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Charlesworth D, Harkess A. Why should we study plant sex chromosomes? Plant Cell 2024; 36:1242-1256. [PMID: 38163640 PMCID: PMC11062472 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koad278] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Understanding plant sex chromosomes involves studying interactions between developmental and physiological genetics, genome evolution, and evolutionary ecology. We focus on areas of overlap between these. Ideas about how species with separate sexes (dioecious species, in plant terminology) can evolve are even more relevant to plants than to most animal taxa because dioecy has evolved many times from ancestral functionally hermaphroditic populations, often recently. One aim of studying plant sex chromosomes is to discover how separate males and females evolved from ancestors with no such genetic sex-determining polymorphism, and the diversity in the genetic control of maleness vs femaleness. Different systems share some interesting features, and their differences help to understand why completely sex-linked regions may evolve. In some dioecious plants, the sex-determining genome regions are physically small. In others, regions without crossing over have evolved sometimes extensive regions with properties very similar to those of the familiar animal sex chromosomes. The differences also affect the evolutionary changes possible when the environment (or pollination environment, for angiosperms) changes, as dioecy is an ecologically risky strategy for sessile organisms. Dioecious plants have repeatedly reverted to cosexuality, and hermaphroditic strains of fruit crops such as papaya and grapes are desired by plant breeders. Sex-linked regions are predicted to become enriched in genes with sex differences in expression, especially when higher expression benefits one sex function but harms the other. Such trade-offs may be important for understanding other plant developmental and physiological processes and have direct applications in plant breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deborah Charlesworth
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Alex Harkess
- HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL 35806, USA
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Wang Y, Gong GN, Wang Y, Zhang RG, Hörandl E, Zhang ZX, Charlesworth D, He L. Gap-free X and Y chromosome assemblies of Salix arbutifolia reveal an evolutionary change from male to female heterogamety in willows, without a change in the position of the sex-determining locus. New Phytol 2024. [PMID: 38581199 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19744] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024]
Abstract
In the Vetrix clade of Salix, a genus of woody flowering plants, sex determination involves chromosome 15, but an XY system has changed to a ZW system. We studied the detailed genetic changes involved. We used genome sequencing, with chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C) and PacBio HiFi reads to assemble chromosome level gap-free X and Y of Salix arbutifolia, and distinguished the haplotypes in the 15X- and 15Y-linked regions, to study the evolutionary history of the sex-linked regions (SLRs). Our sequencing revealed heteromorphism of the X and Y haplotypes of the SLR, with the X-linked region being considerably larger than the corresponding Y region, mainly due to accumulated repetitive sequences and gene duplications. The phylogenies of single-copy orthogroups within the SLRs indicate that S. arbutifolia and Salix purpurea share an ancestral SLR within a repeat-rich region near the chromosome 15 centromere. During the change in heterogamety, the X-linked region changed to a W-linked one, while the Z was derived from the Y.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Wang
- Eastern China Conservation Centre for Wild Endangered Plant Resources, Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden, Shanghai, 201602, China
- Laboratory of Systematic Evolution and Biogeography of Woody Plants, School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100091, China
| | - Guang-Nan Gong
- Eastern China Conservation Centre for Wild Endangered Plant Resources, Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden, Shanghai, 201602, China
| | - Yuan Wang
- Eastern China Conservation Centre for Wild Endangered Plant Resources, Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden, Shanghai, 201602, China
| | - Ren-Gang Zhang
- Yunnan Key Laboratory for Integrative Conservation of Plant Species with Extremely Small Populations, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, Yunnan, China
| | - Elvira Hörandl
- Department of Systematics, Biodiversity and Evolution of Plants (with Herbarium), University of Goettingen, 37073, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Zhi-Xiang Zhang
- Laboratory of Systematic Evolution and Biogeography of Woody Plants, School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100091, China
| | - Deborah Charlesworth
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Li He
- Eastern China Conservation Centre for Wild Endangered Plant Resources, Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden, Shanghai, 201602, China
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Zhang YL, Wang LY, Yang Y, Zhao X, Zhu HW, You C, Chen N, Wei SJ, Li SF, Gao WJ. Gibberellins regulate masculinization through the SpGAI-SpSTM module in dioecious spinach. Plant J 2024. [PMID: 38491869 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.16717] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
The sex of dioecious plants is mainly determined by genetic factors, but it can also be converted by environmental cues such as exogenous phytohormones. Gibberellic acids (GAs) are well-known inducers of flowering and sexual development, yet the pathway of gibberellin-induced sex conversion in dioecious spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) remains elusive. Based on sex detection before and after GA3 application using T11A and SSR19 molecular markers, we confirmed and elevated the masculinization effect of GA on a single female plant through exogenous applications of GA3 , showing complete conversion and functional stamens. Silencing of GIBBERELLIC ACID INSENSITIVE (SpGAI), a single DELLA family protein that is a central GA signaling repressor, results in similar masculinization. We also show that SpGAI can physically interact with the spinach KNOX transcription factor SHOOT MERISTEMLESS (SpSTM), which is a homolog of the flower meristem identity regulator STM in Arabidopsis. The silencing of SpSTM also masculinized female flowers in spinach. Furthermore, SpSTM could directly bind the intron of SpPI to repress SpPI expression in developing female flowers. Overall, our results suggest that GA induces a female masculinization process through the SpGAI-SpSTM-SpPI regulatory module in spinach. These insights may help to clarify the molecular mechanism underlying the sex conversion system in dioecious plants while also elucidating the physiological basis for the generation of unisexual flowers so as to establish dioecy in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Lan Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, 453007, China
| | - Li-Ying Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, 453007, China
| | - Yi Yang
- College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, 453007, China
| | - Xu Zhao
- College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, 453007, China
| | - Hong-Wei Zhu
- College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, 453007, China
| | - Chen You
- College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, 453007, China
| | - Ning Chen
- College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, 453007, China
| | - Shuai-Jie Wei
- College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, 453007, China
| | - Shu-Fen Li
- College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, 453007, China
| | - Wu-Jun Gao
- College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, 453007, China
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Zhang Z, Liu Z, Wu H, Xu Z, Zhang H, Qian W, Gao W, She H. Genome-Wide Identification and Characterization of MYB Gene Family and Analysis of Its Sex-Biased Expression Pattern in Spinacia oleracea L. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:795. [PMID: 38255867 PMCID: PMC10815031 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25020795] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The members of the myeloblastosis (MYB) family of transcription factors (TFs) participate in a variety of biological regulatory processes in plants, such as circadian rhythm, metabolism, and flower development. However, the characterization of MYB genes across the genomes of spinach Spinacia oleracea L. has not been reported. Here, we identified 140 MYB genes in spinach and described their characteristics using bioinformatics approaches. Among the MYB genes, 54 were 1R-MYB, 80 were 2R-MYB, 5 were 3R-MYB, and 1 was 4R-MYB. Almost all MYB genes were located in the 0-30 Mb region of autosomes; however, the 20 MYB genes were enriched at both ends of the sex chromosome (chromosome 4). Based on phylogeny, conserved motifs, and the structure of genes, 2R-MYB exhibited higher conservation relative to 1R-MYB genes. Tandem duplication and collinearity of spinach MYB genes drive their evolution, enabling the functional diversification of spinach genes. Subcellular localization prediction indicated that spinach MYB genes were mainly located in the nucleus. Cis-acting element analysis confirmed that MYB genes were involved in various processes of spinach growth and development, such as circadian rhythm, cell differentiation, and reproduction through hormone synthesis. Furthermore, through the transcriptome data analysis of male and female flower organs at five different periods, ten candidate genes showed biased expression in spinach males, suggesting that these genes might be related to the development of spinach anthers. Collectively, this study provides useful information for further investigating the function of MYB TFs and novel insights into the regulation of sex determination in spinach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhilong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetable Biobreeding, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China (W.Q.)
- College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China
| | - Zhiyuan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetable Biobreeding, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China (W.Q.)
| | - Hao Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetable Biobreeding, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China (W.Q.)
| | - Zhaosheng Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetable Biobreeding, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China (W.Q.)
| | - Helong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetable Biobreeding, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China (W.Q.)
| | - Wei Qian
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetable Biobreeding, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China (W.Q.)
| | - Wujun Gao
- College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China
| | - Hongbing She
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetable Biobreeding, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China (W.Q.)
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Wu H, Zhang Z, Liu Z, Meng Q, Xu Z, Zhang H, Qian W, She H. Comparative Transcriptome Analysis of Gene Expression and Regulatory Characteristics Associated with Different Bolting Periods in Spinacia oleracea. Genes (Basel) 2023; 15:36. [PMID: 38254926 PMCID: PMC10815260 DOI: 10.3390/genes15010036] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Bolting is a symbol of the transition from vegetative to reproductive growth in plants. Late bolting can effectively prolong the commercial value of spinach and is of great importance for spinach breeding. Bolting has complex regulatory networks, and current research on spinach bolting is relatively weak, with specific regulatory pathways and genes unclear. To clarify the regulatory characteristics and key genes related to bolting in spinach, we conducted a comparative transcriptome analysis. In this study, 18 samples from three periods of bolting-tolerant spinach material 12S3 and bolting-susceptible material 12S4 were analyzed using RNA-seq on, resulting in 10,693 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Functional enrichment and co-expression trend analysis indicated that most DEGs were enriched in the photoperiod pathway, the hormone signaling pathway, and the cutin, suberin, and wax biosynthetic pathways. According to the weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), SpFT (SOV4g003400), SOV4g040250, and SpGASA1 (SOV6g017600) were likely to regulate bolting through the gibberellin and photoperiod pathways, and SpELF4 (SOV1g028600) and SpPAT1 (SOV4g058860) caused differences in early and late bolting among different cultivars. These results provide important insights into the genetic control of bolting in spinach and will help elucidate the molecular mechanisms of bolting in leafy vegetables.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetable Biobreeding, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Zhilong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetable Biobreeding, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
- College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China
| | - Zhiyuan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetable Biobreeding, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Qing Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetable Biobreeding, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Zhaosheng Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetable Biobreeding, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Helong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetable Biobreeding, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Wei Qian
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetable Biobreeding, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Hongbing She
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetable Biobreeding, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
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