Molecular Basis for the Convergent Evolution of Parasitism in Plants

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K18589
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Evolutionary biology
• Research Institution: Institute of Physical and Chemical Research
• Principal Investigator: Ichihashi Yasunori 国立研究開発法人理化学研究所, 環境資源科学研究センター, 基礎科学特別研究員 (20723810)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 形態進化 / トランスクリプトーム / ネットワーク / 寄生植物 / 収斂進化

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Convergent evolution is the independent evolution of similar traits in species of different lineages, but the molecular basis remains unknown. Parasitic plants have originated independently at least 11 times in angiosperms, showing the ability to obtain nutrients directly from host plants through a multi-cellular organ called haustorium. Our comparative transcriptomics revealed that common orthologous genes are expressed during the haustorial formation even in the phylogenetically independent parasitic plants, genera Striga, Cuscuta, and Thesium. In addition, we found that a plant-specific LATERAL ORGAN BOUNDARIES DOMAIN (LBD) gene was located in a key position of the gene co-exression network. Our transformation experiment using Phtheirospermum japonicum hairy roots demonstrated that the promoter activity of LBD gene was activated at the specific cells of a haustorium, suggesting that the LBD gene could play an important role for the convergent evolution of parasitic plants.

Free Research Field

植物科学