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The Kalanchoƫ genome provides insights into convergent evolution and building blocks of crassulacean acid metabolism

Lookup NU author(s): Emerita Professor Anne Borland

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).


Abstract

Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) is a water-use efficient adaptation of photosynthesis that has evolved independently many times in diverse lineages of flowering plants. We hypothesize that convergent evolution of protein sequence and temporal gene expression underpins the independent emergences of CAM from C3 photosynthesis. To test this hypothesis, we generate a de novo genome assembly and genome-wide transcript expression data for Kalanchoƫ fedtschenkoi, an obligate CAM species within the core eudicots with a relatively small genome (~260 Mb). Our comparative analyses identify signatures of convergence in protein sequence and re-scheduling of diel transcript expression of genes involved in nocturnal CO2 fixation, stomatal movement, heat tolerance, circadian clock and carbohydrate metabolism in K. fedtschenkoi and other CAM species in comparison with non-CAM species. These findings provide new insights into molecular convergence and building blocks of CAM and will facilitate CAM-into-C3 photosynthesis engineering to enhance water-use efficiency in crops.


Publication metadata

Author(s): Yang X, Hu R, Yin H, Jenkins J, Shu S, Tang H, Liu D, Weighill DA, Yim WC, Ha J, Heyduk K, Goodstein DM, Guo HB, Moseley RC, Fitzek E, Jawdy S, Zhang Z, Xie M, Hartwell J, Grimwood J, Abraham PE, Mewalal R, Beltran JD, Boxall SF, Dever LV, Palla KJ, Albion R, Garcia T, Mayer J, Lim SD, Wai CM, Peluso P, Buren RV, De Paoli HC, Borland AM, Guo H, Chen JG, Muchero W, Yin Y, Jacobson DA, Tschaplinski TJ, Hettich RL, Ming R, Winter K, Leebens-Mack JH, Smith JAC, Cushman JC, Schmutz J, Tuskan GA

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Nature Communications

Year: 2017

Volume: 8

Online publication date: 01/12/2017

Acceptance date: 21/09/2017

Date deposited: 21/09/2017

ISSN (electronic): 2041-1723

Publisher: Nature Publishing Group

URL: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-017-01491-7

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-01491-7


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Funding

Funder referenceFunder name
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
BB/F009313/1

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