Environmental pressures on stomatal size may drive plant genome size evolution: evidence from a natural experiment with Cape geophytes

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00216224%3A14310%2F20%3A00114412" target="_blank" >RIV/00216224:14310/20:00114412 - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

<a href="https://academic.oup.com/aob/article-abstract/126/2/323/5849150?redirectedFrom=fulltext" target="_blank" >https://academic.oup.com/aob/article-abstract/126/2/323/5849150?redirectedFrom=fulltext</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcaa095" target="_blank" >10.1093/aob/mcaa095</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Environmental pressures on stomatal size may drive plant genome size evolution: evidence from a natural experiment with Cape geophytes

Original language description

Background and Aims: The idea that genome (size) evolution in eukaryotes could be driven by environmental factors is still vigorously debated. In extant plants, genome size correlates positively with stomatal size, leading to the idea that conditions enabling the existence of large stomata in fossil plants also supported growth of their genome size. We test this inductive assumption in drought-adapted, prostrate-leaved Cape (South Africa) geophytes where, compared with their upright-leaved geophytic ancestors, stomata develop in a favourably humid microclimate formed underneath their leaves. Methods: Stomatal parameters (leaf cuticle imprints) and genome size (flow cytometry) were measured in 16 closely related geophytic species pairs from seven plant families. In each pair, representing a different genus, we contrasted a prostrate-leaved species with its upright-leaved phylogenetic relative, the latter whose stomata are exposed to the ambient arid climate. Key Results: Except for one, all prostrate-leaves species had larger stomata, and in 13 of 16 pairs they also had larger genomes than their upright-leaved relatives. Stomatal density and theoretical maximum conductance were less in prostrate-leaved species with small guard cells (&lt;1 pL) but showed no systematic difference in species pairs with larger guard cells (&gt;1 pL). Giant stomata were observed in the prostrate-leaved Satyrium bicorne (89–137 µm long), despite its relatively small genome (2C = 9 Gbp). Conclusions: Our results imply that climate, through selection on stomatal size, might be able to drive genome size evolution in plants. The data support the idea that plants from ‘greenhouse’ geological periods with large stomata might have generally had larger genome sizes when compared with extant plants, though this might not have been solely due to higher atmospheric CO2 in these periods but could also have been due to humid conditions prevailing at fossil deposit sites.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

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OECD FORD branch

10611 - Plant sciences, botany

Project

Result was created during the realization of more than one project. More information in the Projects tab.

Continuities

P - Projekt vyzkumu a vyvoje financovany z verejnych zdroju (s odkazem do CEP)

Publication year

2020

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Annals of Botany

ISSN

0305-7364

e-ISSN

—

Volume of the periodical

126

Issue of the periodical within the volume

2

Country of publishing house

GB - UNITED KINGDOM

Number of pages

8

Pages from-to

323-330

UT code for WoS article

000561731700011

EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-85088678708