The widely successful use of synthetic herbicides over the past 70 years has imposed strong and widespread selection pressure, leading to the evolution of herbicide resistance in hundreds of weed species. Both target-site resistance (TSR) and nontarget-site resistance (NTSR) mechanisms have evolved to most herbicide classes. TSR often involves mutations in genes encoding the protein targets of herbicides, affecting the binding of the herbicide either at or near catalytic domains or in regions affecting access to them. Most of these mutations are nonsynonymous SNPs, but polymorphisms in more than one codon or entire codon deletions have also evolved. Some herbicides bind multiple proteins, making the evolution of TSR mechanisms more difficult. Increased amounts of protein target, by increased gene expression or by gene duplication, are an important, albeit less common, TSR mechanism. NTSR mechanisms include reduced absorption or translocation and increased sequestration or metabolic degradation. The mechanisms that can contribute to NTSR are complex and often involve genes that are members of large gene families. For example, enzymes involved in herbicide metabolism-based resistances include cytochromes P450, GSH S -transferases, glucosyl and other transferases, aryl acylamidase, and others. Both TSR and NTSR mechanisms can combine at the individual level to produce higher resistance levels. The vast array of herbicide-resistance mechanisms for generalist (NTSR) and specialist (TSR and some NTSR) adaptations that have evolved over a few decades illustrate the evolutionary resilience of weed populations to extreme selection pressures. These evolutionary processes drive herbicide and herbicide-resistant crop development and resistance management strategies.

Makaleyi görüntüle

Durable crop protection is an essential component of current and future food security. However, the effectiveness of pesticides is threatened by the evolution of resistant pathogens, weeds and insect pests. Pesticides are mostly novel synthetic compounds, and yet target species are often able to evolve resistance soon after a new compound is introduced. Therefore, pesticide resistance provides an interesting case of rapid evolution under strong selective pressures, which can be used to address fundamental questions concerning the evolutionary origins of adaptations to novel conditions. We ask: (i) whether this adaptive potential originates mainly from de novo mutations or from standing variation; (ii) which pre-existing traits could form the basis of resistance adaptations; and (iii) whether recurrence of resistance mechanisms among species results from interbreeding and horizontal gene transfer or from independent parallel evolution. We compare and contrast the three major pesticide groups: insecticides, herbicides and fungicides. Whilst resistance to these three agrochemical classes is to some extent united by the common evolutionary forces at play, there are also important differences. Fungicide resistance appears to evolve, in most cases, by de novo point mutations in the target-site encoding genes; herbicide resistance often evolves through selection of polygenic metabolic resistance from standing variation; and insecticide resistance evolves through a combination of standing variation and de novo mutations in the target site or major metabolic resistance genes. This has practical implications for resistance risk assessment and management, and lessons learnt from pesticide resistance should be applied in the deployment of novel, non-chemical pest-control methods.

Makaleyi görüntüle

While interactions between roots and microorganisms have been intensively studied, we know little about interactions among root-associated microbes. We used random matrix theory-based network analysis of 16S rRNA genes to identify bacterial networks associated with wild oat (Avena fatua) over two seasons in greenhouse microcosms. Rhizosphere networks were substantially more complex than those in surrounding soils, indicating the rhizosphere has a greater potential for interactions and niche-sharing. Network complexity increased as plants grew, even as diversity decreased, highlighting that community organisation is not captured by univariate diversity. Covariations were predominantly positive (> 80%), suggesting that extensive mutualistic interactions may occur among rhizosphere bacteria; we identified quorum-based signalling as one potential strategy. Putative keystone taxa often had low relative abundances, suggesting low-abundance taxa may significantly contribute to rhizosphere function. Network complexity, a previously undescribed property of the rhizosphere microbiome, appears to be a defining characteristic of this habitat.

Makaleyi görüntüle

Background WRKY proteins are newly identified transcription factors involved in many plant processes including plant responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. To date, genes encoding WRKY proteins have been identified only from plants. Comprehensive search for WRKY genes in non-plant organisms and phylogenetic analysis would provide invaluable information about the origin and expansion of the WRKY family. Results We searched all publicly available sequence data for WRKY genes. A single copy of the WRKY gene encoding two WRKY domains was identified from Giardia lamblia, a primitive eukaryote, Dictyostelium discoideum, a slime mold closely related to the lineage of animals and fungi, and the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, an early branching of plants. This ancestral WRKY gene seems to have duplicated many times during the evolution of plants, resulting in a large family in evolutionarily advanced flowering plants. In rice, the WRKY gene family consists of over 100 members. Analyses suggest that the C-terminal domain of the two-WRKY-domain encoding gene appears to be the ancestor of the single-WRKY-domain encoding genes, and that the WRKY domains may be phylogenetically classified into five groups. We propose a model to explain the WRKY family's origin in eukaryotes and expansion in plants. Conclusions WRKY genes seem to have originated in early eukaryotes and greatly expanded in plants. The elucidation of the evolution and duplicative expansion of the WRKY genes should provide valuable information on their functions.

Makaleyi görüntüle

RGA and GAI are negative regulators of the gibberellin (GA) signal transduction pathway in Arabidopsis thaliana. These genes may have partially redundant functions because they are highly homologous, and plants containing single null mutations at these loci are phenotypically similar to wild type. Previously, rga loss-of-function mutations were shown to partially suppress defects of the GA-deficient ga1-3 mutant. Phenotypes rescued include abaxial trichome initiation, rosette radius, flowering time, stem elongation, and apical dominance. Here we present work showing that the rga-24 and gai-t6 null mutations have a synergistic effect on plant growth. Although gai-t6 alone has little effect, when combined with rga-24, they completely rescued the above defects of ga1-3 to wild-type or GA-overdose phenotype. However, seed germination and flower development defects were not restored. Additionally, rga-24 and rga-24/gai-t6 but not gai-t6 alone caused increased feedback inhibition of expression of a GA biosynthetic gene in both the ga1-3 and wild-type backgrounds. These results demonstrate that RGA and GAI have partially redundant functions in maintaining the repressive state of the GA-signaling pathway, but RGA plays a more dominant role than GAI. Removing both RGA and GAI function allows for complete derepression of many aspects of GA signaling.

Makaleyi görüntüle