Dataset Information

Genetic differentiation in cauline-leaf-specific wettability of a rosette-forming perennial Arabidopsis from two contrasting montane habitats.

ABSTRACT: Background and Aims:An altitudinal gradient of leaf wettability is often observed between and within species. To understand its functional significance, positional variation of leaf surfaces within plants should be taken into account. In rosette-forming plants, rosette leaves are near the ground and their adaxial surfaces are exposed, whereas cauline leaves are lifted from the ground throughout the reproductive season, and their abaxial surfaces are more exposed. Here, we investigated leaf wettability of cauline and rosette leaves of Arabidopsis halleri subsp. gemmifera growing in contrasting montane habitats along an altitudinal gradient at Mt Ibuki, Japan. Methods:We conducted field investigations and a growth chamber experiment to determine whether field-observed variation in leaf wettability was caused by genetic differentiation. We further performed gene expression analysis of a wax-related gene, i.e. AhgCER1, a homologue of A. thaliana ECERIFERUM1 (CER1) that may be involved in differentiation of leaf wettability. Key Results:We found cauline-leaf specific genetic differentiation in leaf wettability between contrasting montane habitats. Cauline leaves of semi-alpine plants, especially on abaxial surfaces, were non-wettable. Cauline leaves of low-altitudinal understorey plants were wettable, and rosette leaves were also wettable in both habitats. AhgCER1 expression corresponded to observed leaf wettability patterns. Conclusions:Low wettability of cauline leaves is hypothesized to keep exposed surfaces dry when they are wrapping flowering buds in early spring, and presumably protects flowering buds from frost damage. The genetic system that controls wax content, specifically for cauline leaves, should be involved in the observed genetic differentiation, and AhgCER1 control is a strong candidate for the underlying genetic mechanism.

SUBMITTER: Aryal B

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6007675 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Genetic differentiation in cauline-leaf-specific wettability of a rosette-forming perennial Arabidopsis from two contrasting montane habitats.

Aryal Biva B Shinohara Wataru W Honjo Mie N MN Kudoh Hiroshi H

Annals of botany 20180601 7

<h4>Background and aims</h4>An altitudinal gradient of leaf wettability is often observed between and within species. To understand its functional significance, positional variation of leaf surfaces within plants should be taken into account. In rosette-forming plants, rosette leaves are near the ground and their adaxial surfaces are exposed, whereas cauline leaves are lifted from the ground throughout the reproductive season, and their abaxial surfaces are more exposed. Here, we investigated le ...[more]

PMID: 29579149

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Project description:The rate at which plants grow is a major functional trait in plant ecology. However, little is known about its evolution in natural populations. Here, we investigate evolutionary and environmental factors shaping variation in the growth rate of Arabidopsis thaliana. We used plant diameter as a proxy to monitor plant growth over time in environments that mimicked latitudinal differences in the intensity of natural light radiation, across a set of 278 genotypes sampled within four broad regions, including an outgroup set of genotypes from China. A field experiment conducted under natural conditions confirmed the ecological relevance of the observed variation. All genotypes markedly expanded their rosette diameter when the light supply was decreased, demonstrating that environmental plasticity is a predominant source of variation to adapt plant size to prevailing light conditions. Yet, we detected significant levels of genetic variation both in growth rate and growth plasticity. Genome-wide association studies revealed that only 2 single nucleotide polymorphisms associate with genetic variation for growth above Bonferroni confidence levels. However, marginally associated variants were significantly enriched among genes with an annotated role in growth and stress reactions. Polygenic scores computed from marginally associated variants confirmed the polygenic basis of growth variation. For both light regimes, phenotypic divergence between the most distantly related population (China) and the various regions in Europe is smaller than the variation observed within Europe, indicating that the evolution of growth rate is likely to be constrained by stabilizing selection. We observed that Spanish genotypes, however, reach a significantly larger size than Northern European genotypes. Tests of adaptive divergence and analysis of the individual burden of deleterious mutations reveal that adaptive processes have played a more important role in shaping regional differences in rosette growth than maladaptive evolution.

Dataset Information

Genetic differentiation in cauline-leaf-specific wettability of a rosette-forming perennial Arabidopsis from two contrasting montane habitats.

Publications

Genetic differentiation in cauline-leaf-specific wettability of a rosette-forming perennial Arabidopsis from two contrasting montane habitats.

Similar Datasets

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