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SUMMARY:Evolutionary convergence of cell specific gene expression in indep
 endent lineages of C4 grasses - Christopher John (Hibberd Lab)
DTSTART:20140424T153000Z
DTEND:20140424T160000Z
UID:TALK51396@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Megan Cooper
DESCRIPTION:Leaves of almost all C4 lineages separate the reactions of pho
 tosynthesis into the mesophyll (M) and bundle sheath (BS). The extent to w
 hich mRNA profiles of M and BS cells from independent C4 lineages resemble
  each other is not known. To address this we conducted deep sequencing of 
 RNA isolated from the M and BS of Setaria viridis and compared these data 
 with publically available information from maize. This revealed a high cor
 relation (r = 0.89) between the relative abundance of transcripts encoding
  proteins of the core C4 pathway in M and BS cells in these species\, indi
 cating significant convergence in transcript accumulation in these evoluti
 onarily independent C4 lineages. We also found that the vast majority of g
 enes encoding proteins of the C4 cycle in S. viridis are syntenic to homol
 ogues used by maize. In both lineages\, 122 and 212 homologous transcripti
 on factors were preferentially expressed in the M and BS respectively. Six
 teen shared regulators of chloroplast biogenesis were identified\, fourtee
 n of which were syntenic homologues in maize and S. viridis. In Sorghum bi
 color\, a third C4grass\, we found that 82% of these trans-factors were al
 so differentially expressed in either M or BS cells. Taken together these 
 data provide the first quantification of convergence in transcript abundan
 ce in the M and BS cells from independent lineages of C4 grasses. Furtherm
 ore\, the repeated recruitment of syntenic homologues from large gene fami
 lies strongly implies that parallel evolution of both structural genes and
  trans-factors underpins the polyphyletic evolution of this highly complex
  trait in the monocotyledons.
LOCATION:Department of Plant Sciences\, Large Lecture Theatre
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