Journal article
Divergent evolution of a thermospermine-dependent regulatory pathway in land plants
Developmental cell, Vol.60(9), pp.1348-1358.e4
05/2025
DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2024.12.027
PMID: 39793581
Abstract
Plants adapted to life on land by developing diverse anatomical features across lineages. The molecular basis of these innovations often involves the emergence of new genes or establishing new connections between conserved elements, though evidence for evolutionary genetic circuit rewiring remains scarce. Here, we show that the thermospermine-dependent pathway regulating vascular cell proliferation in Arabidopsis thaliana operates as two distinct modules with different functions in the bryophyte Marchantia polymorpha. One module controls dichotomous branching at meristems, while the other one modulates gemmae and rhizoid production in the thallus. Heterologous assays and comparative expression analyses reveal that the molecular links between these modules, forming a unified circuit in vascular plants, emerged early in tracheophyte evolution. Our results illustrate how the thermospermine-dependent circuit elements followed two divergent evolutionary trajectories in bryophytes and tracheophytes, eventually influencing distinct developmental processes.Plants adapted to life on land by developing diverse anatomical features across lineages. The molecular basis of these innovations often involves the emergence of new genes or establishing new connections between conserved elements, though evidence for evolutionary genetic circuit rewiring remains scarce. Here, we show that the thermospermine-dependent pathway regulating vascular cell proliferation in Arabidopsis thaliana operates as two distinct modules with different functions in the bryophyte Marchantia polymorpha. One module controls dichotomous branching at meristems, while the other one modulates gemmae and rhizoid production in the thallus. Heterologous assays and comparative expression analyses reveal that the molecular links between these modules, forming a unified circuit in vascular plants, emerged early in tracheophyte evolution. Our results illustrate how the thermospermine-dependent circuit elements followed two divergent evolutionary trajectories in bryophytes and tracheophytes, eventually influencing distinct developmental processes.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Divergent evolution of a thermospermine-dependent regulatory pathway in land plants
- Creators
- Anna Solé-Gil - Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de PlantasYuuki Sakai - Kobe UniversityBruno Catarino - Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de PlantasVictor A S Jones - University of OxfordChristopher E Youngstrom - University of IowaJoan Jordà-Segura - Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de PlantasChi-Lien ChengLiam Dolan - Gregor Mendel Institute of Molecular Plant BiologyBarbara A Ambrose - New York Botanical GardenKimitsune Ishizaki - Kobe UniversityMiguel A Blázquez - Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de PlantasJavier Agustí - Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Developmental cell, Vol.60(9), pp.1348-1358.e4
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.devcel.2024.12.027
- PMID
- 39793581
- NLM abbreviation
- Dev Cell
- ISSN
- 1878-1551
- eISSN
- 1878-1551
- Publisher
- CELL PRESS
- Grant note
- FPI Fellowship of the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation: BES-2017-080387 EMBO short-term fellowship: PID2021-125829OB, PID2022-141770NB Eppley Foundation for Research, Inc.: EVO-500 250284 European Research Council Advanced Grant programmeEuropean Union: 101007738
We thank Cristina Urbez for excellent technical assistance and Jorge Hernan-dez-Garc & imath;a, Noel Blanco-Tourinan, Ruben Alcazar, and the members of the Plasticity Lab (http://plasticity.ibmcp.csic.es/) for discussions and comments on the manuscript. J.A. is deeply grateful to Eduardo Primo-Millo for long-term scientific discussions and advice. A.S.-G. is the recipient of an FPI Fellowship of the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities (BES-2017-080387) and an EMBO short-term fellowship. The research lead-ing to these results has been carried out thanks to grants PID2021-125829OB (to J.A.) and PID2022-141770NB (to M.A.B.) funded by the Spanish MICIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033/and by "ERDF, A way of making Europe."B.A.A.'s research was supported by the Eppley Foundation for Research, Inc. L.D.'s research was supported by the EVO-500 250284 grant from the European Research Council Advanced Grant programme. We have also received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and inno-vation program under the Marie Sk 1 odowska-Curie grant agreement no. 101007738.
- Language
- English
- Electronic publication date
- 12/30/2024
- Date published
- 05/2025
- Academic Unit
- Biology
- Record Identifier
- 9984772244902771
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