Abstract Detail

Botany 2015 Colloquium: Phylogenomics and the 1000 plants (1KP) initiative 

Yang, Ya [1], Moore, Michael J. [2], Brockington, Samuel F. [3], Smith, Stephen A. [1].

Phylotranscriptomics of the Caryophyllales: paleopolyploidy, gene tree discordance and evolution of genes associated with adaptive changes.

We assembled a data set of transcriptomes from ~200 species across the Caryophyllales, targeting species representing key lineages and/or key adaptive transitions. Each of these transcriptomes contains ~15,000 protein coding genes, ~5000 of which are consecutively expressed across the Caryophyllales. We carried out homology inference using a combined similarity and tree-based approach. By analyzing both the homolog tree topology and synonymous distance among paralogs, we found a minimal of 20 paleopolyploidy events, some of which are associated with shift in habitat types and diversification rates. A number of these paleopolyploidy events likely involve ancient allopolyploidy. We are further exploring molecular evolution of genes associated with adaptive traits, such as the gain and loses of betalain, cold and salt tolerance, and evolution of carnivory in non-core Caryophyllales.

1 - University Of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Ecology And Evolutionary Biology, 2071 Kraus Natural Science Building, 830 North University Ave., Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
2 - Oberlin College, Department of Biology, 119 Woodland St., Oberlin, OH, 44074, USA
3 - Department Of Plant Science, Downing Site, Cambridge, N/A, CB23AE, United Kingdom

Keywords:
Caryophyllales
1KP
RNA-Seq
phylogenomics
Transcriptome
Carnivorous plants
Polyploidy
reticulate evolution.

Presentation Type: Colloquium Presentations
Session: C1
Location: Salon 4/The Shaw Conference Centre
Date: Monday, July 27th, 2015
Time: 9:00 AM
Number: C1005
Abstract ID:1058
Candidate for Awards:None