The Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) is a second-generation VLT panoramic integral-field spectrograph currently in manufacturing, assembly and integration phase. MUSE has a field of 1x1 arcmin² sampled at 0.2x0.2 arcsec² and is assisted by the VLT ground layer adaptive optics ESO facility using four laser guide stars. The instrument is a large assembly of 24 identical high performance integral field units, each one composed of an advanced image slicer, a spectrograph and a 4kx4k detector. In this paper we review the progress of the manufacturing and report the performance achieved with the first integral field unit.
BackgroundIn the large angiosperm order Lamiales, a diverse array of highly specialized life strategies such as carnivory, parasitism, epiphytism, and desiccation tolerance occur, and some lineages possess drastically accelerated DNA substitutional rates or miniaturized genomes. However, understanding the evolution of these phenomena in the order, and clarifying borders of and relationships among lamialean families, has been hindered by largely unresolved trees in the past.ResultsOur analysis of the rapidly evolving trnK/matK, trnL-F and rps16 chloroplast regions enabled us to infer more precise phylogenetic hypotheses for the Lamiales. Relationships among the nine first-branching families in the Lamiales tree are now resolved with very strong support. Subsequent to Plocospermataceae, a clade consisting of Carlemanniaceae plus Oleaceae branches, followed by Tetrachondraceae and a newly inferred clade composed of Gesneriaceae plus Calceolariaceae, which is also supported by morphological characters. Plantaginaceae (incl. Gratioleae) and Scrophulariaceae are well separated in the backbone grade; Lamiaceae and Verbenaceae appear in distant clades, while the recently described Linderniaceae are confirmed to be monophyletic and in an isolated position.ConclusionsConfidence about deep nodes of the Lamiales tree is an important step towards understanding the evolutionary diversification of a major clade of flowering plants. The degree of resolution obtained here now provides a first opportunity to discuss the evolution of morphological and biochemical traits in Lamiales. The multiple independent evolution of the carnivorous syndrome, once in Lentibulariaceae and a second time in Byblidaceae, is strongly supported by all analyses and topological tests. The evolution of selected morphological characters such as flower symmetry is discussed. The addition of further sequence data from introns and spacers holds promise to eventually obtain a fully resolved plastid tree of Lamiales.
Genlisea is an ideal candidate model organism for the understanding of genome reduction as the genus includes species with both relatively large (∼1700 Mbp) and ultrasmall (∼61 Mbp) genomes. This comparative, phylogeny-based analysis of genome sizes and karyotypes in Genlisea provides essential data for selection of suitable species for comparative whole-genome analyses, as well as for further studies on both the molecular and cytogenetic basis of genome reduction in plants.
Summary
In contrast to mycoheterotrophs that associate with ectomycorrhizal and saprotrophic fungi, we know little about the ecophysiology of arbuscular mycorrhizal mycoheterotrophs. Here, we identify the mycorrhizal fungi of two unrelated mycoheterotrophs and one putative partial mycoheterotroph that form arbuscular mycorrhizas, and analyse their carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) isotope signatures.
We used molecular methods to identify the mycorrhizal fungi of Dictyostega orobanchoides, Burmannia capitata (Burmanniaceae) and Voyria aphylla (Gentianaceae). Their C and N sources were investigated by analysing their stable isotope natural abundances (δ13C and δ15N). In addition, four putative partially mycoheterotrophic Burmannia species were grown ex situ.
We found that both mycoheterotrophs and a green Burmannia species are associated with nonoverlapping Glomeromycota fungi. The investigated mycoheterotrophs are significantly more enriched in 13C than co‐occurring autotrophic plants but lack significant 15N enrichment. The green Burmannia species is not significantly enriched in 13C and 15N compared with surrounding plants and can grow fully autotrophically under controlled conditions.
Our results suggest that mycoheterotrophic Burmanniaceae and Gentianaceae are able to exploit arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Green relatives of mycoheterotrophic Burmanniaceae from high‐light grassland sites also associate with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi but we found no evidence that they receive detectable amounts of C from fungi.
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