutionary changes. The saltational model proposes that certain evolutionary changes, such as the rise of new species, may result suddenly from single macromutations rather than from gradual changes in DNA sequences and allele frequencies within a species over time. These events, observed in domesticated and wild higher plants, provide well-defined mechanistic bases, revealing their profound impact on plant diversity and rapid evolutionary events. Notably, next-generation sequencing exposes the likely crucial role of allopolyploidy and autopolyploidy (saltational events) in generating new plant species, each characterized by distinct chromosomal complements. In conclusion, through this review, we offer a thorough exploration of the ongoing dissertation on the saltational model, elucidating its implications for our understanding of plant evolutionary processes and paving the way for continued research in this intriguing field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriele Usai
- Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment (DAFE), University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto 80, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - Marco Fambrini
- Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment (DAFE), University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto 80, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - Claudio Pugliesi
- Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment (DAFE), University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto 80, 56124, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Samuel Simoni
- Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment (DAFE), University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto 80, 56124, Pisa, Italy
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Liu B, Yang D, Wang D, Liang C, Wang J, Lisch D, Zhao M. Heritable changes of epialleles near genes in maize can be triggered in the absence of CHH methylation. Plant Physiol 2024; 194:2511-2532. [PMID: 38109503 PMCID: PMC10980416 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiad668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023]
Abstract
Trans-chromosomal interactions resulting in changes in DNA methylation during hybridization have been observed in several plant species. However, little is known about the causes or consequences of these interactions. Here, we compared DNA methylomes of F1 hybrids that are mutant for a small RNA biogenesis gene, Mop1 (Mediator of paramutation1), with that of their parents, wild-type siblings, and backcrossed progeny in maize (Zea mays). Our data show that hybridization triggers global changes in both trans-chromosomal methylation (TCM) and trans-chromosomal demethylation (TCdM), most of which involved changes in CHH methylation. In more than 60% of these TCM differentially methylated regions (DMRs) in which small RNAs are available, no significant changes in the quantity of small RNAs were observed. Methylation at the CHH TCM DMRs was largely lost in the mop1 mutant, although the effects of this mutant varied depending on the location of these DMRs. Interestingly, an increase in CHH at TCM DMRs was associated with enhanced expression of a subset of highly expressed genes and suppressed expression of a small number of lowly expressed genes. Examination of the methylation levels in backcrossed plants demonstrates that both TCM and TCdM can be maintained in the subsequent generation, but that TCdM is more stable than TCM. Surprisingly, although increased CHH methylation in most TCM DMRs in F1 plants required Mop1, initiation of a new epigenetic state of these DMRs did not require a functional copy of this gene, suggesting that initiation of these changes is independent of RNA-directed DNA methylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beibei Liu
- Department of Biology, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA
| | - Diya Yang
- Department of Biology, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA
| | - Dafang Wang
- Biology Department, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY 11549, USA
| | - Chun Liang
- Department of Biology, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA
| | - Jianping Wang
- Agronomy Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Damon Lisch
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Meixia Zhao
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
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Dias SL, Chuang L, Liu S, Seligmann B, Brendel FL, Chavez BG, Hoffie RE, Hoffie I, Kumlehn J, Bültemeier A, Wolf J, Herde M, Witte CP, D'Auria JC, Franke J. Biosynthesis of the allelopathic alkaloid gramine in barley by a cryptic oxidative rearrangement. Science 2024; 383:1448-1454. [PMID: 38547266 DOI: 10.1126/science.adk6112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
The defensive alkaloid gramine not only protects barley and other grasses from insects but also negatively affects their palatability to ruminants. The key gene for gramine formation has remained elusive, hampering breeding initiatives. In this work, we report that a gene encoding cytochrome P450 monooxygenase CYP76M57, which we name AMI synthase (AMIS), enables the production of gramine in Nicotiana benthamiana, Arabidopsis thaliana, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We reconstituted gramine production in the gramine-free barley (Hordeum vulgare) variety Golden Promise and eliminated it from cultivar Tafeno by Cas-mediated gene editing. In vitro experiments unraveled that an unexpected cryptic oxidative rearrangement underlies this noncanonical conversion of an amino acid to a chain-shortened biogenic amine. The discovery of the genetic basis of gramine formation now permits tailor-made optimization of gramine-linked traits in barley by plant breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Leite Dias
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), Corrensstr. 3, 06466 Seeland OT Gatersleben, Germany
| | - Ling Chuang
- Institute of Botany, Leibniz University Hannover, Herrenhäuser Straße 2, 30419 Hannover, Germany
- Centre of Biomolecular Drug Research, Leibniz University Hannover, Schneiderberg 38, 30167 Hannover, Germany
| | - Shenyu Liu
- Institute of Botany, Leibniz University Hannover, Herrenhäuser Straße 2, 30419 Hannover, Germany
- Centre of Biomolecular Drug Research, Leibniz University Hannover, Schneiderberg 38, 30167 Hannover, Germany
| | - Benedikt Seligmann
- Institute of Botany, Leibniz University Hannover, Herrenhäuser Straße 2, 30419 Hannover, Germany
| | - Fabian L Brendel
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), Corrensstr. 3, 06466 Seeland OT Gatersleben, Germany
| | - Benjamin G Chavez
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), Corrensstr. 3, 06466 Seeland OT Gatersleben, Germany
| | - Robert E Hoffie
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), Corrensstr. 3, 06466 Seeland OT Gatersleben, Germany
| | - Iris Hoffie
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), Corrensstr. 3, 06466 Seeland OT Gatersleben, Germany
| | - Jochen Kumlehn
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), Corrensstr. 3, 06466 Seeland OT Gatersleben, Germany
| | - Arne Bültemeier
- Institute of Botany, Leibniz University Hannover, Herrenhäuser Straße 2, 30419 Hannover, Germany
- Centre of Biomolecular Drug Research, Leibniz University Hannover, Schneiderberg 38, 30167 Hannover, Germany
| | - Johanna Wolf
- Institute of Botany, Leibniz University Hannover, Herrenhäuser Straße 2, 30419 Hannover, Germany
| | - Marco Herde
- Department of Molecular Nutrition and Biochemistry of Plants, Leibniz University Hannover, Herrenhäuser Straße 2, 30419 Hannover, Germany
| | - Claus-Peter Witte
- Department of Molecular Nutrition and Biochemistry of Plants, Leibniz University Hannover, Herrenhäuser Straße 2, 30419 Hannover, Germany
| | - John C D'Auria
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), Corrensstr. 3, 06466 Seeland OT Gatersleben, Germany
| | - Jakob Franke
- Institute of Botany, Leibniz University Hannover, Herrenhäuser Straße 2, 30419 Hannover, Germany
- Centre of Biomolecular Drug Research, Leibniz University Hannover, Schneiderberg 38, 30167 Hannover, Germany
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de Tomás C, Vicient CM. The Genomic Shock Hypothesis: Genetic and Epigenetic Alterations of Transposable Elements after Interspecific Hybridization in Plants. Epigenomes 2023; 8:2. [PMID: 38247729 PMCID: PMC10801548 DOI: 10.3390/epigenomes8010002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) are major components of plant genomes with the ability to change their position in the genome or to create new copies of themselves in other positions in the genome. These can cause gene disruption and large-scale genomic alterations, including inversions, deletions, and duplications. Host organisms have evolved a set of mechanisms to suppress TE activity and counter the threat that they pose to genome integrity. These includes the epigenetic silencing of TEs mediated by a process of RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM). In most cases, the silencing machinery is very efficient for the vast majority of TEs. However, there are specific circumstances in which TEs can evade such silencing mechanisms, for example, a variety of biotic and abiotic stresses or in vitro culture. Hybridization is also proposed as an inductor of TE proliferation. In fact, the discoverer of the transposons, Barbara McClintock, first hypothesized that interspecific hybridization provides a "genomic shock" that inhibits the TE control mechanisms leading to the mobilization of TEs. However, the studies carried out on this topic have yielded diverse results, showing in some cases a total absence of mobilization or being limited to only some TE families. Here, we review the current knowledge about the impact of interspecific hybridization on TEs in plants and the possible implications of changes in the epigenetic mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Carlos M. Vicient
- Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics, CRAG (CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB), Campus UAB, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
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Kirov I. Toward Transgene-Free Transposon-Mediated Biological Mutagenesis for Plant Breeding. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:17054. [PMID: 38069377 PMCID: PMC10706983 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242317054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Genetic diversity is a key factor for plant breeding. The birth of novel genic and genomic variants is also crucial for plant adaptation in nature. Therefore, the genomes of almost all living organisms possess natural mutagenic mechanisms. Transposable elements (TEs) are a major mutagenic force driving genetic diversity in wild plants and modern crops. The relatively rare TE transposition activity during the thousand-year crop domestication process has led to the phenotypic diversity of many cultivated species. The utilization of TE mutagenesis by artificial and transient acceleration of their activity in a controlled mode is an attractive foundation for a novel type of mutagenesis called TE-mediated biological mutagenesis. Here, I focus on TEs as mutagenic sources for plant breeding and discuss existing and emerging transgene-free approaches for TE activation in plants. Furthermore, I also review the non-randomness of TE insertions in a plant genome and the molecular and epigenetic factors involved in shaping TE insertion preferences. Additionally, I discuss the molecular mechanisms that prevent TE transpositions in germline plant cells (e.g., meiocytes, pollen, egg and embryo cells, and shoot apical meristem), thereby reducing the chances of TE insertion inheritance. Knowledge of these mechanisms can expand the TE activation toolbox using novel gene targeting approaches. Finally, the challenges and future perspectives of plant populations with induced novel TE insertions (iTE plant collections) are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilya Kirov
- All-Russia Research Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology, 127550 Moscow, Russia;
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141701 Dolgoprudny, Russia
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Saze H, Springer N. Editorial overview: Delving into organizational principles of plant genomes. Curr Opin Plant Biol 2023; 76:102458. [PMID: 37832505 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2023.102458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/15/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Hidetoshi Saze
- Plant Epigenetics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, 1919-1 Tancha, Onna-son, Okinawa, 904-0495, Japan.
| | - Nathan Springer
- Bayer Crop Sciences, 700 W Chesterfield Pkwy W, Chesterfield, MO 63017, USA; Adjunct University of Minnesota, Department of Plant and Molecular Biology, 123 Snyder Hall, 1475 Gortner Ave, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA.
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