146 research outputs found

    Chapter The Intertwined Chloroplast and Nuclear Genome Coevolution in Plants

    Get PDF
    Photosynthetic eukaryotic cells arose more than a billion years ago through the engulfment of a cyanobacterium that was then converted into a chloroplast, enabling plants to perform photosynthesis. Since this event, chloroplast DNA has been massively transferred to the nucleus, sometimes leading to the creation of novel genes, exons, and regulatory elements. In addition to these evolutionary novelties, most cyanobacterial genes have been relocated into the nucleus, highly reducing the size, gene content, and autonomy of the chloroplast genome. In this chapter, we will first present our current knowledge on the origin and evolution of the plant plastome in the different Archaeplastida lineages (Glaucophyta, Rhodophyta, and Viridiplantae), focusing on its gene content, genome size, and structural evolution. Second, we will present the factors influencing the rate of DNA transfer from the chloroplast to the nucleus, the evolutionary fates of the nuclear integrants of plastid DNA (nupts) in their new eukaryotic environment, and the drivers of chloroplast gene functional relocation to the nucleus. Finally, we will discuss how cytonuclear interactions led to the intertwined coevolution of nuclear and chloroplast genomes and the impact of hybridization and allopolyploidy on cytonuclear interactions

    Speciation Success of Polyploid Plants Closely Relates to the Regulation of Meiotic Recombination

    Get PDF
    Polyploidization is a widespread phenomenon, especially in flowering plants that have all undergone at least one event of whole genome duplication during their evolutionary history. Consequently, a large range of plants, including many of the world’s crops, combines more than two sets of chromosomes originating from the same (autopolyploids) or related species (allopolyploids). Depending on the polyploid formation pathway, different patterns of recombination will be promoted, conditioning the level of heterozygosity. A polyploid population harboring a high level of heterozygosity will produce more genetically diverse progenies. Some of these individuals may show a better adaptability to different ecological niches, increasing their chance for successful establishment through natural selection. Another condition for young polyploids to survive corresponds to the formation of well-balanced gametes, assuring a sufficient level of fertility. In this review, we discuss the consequences of polyploid formation pathways, meiotic behavior and recombination regulation on the speciation success and maintenance of polyploid species

    A tale of two Spartinas: Climatic, photobiological and isotopic insights on the fitness of non-indigenous versus native species

    No full text
    International audienceSalt marshes are facing a new threat: the invasion by non-indigenous species (NIS), Although its introduction time is not established yet, in 1999 Spartina versicolor was already identified as a NIS in the Mediterranean marshes, significantly spreading its area of colonization. Using the Mediterranean native Spartina maritima as a reference, the present research studied the ecophysiological fitness of this NIS in its new environment, as a tool to understand its potential invasiveness. It was found that Spartina versicolor had a stable photobiological pattern, with only minor fluctuations during an annual cycle, and lower efficiencies comparated to S. maritima. The NIS seems to be rather insensitive to the observed abiotic factors fluctuations (salinity and pH of the sediment), and thus contrasts with the native S. maritima, known to be salinity dependent with higher productivity values in higher salinity environments. Most of the differences observed between the photobiology of these species could be explained by their nitrogen nutrition (here evaluated by the δ15N stable isotope) and directly related with the Mediterranean climate. Enhanced by a higher N availability during winter, the primary production of S. maritima which lead to dilution of the foliar δ15N concentration in the newly formed biomass, similarly to what is observed along a rainfall gradient. On the other hand, S. versicolor showed an increased δ15N in its tissues along the annual rainfall gradient, probably due to a δ15N concentration effect during low biomass production periods (winter and autumn). Together with the photobiological traits, these isotopic data point out to a climatic misfit of S. versicolor to the Mediterranean climate compared to the native S. maritima. This appears to be the major constrain shaping the ecophysiological fitness of this NIS, its primary production and consequently, its spreading rate along the Mediterranean marshes

    Speciation success of polyploid plants closely Relates to the regulation of meiotic recombination.

    No full text
    International audiencePolyploidization is a widespread phenomenon, especially in flowering plants that have all undergone at least one event of whole genome duplication during their evolutionary history. Consequently, a large range of plants, including many of the world's crops, combines more than two sets of chromosomes originating from the same (autopolyploids) or related species (allopolyploids). Depending on the polyploid formation pathway, different patterns of recombination will be promoted, conditioning the level of heterozygosity. A polyploid population harboring a high level of heterozygosity will produce more genetically diverse progenies. Some of these individuals may show a better adaptability to different ecological niches, increasing their chance for successful establishment through natural selection. Another condition for young polyploids to survive corresponds to the formation of well-balanced gametes, assuring a sufficient level of fertility. In this review, we discuss the consequences of polyploid formation pathways, meiotic behavior and recombination regulation on the speciation success and maintenance of polyploid species
    corecore