Abstract Detail

Comparative Genomics/Transcriptomics

Lee, Aaron [1], Rahman-Vyas, Hiba [1], Walker, Joseph [2], Donoghue, Michael [3], Smith, Stephen [4], Howarth, Dianella [5], Clement, Wendy [6].

Exploring the evolutionary history of the CUP-SHAPED COTYLEDON (CUC) gene family in the honeysuckles (Lonicera, Caprifoliaceae) and relatives.

New structures commonly arise from the fusion of existing organs across the angiosperms. Organ fusion is thought to be regulated by the family of NAC (NAM, ATAF, CUC) transcription factors; CUC (CUP-SHAPED COTYLEDON) specifically has been shown to affect organ boundaries in leaves and floral organs. Honeysuckles (Lonicera, Caprifoliaceae) display a variety of fused and unfused floral, fruit, and leaf structures with many independent origins, providing a natural system to study the molecular and developmental evolution of organ fusion. To begin exploring organ fusion in Lonicera, we used molecular and computational approaches to recover CUC and related NAC genes in Lonicera and relatives. De novo assemblies were generated from seven Lonicera genome skimming libraries, and degenerate CUC primers were used to isolate possible copies of CUC in Lonicera species. Genomic and transcriptomic data representing the phylogenetic breadth of the Asterids were obtained from public data repositories. Putative gene copies were recovered using BLAST, and gene trees combining new and published data were constructed to assess the evolution of CUC-like genes. Our findings suggest that in Caprifoliaceae, including Lonicera, there has been a duplication of CUC1/2 and a loss of CUC3. The recovered high copy number of CUC-like genes within Lonicera suggests subsequent subfunctionalization of these genes following pseudogenization. Moving forward, we hope to study CUC gene evolution in the context of fusion morphology within the clade. This research demonstrates the utility of genome skimming in studying Lonicera gene evolution, and it highlights the potential for establishing Lonicera as a model lineage to study organ fusion.

1 - The College of New Jersey, Biology, 2000 Pennington Road, Ewing, NJ, 08628, USA
2 - University of Cambridge, Sainsbury Laboratory, UK
3 - Yale University, Department Of Ecology And Evolutionary Biology, Po Box 208106, New Haven, CT, 06511, United States
4 - University of Michigan, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Ann Arbor, MI, 48103, USA
5 - St. John's University, Department Of Biological Sciences, St. Albert Hall Rm 257, 8000 Utopia Pkwy, Jamiaca, NY, 11439, United States
6 - The College Of New Jersery, Dept. Of Biology, 2000 Pennington Road, Ewing, NJ, 08628, United States

Keywords:
gene phylogeny
Asterids
genomics
Dipsacales
transcriptomes
Genome skimming
Gene duplication.

Presentation Type: Poster
Session: P, Comparative Genomics and Transcriptomics Posters
Location: /
Date: Monday, July 29th, 2019
Time: 5:30 PM This poster will be presented at 6:15 pm. The Poster Session runs from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm. Posters with odd poster numbers are presented at 5:30 pm, and posters with even poster numbers are presented at 6:15 pm.
Number: PGT012
Abstract ID:499
Candidate for Awards:None