Disruption of the CYTOCHROME C OXIDASE DEFICIENT1 Gene Leads to Cytochrome c Oxidase Depletion and Reorchestrated Respiratory Metabolism in Arabidopsis

Cytochrome c oxidase is the last respiratory complex of the electron transfer chain in mitochondria and is responsible for transferring electrons to oxygen, the final acceptor, in the classical respiratory pathway. The essentiality of this step makes it that depletion in complex IV leads to lethality, thereby impeding studies on complex IV assembly and respiration plasticity in plants. Here, we characterized Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) embryo-lethal mutant lines impaired in the expression of the CYTOCHROME C OXIDASE DEFICIENT1 (COD1) gene, which encodes a mitochondria-localized PentatricoPeptide Repeat protein. Although unable to germinate under usual conditions, cod1 homozygous embryos could be rescued from immature seeds and developed in vitro into slow-growing bush-like plantlets devoid of a root system. cod1 mutants were defective in C-to-U editing events in cytochrome oxidase subunit2 and NADH dehydrogenase subunit4 transcripts, encoding subunits of respiratory complex IV and I, respectively, and consequently lacked cytochrome c oxidase activity. We further show that respiratory oxygen consumption by cod1 plantlets is exclusively associated with alternative oxidase activity and that alternative NADH dehydrogenases are also up-regulated in these plants. The metabolomics pattern of cod1 mutants was also deeply altered, suggesting that alternative metabolic pathways compensated for the probable resulting restriction in NADH oxidation. Being the first complex IV-deficient mutants described in higher plants, cod1 lines should be instrumental to future studies on respiration homeostasis

Transcriptome and methylome profiling reveals relics of genome dominance in the mesopolyploid Brassica oleracea

Background: Brassica oleracea is a valuable vegetable species that has contributed to human health and nutrition for hundreds of years and comprises multiple distinct cultivar groups with diverse morphological and phytochemical attributes. In addition to this phenotypic wealth, B. oleracea offers unique insights into polyploid evolution, as it results from multiple ancestral polyploidy events and a final Brassiceae-specific triplication event. Further, B. oleracea represents one of the diploid genomes that formed the economically important allopolyploid oilseed, Brassica napus. A deeper understanding of B. oleracea genome architecture provides a foundation for crop improvement strategies throughout the Brassica genus. Results: We generate an assembly representing 75% of the predicted B. oleracea genome using a hybrid Illumina/Roche 454 approach. Two dense genetic maps are generated to anchor almost 92% of the assembled scaffolds to nine pseudo-chromosomes. Over 50,000 genes are annotated and 40% of the genome predicted to be repetitive, thus contributing to the increased genome size of B. oleracea compared to its close relative B. rapa. A snapshot of both the leaf transcriptome and methylome allows comparisons to be made across the triplicated sub-genomes, which resulted from the most recent Brassiceae-specific polyploidy event. Conclusions: Differential expression of the triplicated syntelogs and cytosine methylation levels across the sub-genomes suggest residual marks of the genome dominance that led to the current genome architecture. Although cytosine methylation does not correlate with individual gene dominance, the independent methylation patterns of triplicated copies suggest epigenetic mechanisms play a role in the functional diversification of duplicate genes

Dynamics and differential proliferation of transposable elements during the evolution of the B and A genomes of wheat

Transposable elements (TEs) constitute >80% of the wheat genome but their dynamics and contribution to size variation and evolution of wheat genomes (Triticum and Aegilops species) remain unexplored. In this study, 10 genomic regions have been sequenced from wheat chromosome 3B and used to constitute, along with all publicly available genomic sequences of wheat, 1.98 Mb of sequence (from 13 BAC clones) of the wheat B genome and 3.63 Mb of sequence (from 19 BAC clones) of the wheat A genome. Analysis of TE sequence proportions (as percentages), ratios of complete to truncated copies, and estimation of insertion dates of class I retrotransposons showed that specific types of TEs have undergone waves of differential proliferation in the B and A genomes of wheat. While both genomes show similar rates and relatively ancient proliferation periods for the Athila retrotransposons, the Copia retrotransposons proliferated more recently in the A genome whereas Gypsy retrotransposon proliferation is more recent in the B genome. It was possible to estimate for the first time the proliferation periods of the abundant CACTA class II DNA transposons, relative to that of the three main retrotransposon superfamilies. Proliferation of these TEs started prior to and overlapped with that of the Athila retrotransposons in both genomes. However, they also proliferated during the same periods as Gypsy and Copia retrotransposons in the A genome, but not in the B genome. As estimated from their insertion dates and confirmed by PCR-based tracing analysis, the majority of differential proliferation of TEs in B and A genomes of wheat (87 and 83%, respectively), leading to rapid sequence divergence, occurred prior to the allotetraploidization event that brought them together in Triticum turgidum and Triticum aestivum, <0.5 million years ago. More importantly, the allotetraploidization event appears to have neither enhanced nor repressed retrotranspositions. We discuss the apparent proliferation of TEs as resulting from their insertion, removal, and/or combinations of both evolutionary forces

Crop domestication as a step towards reproductive isolation

International audienceSpeciation, Darwin’s mystery of mysteries, is a continuous process that results in genomic divergence accompanied by the gradual increment of reproductive barriers between lineages. Since the beginning of research on the genetics of speciation, several questions have emerged such as: What are the genetic bases of incompatibilities? How many loci are necessary to prevent hybridization and how are they distributed along genomes? Can speciation occur despite gene flow and how common is ecological speciation? Early stages of divergence are key to understand the ecology and genetics of speciation, and semi-isolated species where hybrids can still be produced are particularly relevant

Ecological and evolutionary drivers of phenotypic and genetic variation in the European crabapple ( Malus sylvestris (L.) Mill.), a wild relative of the cultivated apple

Characterizing the phenotypic and genetic variation among populations of crop wild relatives help understanding the ecological and evolutionary processes involved in population divergence, and better harness their diversity to mitigate the impact of climate change on crops. We assessed genetic and phenotypic diversity of the European crabapple, Malus sylvestris , a main contributor to the cultivated apple genome ( Malus domestica ), and investigated for ecological divergence. We assessed variation in growth rate and traits related to carbon uptake between seedlings measured in a common garden, and related it to the genetic ancestry of the seedlings, assessed using 13 microsatellite loci and Bayesian clustering method. The occurrence of patterns of isolation-by-distance, -by-climate and -by-adaptation that might have caused genetic and phenotypic differentiation among M. sylvestris populations was also tested. Seedlings belonged to seven M. sylvestris populations in Europe, with 11.6% of seedlings introgressed by M. domestica . Significant trait variation among M. sylvestris populations was observed, which for some was of moderate to high heritability. Lack of association between trait and genetic divergence suggests that this significant phenotypic variation is not adaptive, but strong association between genetic variation and the climate during the last glacial maximum suggests local adaptation of M. sylvestris to past climates. This study provides an insight into the ecological and evolutionary drivers of phenotypic and genetic differentiation among populations of a wild apple species and relative of cultivated apples, which is a starting point for future breeding programs. Societal impact Statement Apple is a major fruit crop worldwide and a model species for understanding the evolutionary processes underlying perennial crop domestication. Several wild species have contributed to the genetic make-up of the cultivated apple, yet phenotypic and genetic diversity data across their natural distribution is lacking. This study revealed phenotypic variation between populations of the European crabapple, and showed that both geography, and surprisingly, past but not current climate, shaped its genetic structure. We provide a starting point for harnessing wild apple diversity for apple breeding programs to mitigate the impact of climate change on this perennial crop

Ecological and evolutionary drivers of phenotypic and genetic variation in the European crabapple [ Malus sylvestris (L.) Mill.], a wild relative of the cultivated apple

International audienceAbstract Background and Aims Studying the relationship between phenotypic and genetic variation in populations distributed across environmental gradients can help us to understand the ecological and evolutionary processes involved in population divergence. We investigated the patterns of genetic and phenotypic diversity in the European crabapple, Malus sylvestris, a wild relative of the cultivated apple (Malus domestica) that occurs naturally across Europe in areas subjected to different climatic conditions, to test for divergence among populations. Methods Growth rates and traits related to carbon uptake in seedlings collected across Europe were measured in controlled conditions and associated with the genetic status of the seedlings, which was assessed using 13 microsatellite loci and the Bayesian clustering method. Isolation-by-distance, isolation-by-climate and isolation-by-adaptation patterns, which can explain genetic and phenotypic differentiation among M. sylvestris populations, were also tested. Key Results A total of 11.6 % of seedlings were introgressed by M. domestica, indicating that crop–wild gene flow is ongoing in Europe. The remaining seedlings (88.4 %) belonged to seven M. sylvestris populations. Significant phenotypic trait variation among M. sylvestris populations was observed. We did not observe significant isolation by adaptation; however, the significant association between genetic variation and the climate during the Last Glacial Maximum suggests that there has been local adaptation of M. sylvestris to past climates. Conclusions This study provides insight into the phenotypic and genetic differentiation among populations of a wild relative of the cultivated apple. This might help us to make better use of its diversity and provide options for mitigating the impact of climate change on the cultivated apple through breeding

Duplication and partitioning in evolution and function of homoeologous Q loci governing domestication characters in polyploid wheat

The Q gene encodes an AP2-like transcription factor that played an important role in domestication of polyploid wheat. The chromosome 5A Q alleles (5AQ and 5Aq) have been well studied, but much less is known about the q alleles on wheat homoeologous chromosomes 5B (5Bq) and 5D (5Dq). We investigated the organization, evolution, and function of the Q/q homoeoalleles in hexaploid wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Q/q gene sequences are highly conserved within and among the A, B, and D genomes of hexaploid wheat, the A and B genomes of tetraploid wheat, and the A, S, and D genomes of the diploid progenitors, but the intergenic regions of the Q/q locus are highly divergent among homoeologous genomes. Duplication of the q gene 5.8 Mya was likely followed by selective loss of one of the copies from the A genome progenitor and the other copy from the B, D, and S genomes. A recent V329-to-I mutation in the A lineage is correlated with the Q phenotype. The 5Bq homoeoalleles became a pseudogene after allotetraploidization. Expression analysis indicated that the homoeoalleles are coregulated in a complex manner. Combined phenotypic and expression analysis indicated that, whereas 5AQ plays a major role in conferring domestication-related traits, 5Dq contributes directly and 5Bq indirectly to suppression of the speltoid phenotype. The evolution of the Q/q loci in polyploid wheat resulted in the hyperfunctionalization of 5AQ, pseudogenization of 5Bq, and subfunctionalization of 5Dq, all contributing to the domestication traits