Fern genomes elucidate land plant evolution and cyanobacterial symbioses.
Abstract
Ferns are the closest sister group to all seed plants, yet little is known about their
genomes other than that they are generally colossal. Here, we report on the genomes
of Azolla filiculoides and Salvinia cucullata (Salviniales) and present evidence for
episodic whole-genome duplication in ferns-one at the base of 'core leptosporangiates'
and one specific to Azolla. One fern-specific gene that we identified, recently shown
to confer high insect resistance, seems to have been derived from bacteria through
horizontal gene transfer. Azolla coexists in a unique symbiosis with N2-fixing cyanobacteria,
and we demonstrate a clear pattern of cospeciation between the two partners. Furthermore,
the Azolla genome lacks genes that are common to arbuscular mycorrhizal and root nodule
symbioses, and we identify several putative transporter genes specific to Azolla-cyanobacterial
symbiosis. These genomic resources will help in exploring the biotechnological potential
of Azolla and address fundamental questions in the evolution of plant life.
Type
Journal articleSubject
CyanobacteriaFerns
Phylogeny
Symbiosis
Gene Duplication
Genes, Plant
Genome, Plant
Biological Evolution
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https://hdl.handle.net/10161/21737Published Version (Please cite this version)
10.1038/s41477-018-0188-8Publication Info
Li, F; Brouwer, P; Carretero-Paulet, L; Cheng, S; De Vries, J; Delaux, P; ... Li,
Z (2018). Fern genomes elucidate land plant evolution and cyanobacterial symbioses. Nature plants, 4(7). pp. 460-472. 10.1038/s41477-018-0188-8. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/21737.This is constructed from limited available data and may be imprecise. To cite this
article, please review & use the official citation provided by the journal.
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Show full item recordScholars@Duke
Ariana Eily
Postdoctoral Associate
Ariana Eily is a postdoctoral associate in Science and Society, focusing on science
communication. She is interested in the intersection between art and science, or STEAM,
and in developing ways science can be more deeply connected to society. This includes
leading an interdisciplinary team exploring STEAM initiatives at Duke, using improv
to help scientists become better communicators, creating courses to expand our thinking
about how science and society interact, and establishing a science-art

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