Conserved Gene Expression Programs in Developing Roots from Diverse Plants.
The molecular basis for the origin and diversification of morphological adaptations is a central issue in evolutionary developmental biology. Here, we defined temporal transcript accumulation in developing roots from seven vascular plants, permitting a genome-wide comparative analysis of the molecular programs used by a single organ across diverse species. The resulting gene expression maps uncover significant similarity in the genes employed in roots and their developmental expression profiles. The detailed analysis of a subset of 133 genes known to be associated with root development in Arabidopsis thaliana indicates that most of these are used in all plant species. Strikingly, this was also true for root development in a lycophyte (Selaginella moellendorffii), which forms morphologically different roots and is thought to have evolved roots independently. Thus, despite vast differences in size and anatomy of roots from diverse plants, the basic molecular mechanisms employed during root formation appear to be conserved. This suggests that roots evolved in the two major vascular plant lineages either by parallel recruitment of largely the same developmental program or by elaboration of an existing root program in the common ancestor of vascular plants.
Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109.
Ling
0000-0002-5135-6088
L
Huang
Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109 schiefel@umich.edu.
John
0000-0002-0560-5872
J
Schiefelbein
D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D018553:Cucumis sativus / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling / Q000379:methods*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D063990:Gene Ontology; D018551:Solanum lycopersicum / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D012275:Oryza / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D010802:Phylogeny; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D010944:Plants / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D032503:Selaginellaceae / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D013025:Glycine max / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D013045:Species Specificity; D003313:Zea mays / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development
D010940:Plant Proteins