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Comparative transcriptome analyses of flower development in four species of Achimenes (Gesneriaceae).

ABSTRACT: Flowers have an amazingly diverse display of colors and shapes, and these characteristics often vary significantly among closely related species. The evolution of diverse floral form can be thought of as an adaptive response to pollination and reproduction, but it can also be seen through the lens of morphological and developmental constraints. To explore these interactions, we use RNA-seq across species and development to investigate gene expression and sequence evolution as they relate to the evolution of the diverse flowers in a group of Neotropical plants native to Mexico-magic flowers (Achimenes, Gesneriaceae).The assembled transcriptomes contain between 29,000 and 42,000 genes expressed during development. We combine sequence orthology and coexpression clustering with analyses of protein evolution to identify candidate genes for roles in floral form evolution. Over 25% of transcripts captured were distinctive to Achimenes and overrepresented by genes involved in transcription factor activity. Using a model-based clustering approach we find dynamic, temporal patterns of gene expression among species. Selection tests provide evidence of positive selection in several genes with roles in pigment production, flowering time, and morphology. Combining these approaches to explore genes related to flower color and flower shape, we find distinct patterns that correspond to transitions of floral form among Achimenes species.The floral transcriptomes developed from four species of Achimenes provide insight into the mechanisms involved in the evolution of diverse floral form among closely related species with different pollinators. We identified several candidate genes that will serve as an important and useful resource for future research. High conservation of sequence structure, patterns of gene coexpression, and detection of positive selection acting on few genes suggests that large phenotypic differences in floral form may be caused by genetic differences in a small set of genes. Our characterized floral transcriptomes provided here should facilitate further analyses into the genomics of flower development and the mechanisms underlying the evolution of diverse flowers in Achimenes and other Neotropical Gesneriaceae.

SUBMITTER: Roberts WR

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5359931 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Comparative transcriptome analyses of flower development in four species of Achimenes (Gesneriaceae).

Roberts Wade R WR Roalson Eric H EH

BMC genomics 20170320 1

<h4>Background</h4>Flowers have an amazingly diverse display of colors and shapes, and these characteristics often vary significantly among closely related species. The evolution of diverse floral form can be thought of as an adaptive response to pollination and reproduction, but it can also be seen through the lens of morphological and developmental constraints. To explore these interactions, we use RNA-seq across species and development to investigate gene expression and sequence evolution as ...[more]

PMID: 28320315

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Project description:Next generation sequencing technology rapidly developed research applications in the field of plant functional genomics. Several Hypericum spp. with an aim to generate and enhance gene annotations especially for genes coding the enzymes supposedly included in biosynthesis of valuable bioactive compounds were analyzed. The first de novo transcriptome profiling of Hypericum annulatum Moris, H. tomentosum L., H. kalmianum L., and H. androsaemum L. leaves cultivated in vitro was accomplished. All four species with only limited genomic information were selected on the basis of differences in ability to synthesize hypericins and presence of dark nodules accumulating these metabolites with purpose to enrich genomic background of Hypericum spp. H. annulatum was chosen because of high number of the dark nodules and high content of hypericin. H. tomentosum leaves are typical for the presence of only 1-2 dark nodules localized in the apical part. Both H. kalmianum and H. androsaemum lack hypericin and have no dark nodules. Four separated datasets of the pair-end reads were gathered and used for de novo assembly by Trinity program. Assembled transcriptomes were annotated to the public databases Swiss-Prot and non-redundant protein database (NCBI-nr). Gene ontology analysis was performed. Differences of expression levels in the marginal tissues with dark nodules and inner part of leaves lacking these nodules indicate a potential genetic background for hypericin formation as the presumed site of hypericin biosynthesis is in the cells adjacent to these structures. Altogether 165 contigs in H. annulatum and 100 contigs in H. tomentosum were detected as significantly differentially expressed (P < 0.05) and upregulated in the leaf rim tissues containing the dark nodules. The new sequences homologous to octaketide synthase and enzymes catalyzing phenolic oxidative coupling reactions indispensable for hypericin biosynthesis were discovered. The presented transcriptomic sequence data will improve current knowledge about the selected Hypericum spp. with proposed relation to hypericin biosynthesis and will provide a useful resource of genomic information for consequential studies in the field of functional genomics, proteomics and metabolomics.

Dataset Information

Comparative transcriptome analyses of flower development in four species of Achimenes (Gesneriaceae).

Publications

Comparative transcriptome analyses of flower development in four species of Achimenes (Gesneriaceae).

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