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A common molecular basis to the convergent evolution of the selfing syndrome in Capsella.

ABSTRACT: Whether, and to what extent, phenotypic evolution follows predictable genetic paths, remains an important question in evolutionary biology. Convergent evolution of similar characters provides a unique opportunity to address this question. The transition to selfing and the associated changes in flower morphology are among the most prominent examples of repeated evolution in plants. Yet, to date no studies have directly compared the extent of similarities between convergent adaptations to selfing. In this study, we take advantage of the independent transitions to self-fertilization in the genus Capsella to test the existence of genetic and developmental constraints imposed on flower evolution in the context of the selfing syndrome. While C. rubella and C. orientalis have emerged independently, both have evolved almost identical flower characters. Not only the evolutionary outcome is identical but, in both cases, the same developmental strategies underlie the convergent reduction of flower size. This has been associated with convergent evolution of gene-expression changes. The transcriptomic changes common to both selfing lineages are enriched in genes with low-network connectivity and with organ-specific expression patterns. Comparative genetic mapping also indicates that, at least in the case of petal size evolution, these similarities are largely caused by mutations at the same loci. Together, these results suggest that the limited availability of low-pleiotropy paths predetermine closely related species to similar evolutionary outcomes.

ORGANISM(S): Capsella grandiflora Capsella orientalis Capsella rubella

PROVIDER: GSE140465 | GEO | 2020/03/31

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:RNA-seq reads from the selfing species Arabidopsis thaliana were produced from flowers to study the consequences of the transition from the ancestral state (outcrossing) to the derived state (selfing). This was done in the context of examining another species in the Arabidopsis genus (A. lyrata) and another species pair (Capsella rubella versus Capsella grandiflora, which are selfing and outcrossing, respectively). These samples were generated to complement part of this larger study. Briefly, the shift from outcrossing to selfing is common in flowering plants, but neither the genomic consequences nor the speed with which they appear are well understood. An excellent model for understanding the evolution of self fertilization is provided by Capsella rubella, which became self-compatible <200,000 years ago. We present a reference genome for the species, and compare RNA expression and polymorphism patterns between C. rubella and its outcrossing progenitor C. grandiflora. There is a clear shift in the expression of genes associated with flowering phenotypes; a similar shift is seen in the related genus Arabidopsis, where self-fertilization evolved about 1 million years ago. DNA sequence polymorphisms distinguishing the two Capsella species reveal rapid genome-wide relaxation of purifying selection in C. rubella but without a concomitant change in transposable element abundance. Overall, we document that the transition to selfing may be typified by shifts in expression for genes that function in pollen and flower development, along with a measurable reduction of purifying selection. As part of a cross-species comparison of gene expression, RNA-seq data was generated in biological replication (2 replicates) from Arabidopsis thaliana at the floral stage. In total, two samples (biological replicates) were used. The reference strain was used for the experments (strain Col-0). Resulting data about gene expression was used as part of a larger study. The Capsella rubella and Capsella grandiflora data are included in GEO Series GSE45518.

Project description:RNA-seq reads from the outcrossing species Arabidopsis lyrata were produced from flowers to study the consequences of the transition from the ancestral state (outcrossing) to the derived state (selfing) that is observed in the sister species Arabidopsis thaliana. This was done in the context of examining another species pair (Capsella rubella versus Capsella grandiflora, which are selfing and outcrossing, respectively). These samples were generated to complement part of this larger study. Briefly, the shift from outcrossing to selfing is common in flowering plants, but neither the genomic consequences nor the speed with which they appear are well understood. An excellent model for understanding the evolution of self fertilization is provided by Capsella rubella, which became self-compatible <200,000 years ago. We present a reference genome for the species, and compare RNA expression and polymorphism patterns between C. rubella and its outcrossing progenitor C. grandiflora. There is a clear shift in the expression of genes associated with flowering phenotypes; a similar shift is seen in the related genus Arabidopsis, where self-fertilization evolved about 1 million years ago. DNA sequence polymorphisms distinguishing the two Capsella species reveal rapid genome-wide relaxation of purifying selection in C. rubella but without a concomitant change in transposable element abundance. Overall, we document that the transition to selfing may be typified by shifts in expression for genes that function in pollen and flower development, along with a measurable reduction of purifying selection. As part of a cross-species comparison of gene expression, RNA-seq data was generated in biological replication (2 replicates) from Arabidopsis lyrata at the floral stage. In total, two samples (biological replicates) were used. The reference strain was used for the experments (strain MN47). Resulting data about gene expression was used as part of a larger study. The Capsella rubella and Capsella grandiflora data are included in GEO Series GSE45518.

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A common molecular basis to the convergent evolution of the selfing syndrome in Capsella.

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