石松类和蕨类植物研究进展: 兼论国产类群的科级分类系统

综述了石松类和蕨类植物系统发育的最新研究成果。目前研究表明传统的蕨类植物概念(包括石松类和蕨类)需要修订, 一个关于蕨类植物的分类系统也已经发表。中国的植物多样性很丰富, 包括了世界上石松类和蕨类植物主要类群的代表。我们利用rbcL基因序列(包括国产蕨类63科中的62科179属184种)构建了系统发育树。基于rbcL序列分析所获得的石松类和蕨类各主要类群间的系统演化关系同以往对各个特定类群开展的较为密集的类群取样和多性状分析(形态学＋分子序列证据)的结果基本一致。在参考Smith等人系统的基础上, 我们尝试性地对中国石松类和蕨类植物进行了科级水平上的系统发育重排。     

中国现代石松类和蕨类的系统发育与分类系统

石松类和蕨类植物是以孢子繁殖的维管植物,在陆地植物演化上占据重要地位。随着分子系统学研究的开展,各大类群间的系统发育关系得以阐明,传统上的概念得以修正,新的现代石松类和蕨类植物的分类系统也被提出,并不断得到完善。该文介绍国内外在蕨类植物系统发育方面的研究成果,重点讨论中国分布的类群的分类处理。文中提出了一个完整的中国现代石松类和蕨类植物的分类系统,包括5亚纲、14目、39科及12亚科、约140余属。     

中国石松类和蕨类植物多样性研究进展

石松类和蕨类植物是维管植物的第二大类群, 其起源可追溯到4亿年前。在被子植物出现之前, 石松类和蕨类植物在古地球生态系统中占主导地位, 其重要性一直延续到现在。自20世纪40年代开始, 中国石松类和蕨类植物研究就令世界瞩目, 尤其是2017年第19届国际植物学大会在中国深圳召开后的5年时间里, 中国石松类和蕨类植物研究更是面向世界、走向国际, 研究更为广泛的科学问题, 在物种多样性、保护、系统演化和生态适应性等方面取得了一系列重要研究进展。2017-2022年, 多个中国研究团队利用多组学数据构建了世界石松类和蕨类植物科级水平的生命之树并提出了关键性状孢子囊环带演化的新模式; 解决了石松类和蕨类植物中目级、科级、属级和种级众多关键的系统分类学等问题, 发表了106个新分类群; 开展了大量的植物区系调查和研究, 出版了6部中国石松类和蕨类植物多样性专著和1部世界性专著; 对65种国家重点保护的石松类和蕨类植物进行了迁地保护, 同时实现了桫椤科、水蕨属(Ceratopteris)、观音座莲属(Angiopteris)和鹿角蕨(Platycerium wallichii)等重点保护类群的孢子繁殖; 在系统发育框架下, 研究了石松类和蕨类植物的生态修复功能和生态适应性演化。通过对2017-2022年研究成果的总结和思考, 本文对未来石松类和蕨类植物的发展提出以下建议: (1)提高中国寡型科属以及世界性大科大属的关注力度; (2)加强西藏、四川等薄弱地区石松类和蕨类植物的调查研究, 并结合新技术, 如DNA条形码等以提高区系调查中物种鉴别的效率和准确性; (3)运用多学科交叉的研究方法厘清各科、属、种间系统关系的同时, 还应加强系统和生态适应性演化之间的协同研究; (4)关注石松类和蕨类植物系统位置作为陆生维管植物演化起点的共性科学问题; (5)加强石松类和蕨类植物系统分类学与生态学、植物化学、保护生物学等学科间交叉合作研究。     

被子植物叶绿体基因组的结构变异研究进展

叶绿体是绿色植物特有的细胞器,其基因组信息被广泛应用于植物系统发育和比较基因组学研究。目前,越来越多的物种有了叶绿体全基因组序列,人们对叶绿体基因组的结构及其变异规律有了更深入的了解。该文对近年来国内外有关被子植物叶绿体基因组插入/缺失、短片段倒位与重复、基因组结构重排以及基因丢失等结构变异式样的研究进展进行综述,并分析了叶绿体基因组结构研究中仍存在的问题以及该领域未来的发展趋势。     

中国现代石松类和蕨类植物分类系统概览

回顾了蕨类植物的系统分类简史,介绍了世界上石松类和蕨类植物分类研究的最新成果,即石松类和蕨类是维管植物中的两大类群,其系统发育关系逐渐明确,分类系统已经得到更新。基于新的分类系统,中国石松类有1亚纲、3目、3科;蕨类有4亚纲、11目、37科及12亚科。     

泛基因组研究在遗传多样性和功能基因组学中的应用

相对于单个参考基因组仅聚焦于个体遗传信息的挖掘,泛基因组研究则能够反映整个物种或类群全部的遗传信息。随着基因组测序和分析技术的不断发展,泛基因组学逐渐成为新的研究热点,并已在植物、动物和微生物多个物种中获得了广泛应用,为全面解析物种或类群水平的遗传变异和多样性、功能基因组和系统进化重建等研究提供了强有力的工具,取得了很多显著的研究成果。尽管如此,由于泛基因组学研究尚处于发展阶段,测序费用和分析成本仍然较高,难以广泛普及; 且存在分析标准不一、数据挖掘不够全面深入、理论难以应用于生产实际等尚待解决的问题,仍有较大的发展空间。该文系统总结了泛基因组在生物遗传多样性挖掘和功能基因组学中的研究进展,主要包括其在泛基因组图谱的构建、基因组变异和有利基因的发掘、功能基因的多态性、群体遗传多样性和系统进化等多个领域中的应用和研究,探讨了其在不同领域的应用潜力。同时,讨论了目前泛基因组研究中存在的局限性和可能的解决方法,并对其将来的发展前景进行了展望。     

锈菌类真菌基因组结构分析研究进展

锈菌种群庞大,可以引起许多重要经济作物和林木病害,严重威胁全球粮食和林业生产安全。全基因组分析为锈菌基因功能研究、毒性变异研究及锈菌演化规律研究提供了重要基础,为制定锈病有效防控策略和创制抗锈新材料提供理论依据。本文综述了目前锈菌全基因组分析领域的进展,对锈菌的基因组结构、基因组成、基因组变异等特征进行了归纳分析,对基因组变异与其专性寄生特性的关系、基因组变异对其毒性变异的可能影响等进行了阐述。基因组学将为最终揭示锈菌生活史复杂性和毒性高度变异性的根本成因提供有力工具。     

360度群体遗传变异扫描——大豆泛基因组研究

大豆(Glycine max)是重要的油料和蛋白作物, 其丰富的遗传变异为生物学性状挖掘和育种改良提供了重要的资源基础。然而, 单个基因组信息无法全面揭示种质资源的遗传变异, 泛基因组研究为解决这一不足提供了新方案。近日, 中国科学院遗传与发育生物学研究所田志喜和梁承志研究团队从2 898份大豆种质中选取26份代表性材料, 并整合已有的3个基因组, 构建了包含野生和栽培大豆的泛基因组和图基因组(graph-based genome), 鉴定了整个群体的绝大多数结构变异数据集, 确定了大豆种质的核心、非必需和个体特异的基因集。利用这些数据系统地揭示了生育期位点E3的等位基因变异和基因融合事件、种皮颜色基因I的单体型和演化关系以及结构变异对铁离子转运基因表达和地区适应性选择的影响。该研究为作物基因组学研究提供了一个新的模式, 同时将加速推动大豆遗传变异的鉴定、性状解析和种质创新。     

饲草基因组学研究进展

相比于粮食作物,饲草基因组学研究严重滞后,限制了饲草重要农艺性状解析以及分子设计育种的进程。近年来,随着对饲草需求的增加、测序成本的大幅降低以及测序和组装技术的快速发展,许多重要饲草的基因组已被测序和分析。该文综述了豆科、禾本科和莎草科18种饲草的基因组学研究进展,并展望了饲草基因组研究未来的方向。     

丝兰属6种植物叶绿体基因组特征分析

为了理清丝兰属（Yucca）叶绿体基因组特征和序列变异情况,进行丝兰属植物叶绿体比较基因组学分析,并构建基于叶绿体基因组的系统发育树。利用高通量测序技术获得无刺龙舌兰（Y. treculeana）叶绿体基因组序列,结合丝兰属现已发表的叶绿体基因组,使用生物信息学方法对6种丝兰属植物叶绿体全基因组进行基本结构、重复序列、边界收缩与扩张以及序列变异分析等在内的比较基因组学研究,并进行系统发育分析。结果表明：6种丝兰属植物叶绿体基因组大小、基因的类型及数目相近,种间基因组结构比较保守;从丝兰属植物叶绿体基因组中检测到多条重复序列,其中SSR位点多是由单核苷酸、双核苷酸和四核苷酸组成,且偏好使用A、T碱基;根据核酸多态性指数π≥0.008,在6种丝兰属植物叶绿体基因组中筛选出了psbK-psbl-trnS-GCU、rpl20-rps12和ccsA-ndhD 3个高变异区域;基于叶绿体全基因组和LSC+SSC区序列构建的系统发育关系基本一致,确定了6种丝兰属植物间的系统发育关系,其中无刺龙舌兰与克雷塔罗丝兰（Y. queretaroensis）的亲缘关系最近。本研究测序获得了无刺龙舌兰叶绿体基因组,揭示了6种丝兰属植物叶绿体基因组特征和序列变异情况,明确了各物种间的亲缘关系,研究结果可为后续丝兰属植物分子标记开发及系统发育研究提供参考。     

Exploring the plastid genome disparity of liverworts

Sequencing the plastid genomes of land plants provides crucial improvements to our understanding of the plastome evolution of land plants. Although the number of available complete plastid genome sequences has rapidly increased in the recent years, only a few sequences have been yet released for the three bryophyte lineages, namely hornworts, liverworts, and mosses. Here, we explore the disparity of the plastome structure of liverworts by increasing the number of sequenced liverwort plastomes from five to 18. The expanded sampling included representatives of all major lineages of liverworts including the genus Haplomitrium. The disparity of the liverwort genomes was compared with other 2386 land plant plastomes with emphasis on genome size and GC‐content. We found evidence for structural conservatism of the plastid genomes in liverworts and a trend towards reduced plastome sequence length in liverworts and derived mosses compared to other land plants, including hornworts and basal lineages of mosses. Furthermore, Aneura and Haplomitrium were distinct from other liverworts by an increased GC content, with the one found in Haplomitrium only second to the lycophyte Selaginella. The results suggest the hypothesis that liverworts and other land plants inherited and conserved the plastome structure of their most recent algal ancestors.     

Covarion structure in plastid genome evolution: a new statistical test

Covarion models of molecular evolution allow the rate of evolution of a site to vary through time. There are few simple and effective tests for covarion evolution, and consequently, little is known about the presence of covarion processes in molecular evolution. We describe two new tests for covarion evolution and demonstrate with simulations that they perform well under a wide range of conditions. A survey of covarion evolution in sequenced plastid genomes found evidence of covarion drift in at least 26 out of 57 genes. Covarion evolution is most evident in first and second codon positions of the plastid genes, and there is no evidence of covarion evolution in third codon positions. Therefore, the significant covarion tests are likely due to changes in the selective constraints of amino acids. The frequency of covarion evolution within the plastid genome suggests that covarion processes of evolution were important in generating the observed patterns of sequence variation among plastid genomes.     

The evolution of chloroplast genes and genomes in ferns

Most of the publicly available data on chloroplast (plastid) genes and genomes come from seed plants, with relatively little information from their sister group, the ferns. Here we describe several broad evolutionary patterns and processes in fern plastid genomes (plastomes), and we include some new plastome sequence data. We review what we know about the evolutionary history of plastome structure across the fern phylogeny and we compare plastome organization and patterns of evolution in ferns to those in seed plants. A large clade of ferns is characterized by a plastome that has been reorganized with respect to the ancestral gene order (a similar order that is ancestral in seed plants). We review the sequence of inversions that gave rise to this organization. We also explore global nucleotide substitution patterns in ferns versus those found in seed plants across plastid genes, and we review the high levels of RNA editing observed in fern plastomes.     

Identification of functional lox sites in the plastid genome

Our objective was to test whether or not cyclization recombination (CRE), the P1 phage site-specific recombinase, induces genome rearrangements in plastids. Testing was carried out in tobacco plants in which a DNA sequence, located between two inversely oriented locus of X-over of P1 (loxP) sites, underwent repeated cycles of inversions as a means of monitoring CRE activity. We report here that CRE mediates deletions between loxP sites and plastid DNA sequences in the 3'rps12 gene leader (lox-rps12) or in the psbA promoter core (lox-psbA). We also observed deletions between two directly oriented lox-psbA sites, but not between lox-rps12 sites. Deletion via duplicated rRNA operon promoter (Prrn) sequences was also frequent in CRE-active plants. However, CRE-mediated recombination is probably not directly involved, as no recombination junction between loxP and Prrn could be observed. Tobacco plants carrying deleted genomes as a minor fraction of the plastid genome population were fertile and phenotypically normal, suggesting that the absence of deleted genome segments was compensated by gene expression from wild-type copies. The deleted plastid genomes disappeared in the seed progeny lacking CRE. Observed plastid genome rearrangements are specific to engineered plastid genomes, which contain at least one loxP site or duplicated psbA promoter sequences. The wild-type plastid genome is expected to be stable, even if CRE is present in the plastid.     

Functional gene losses occur with minimal size reduction in the plastid genome of the parasitic liverwort Aneura mirabilis

Aneura mirabilis is a parasitic liverwort that exploits an existing mycorrhizal association between a basidiomycete and a host tree. This unusual liverwort is the only known parasitic seedless land plant with a completely nonphotosynthetic life history. The complete plastid genome of A. mirabilis was sequenced to examine the effect of its nonphotosynthetic life history on plastid genome content. Using a partial genomic fosmid library approach, the genome was sequenced and shown to be 108,007 bp with a structure typical of green plant plastids. Comparisons were made with the plastid genome of Marchantia polymorpha, the only other liverwort plastid sequence available. All ndh genes are either absent or pseudogenes. Five of 15 psb genes are pseudogenes, as are 2 of 6 psa genes and 2 of 6 pet genes. Pseudogenes of cysA, cysT, ccsA, and ycf3 were also detected. The remaining complement of genes present in M. polymorpha is present in the plastid of A. mirabilis with intact open reading frames. All pseudogenes and gene losses co-occur with losses detected in the plastid of the parasitic angiosperm Epifagus virginiana, though the latter has functional gene losses not found in A. mirabilis. The plastid genome sequence of A. mirabilis represents only the second liverwort, and first mycoheterotroph, to have its plastid genome sequenced. We observed a pattern of genome evolution congruent with functional gene losses in parasitic angiosperms but suggest that its plastid genome represents a genome in the early stages of decay following the relaxation of selection pressures.     

The plastid in Apicomplexa: what use is it?

An extrachromosomal genome of between 27 and 35 kb has been described in several apicomplexan parasites including Plasmodium falciparum and Toxoplasma gondii. Examination of sequence data proved the genomes to be a remnant plastid genome, from which all genes encoding photosynthetic functions had been lost. Localisation studies had shown that the genome was located within a multi-walled organelle, anterior to the nucleus. This organelle had been previously described in ultrastructural studies of several genera of apicomplexa, but no function had been attributed to it. This invited review describes the evolution of knowledge on the apicomplexan plastid, then discusses current research findings on the likely role of the plastid in the Apicomplexa. How the plastid may be used to effect better drug treatments for apicomplexan diseases, and its potential as a marker for investigating phylogenetic relationships among the Apicomplexa, are discussed.     

Evolution of paralogous genes: Reconstruction of genome rearrangements through comparison of multiple genomes within Staphylococcus aureus

Analysis of evolution of paralogous genes in a genome is central to our understanding of genome evolution. Comparison of closely related bacterial genomes, which has provided clues as to how genome sequences evolve under natural conditions, would help in such an analysis. With species Staphylococcus aureus, whole-genome sequences have been decoded for seven strains. We compared their DNA sequences to detect large genome polymorphisms and to deduce mechanisms of genome rearrangements that have formed each of them. We first compared strains N315 and Mu50, which make one of the most closely related strain pairs, at the single-nucleotide resolution to catalogue all the middle-sized (more than 10 bp) to large genome polymorphisms such as indels and substitutions. These polymorphisms include two paralogous gene sets, one in a tandem paralogue gene cluster for toxins in a genomic island and the other in a ribosomal RNA operon. We also focused on two other tandem paralogue gene clusters and type I restriction-modification (RM) genes on the genomic islands. Then we reconstructed rearrangement events responsible for these polymorphisms, in the paralogous genes and the others, with reference to the other five genomes. For the tandem paralogue gene clusters, we were able to infer sequences for homologous recombination generating the change in the repeat number. These sequences were conserved among the repeated paralogous units likely because of their functional importance. The sequence specificity (S) subunit of type I RM systems showed recombination, likely at the homology of a conserved region, between the two variable regions for sequence specificity. We also noticed novel alleles in the ribosomal RNA operons and suggested a role for illegitimate recombination in their formation. These results revealed importance of recombination involving long conserved sequence in the evolution of paralogous genes in the genome.     

Plastid phylogenomics and molecular evolution of Thismiaceae (Dioscoreales)

Premise

Species in Thismiaceae can no longer photosynthesize and instead obtain carbon from soil fungi. Here we infer Thismiaceae phylogeny using plastid genome data and characterize the molecular evolution of this genome.

Methods

We assembled five Thismiaceae plastid genomes from genome skimming data, adding to previously published data for phylogenomic inference. We investigated plastid-genome structural changes, considering locally colinear blocks (LCBs). We also characterized possible shifts in selection pressure in retained genes by considering changes in the ratio of nonsynonymous to synonymous changes (ω).

Results

Thismiaceae experienced two major pulses of gene loss around the early diversification of the family, with subsequent scattered gene losses across descendent lineages. In addition to massive size reduction, Thismiaceae plastid genomes experienced occasional inversions, and there were likely two independent losses of the plastid inverted repeat (IR) region. Retained plastid genes remain under generally strong purifying selection (ω << 1), with significant and sporadic weakening or strengthening in several instances. The bifunctional trnE-UUC gene of Thismia huangii may retain a secondary role in heme biosynthesis, despite a probable loss of functionality in protein translation. Several cis-spliced group IIA introns have been retained, despite the loss of the plastid intron maturase, matK.

Conclusions

We infer that most gene losses in Thismiaceae occurred early and rapidly, following the initial loss of photosynthesis in its stem lineage. As a species-rich, fully mycoheterotrophic lineage, Thismiaceae provide a model system for uncovering the unique and divergent ways in which plastid genomes evolve in heterotrophic plants.     

Through a genome, darkly: comparative analysis of plant chromosomal DNA

Plant nuclear genomes encompass a wide range of variation in size and nucleotide composition with diverse arrangements of chromosomal segments, repetitive sequences and distribution of genes. Comparative genomic analysis may be undertaken at different levels of organisation, which are reflected in this review, together with a focus on the genetic and functional significance of the observed variation. Patterns of genome organisation have been revealed which reflect the different underlying mechanisms and constraints driving change. Thus comparative issues of genome size, nucleotide sequence composition and genome heterogeneity are provided as a background to understanding the different levels of segmental and repetitive sequence duplication and distribution of genes. The extent of synteny and collinearity revealed by recent genetic and sequence comparisons is discussed, together with a consideration of problems associated with such analyses. The possible origins and mechanisms of variation in genome size and organisation are covered, including the prevalence of duplication at different levels of organisation. The likely genetic, functional and adaptive consequences of replicated loci are discussed with evidence from comparative studies. The scope for comparative analysis of epigenetic plant genome variation is considered. Finally, opportunities for applying comparative genomics to isolating genes and understanding complex crop genomes are addressed.