More Like this

1. Whole genome duplication does not promote common modes of reproductive isolation in Trifolium pratense

   https://doi.org/10.1002/ajb2.1466  

   Porturas, Laura D. ; Segraves, Kari A. ( April 2020 , American Journal of Botany)

   Although polyploidy has been studied since the early 1900s, fundamental aspects of polyploid ecology and evolution remain unexplored. In particular, surprisingly little is known about how newly formed polyploids (neopolyploids) become demographically established. Models predict that most polyploids should go extinct within the first few generations as a result of reproductive disadvantages associated with being the minority in a primarily diploid population (i.e., the minority cytotype principle), yet polyploidy is extremely common. Therefore, a key goal in the study of polyploidy is to determine the mechanisms that promote polyploid establishment in nature. Because premating isolation is critical in order for neopolylpoids to avoid minority cytotype exclusion and thus facilitate establishment, we examined floral morphology and three common premating barriers to determine their importance in generating reproductive isolation of neopolyploids from diploids.

   We induced neopolyploidy inTrifolium pratenseand compared their floral traits to the diploid progenitors. In addition to shifts in floral morphology, we examined three premating barriers: isolation by self‐fertilization, flowering‐time asynchrony, and pollinator‐mediated isolation.

   We found significant differences in the morphology of diploid and neopolyploid flowers, but these changes did not facilitate premating barriers that would generate reproductive isolation of neopolyploids from diploids. There was no difference in flowering phenology, pollinator visitation, or selfing between the cytotypes.

   Our results indicate that barriers other than the ones tested in this study—such as geographic isolation, vegetative reproduction, and pistil–stigma incompatibilities—may be more important in facilitating isolation and establishment of neopolyploidT. pratense.

    

   more » « less
2. How does genome size affect the evolution of pollen tube growth rate, a haploid performance trait?

   https://doi.org/10.1002/ajb2.1326  

   Reese, John B. ; Williams, Joseph H. ( July 2019 , American Journal of Botany)

   Male gametophytes of most seed plants deliver sperm to eggs via a pollen tube. Pollen tube growth rates (PTGRs) of angiosperms are exceptionally rapid, a pattern attributed to more effective haploid selection under stronger pollen competition. Paradoxically, whole genome duplication (WGD) has been common in angiosperms but rare in gymnosperms. Pollen tube polyploidy should initially acceleratePTGRbecause increased heterozygosity and gene dosage should increase metabolic rates. However, polyploidy should also independently increase tube cell size, causing more work which should decelerate growth. We asked how genome size changes have affected the evolution of seed plantPTGRs.

   We assembled a phylogenetic tree of 451 species with knownPTGRs. We then used comparative phylogenetic methods to detect effects of neo‐polyploidy (within‐genus origins),DNAcontent, andWGDhistory onPTGR, and correlated evolution ofPTGRandDNAcontent.

   Gymnosperms had significantly higherDNAcontent and slowerPTGRoptima than angiosperms, and theirPTGRandDNAcontent were negatively correlated. For angiosperms, 89% of model weight favored Ornstein‐Uhlenbeck models with a fasterPTGRoptimum for neo‐polyploids, whereasPTGRandDNAcontent were not correlated. For within‐genus and intraspecific‐cytotype pairs,PTGRs of neo‐polyploids < paleo‐polyploids.

   Genome size increases should negatively affectPTGRwhen genetic consequences ofWGDs are minimized, as found in intra‐specific autopolyploids (low heterosis) and gymnosperms (fewWGDs). But in angiosperms, the higherPTGRoptimum of neo‐polyploids and non‐negativePTGR‐DNAcontent correlation suggest that recurrentWGDs have caused substantialPTGRevolution in a non‐haploid state.

    

   more » « less
3. The genetic architecture of local adaptation and reproductive isolation in sympatry within the Mimulus guttatus species complex

   https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.13763  

   Ferris, Kathleen G. ; Barnett, Laryssa L. ; Blackman, Benjamin K. ; Willis, John H. ( August 2016 , Molecular Ecology)

   The genetic architecture of local adaptation has been of central interest to evolutionary biologists since the modern synthesis. In addition to classic theory on the effect size of adaptive mutations by Fisher, Kimura and Orr, recent theory addresses the genetic architecture of local adaptation in the face of ongoing gene flow. This theory predicts that with substantial gene flow between populations local adaptation should proceed primarily through mutations of large effect or tightly linked clusters of smaller effect loci. In this study, we investigate the genetic architecture of divergence in flowering time, mating system‐related traits, and leaf shape betweenMimulus laciniatusand a sympatric population of its close relativeM. guttatus. These three traits are probably involved inM. laciniatus’adaptation to a dry, exposed granite outcrop environment. Flowering time and mating system differences are also reproductive isolating barriers making them ‘magic traits’. Phenotypic hybrids in this population provide evidence of recent gene flow. Using next‐generation sequencing, we generate denseSNPmarkers across the genome and map quantitative trait loci (QTLs) involved in flowering time, flower size and leaf shape. We find that interspecific divergence in all three traits is due to fewQTLof large effect including a highly pleiotropicQTLon chromosome 8. ThisQTLregion contains the pleiotropic candidate gene TCP4 and is involved in ecologically important phenotypes in otherMimulusspecies. Our results are consistent with theory, indicating that local adaptation and reproductive isolation with gene flow should be due to few loci with large and pleiotropic effects.

    

   more » « less
4. Direct and indirect selection on flowering time, water‐use efficiency ( WUE , δ 13 C), and WUE plasticity to drought in Arabidopsis thaliana

   https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.1270  

   Kenney, Amanda M. ; McKay, John K. ; Richards, James H. ; Juenger, Thomas E. ( November 2014 , Ecology and Evolution)

   Flowering time and water‐use efficiency (WUE) are two ecological traits that are important for plant drought response. To understand the evolutionary significance of natural genetic variation in flowering time,WUE, andWUEplasticity to drought inArabidopsis thaliana, we addressed the following questions: (1) How are ecophysiological traits genetically correlated within and between different soil moisture environments? (2) Does terminal drought select for early flowering and drought escape? (3) IsWUEplasticity to drought adaptive and/or costly? We measured a suite of ecophysiological and reproductive traits on 234 spring flowering accessions ofA. thalianagrown in well‐watered and season‐ending soil drying treatments, and quantified patterns of genetic variation, correlation, and selection within each treatment.WUEand flowering time were consistently positively genetically correlated.WUEwas correlated withWUEplasticity, but the direction changed between treatments. Selection generally favored early flowering and lowWUE, with drought favoring earlier flowering significantly more than well‐watered conditions. Selection for lowerWUEwas marginally stronger under drought. There were no net fitness costs ofWUEplasticity.WUEplasticity (per se) was globally neutral, but locally favored under drought. Strong genetic correlation betweenWUEand flowering time may facilitate the evolution of drought escape, or constrain independent evolution of these traits. Terminal drought favored drought escape in these spring flowering accessions ofA. thaliana.WUEplasticity may be favored over completely fixed development in environments with periodic drought.

    

   more » « less
5. Intraspecific polyploidy correlates with colonization by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in Heuchera cylindrica

   https://doi.org/10.1002/ajb2.1294  

   Anneberg, Thomas J. ; Segraves, Kari A. ( June 2019 , American Journal of Botany)

   Polyploidy is known to cause physiological changes in plants which, in turn, can affect species interactions. One major physiological change predicted in polyploid plants is a heightened demand for growth‐limiting nutrients. Consequently, we expect polyploidy to cause an increased reliance on the belowground mutualists that supply these growth‐limiting nutrients. An important first step in investigating how polyploidy affects nutritional mutualisms in plants, then, is to characterize differences in the rate at which diploids and polyploids interact with belowground mutualists.

   We usedHeuchera cylindrica(Saxifragaceae) to test how polyploidy influences interactions with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). Here we first confirmed the presence ofAMFinH. cylindrica, and then we used field‐collected specimens to quantify and compare the presence ofAMFstructures while controlling for site‐specific variation.

   Tetraploids had higher colonization rates as measured by total, hyphal, and nutritional‐exchange structures; however, we found that diploids and tetraploids did not differ in vesicle colonization rates.

   The results suggest that polyploidy may alter belowground nutritional mutualisms with plants. Because colonization by nutritional‐exchange structures was higher in polyploids but vesicle colonization was not, polyploids might form stronger associations with theirAMFpartners. Controlled experiments are necessary to test whether this pattern is driven by the direct effect of polyploidy onAMFcolonization.

    

   more » « less