biostudies-literatureGroot Crego CAustrian Science Fund FWFChristian Lexer at the University of Vienna4109-4131https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC11449062biostudies-literatureUnknown36(10)The subgenus Tillandsia (Bromeliaceae) belongs to one of the fastest radiating clades in the plant kingdom and is characterized by the repeated evolution of Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM). Despite its complex genetic basis, this water-conserving trait has evolved independently across many plant families and is regarded as a key innovation trait and driver of ecological diversification in Bromeliaceae. By producing high-quality genome assemblies of a Tillandsia species pair displaying divergent photosynthetic phenotypes, and combining genome-wide investigations of synteny, transposable element (TE) dynamics, sequence evolution, gene family evolution, and temporal differential expression, we were able to pinpoint the genomic drivers of CAM evolution in Tillandsia. Several large-scale reaThe Plant cellCAM evolution is associated with gene family expansion in an explosive bromeliad radiation.PMC11449062BE772002Beclin FSaadain SBarfuss MHJHess JYardeni GPaun OCauz-Santos LAGroot Crego Cde La Harpe MLexer CHeyduk KWeiss-Schneeweiss HLeroy TWeckwerth WTill WTemsch EMPriemer CfalseCAM evolution is associated with gene family expansion in an explosive bromeliad radiation.The subgenus Tillandsia (Bromeliaceae) belongs to one of the fastest radiating clades in the plant kingdom and is characterized by the repeated evolution of Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM). Despite its complex genetic basis, this water-conserving trait has evolved independently across many plant families and is regarded as a key innovation trait and driver of ecological diversification in Bromeliaceae. By producing high-quality genome assemblies of a Tillandsia species pair displaying divergent photosynthetic phenotypes, and combining genome-wide investigations of synteny, transposable element (TE) dynamics, sequence evolution, gene family evolution, and temporal differential expression, we were able to pinpoint the genomic drivers of CAM evolution in Tillandsia. Several large-scale rea2024-01-01T00:00:00Z2024 Oct2026-06-07T03:23:48.619Z2025-04-04T02:00:11.238ZS-EPMC114490623868682510.1093/plcell/koae130