Comparative transcriptomics of tropical woody plants supports fast and furious strategy along the leaf economics spectrum in lianas.

ABSTRACT: Lianas, climbing woody plants, influence the structure and function of tropical forests. Climbing traits have evolved multiple times, including ancestral groups such as gymnosperms and pteridophytes, but the genetic basis of the liana strategy is largely unknown. Here, we use a comparative transcriptomic approach for 47 tropical plant species, including ten lianas of diverse taxonomic origins, to identify genes that are consistently expressed or downregulated only in lianas. Our comparative analysis of full-length transcripts enabled the identification of a core interactomic network common to lianas. Sets of transcripts identified from our analysis reveal features related to functional traits pertinent to leaf economics spectrum in lianas, include upregulation of genes controlling epiderma

SUBMITTER: Sezen UU 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9346291 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature