title: Genome-wide survey of the seagrass Zostera muelleri suggests modification of the ethylene signalling network.
abstract: Seagrasses are flowering plants which grow fully submerged in the marine environment. They have evolved a range of adaptations to environmental challenges including light attenuation through water, the physical stress of wave action and tidal currents, high concentrations of salt, oxygen deficiency in marine sediment, and water-borne pollination. Although, seagrasses are a key stone species of the costal ecosystems, many questions regarding seagrass biology and evolution remain unanswered. Genome sequence data for the widespread Australian seagrass species Zostera muelleri were generated and the unassembled data were compared with the annotated genes of five sequenced plant species (Arabidopsis thaliana, Oryza sativa, Phoenix dactylifera, Musa acuminata, and Spirodela polyrhiza). Genes which are conserved between Z. muelleri and the five plant species were identified, together with genes that have been lost in Z. muelleri. The effect of gene loss on biological processes was assessed on the gene ontology classification level. Gene loss in Z. muelleri appears to influence some core biological processes such as ethylene biosynthesis. This study provides a foundation for further studies of seagrass evolution as well as the hormonal regulation of plant growth and development.
authors.affiliation: School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics, School of Land, Crop and Food Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4067, Australia.
authors.forename: Agnieszka A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Golicz
authors.affiliation: Plant Functional Biology and Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schliep
authors.affiliation: School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics, School of Land, Crop and Food Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4067, Australia.
authors.forename: Huey Tyng
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Plant Functional Biology and Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia.
authors.forename: Anthony W D
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Larkum
authors.affiliation: CSIRO Agriculture Flagship, GPO Box 1600, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia.
authors.forename: Rudy
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dolferus
authors.affiliation: School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia School of Plant Biology, University of Western Australia, WA, 6009, Australia.
authors.forename: Jacqueline
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Batley
authors.affiliation: School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia School of Plant Biology, University of Western Australia, WA, 6009, Australia.
authors.forename: Chon-Kit Kenneth
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.affiliation: Plant Functional Biology and Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia.
authors.forename: Gaurav
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sablok
authors.affiliation: Plant Functional Biology and Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia.
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Ralph
authors.affiliation: School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics, School of Land, Crop and Food Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4067, Australia School of Plant Biology, University of Western Australia, WA, 6009, Australia dave.edwards@uq.edu.au.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Edwards
mesh_terms: D017753:Ecosystem; D005030:Ethylenes / Q000378:metabolism*; D018745:Genome, Plant; D023281:Genomics; D010788:Photosynthesis; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D035962:Zosteraceae / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D005030:Ethylenes; D010940:Plant Proteins
keywords: Ethylene biosynthesis/signalling; Zostera muelleri.; gene loss; genome survey; seagrass