Characterization of the basal angiosperm Aristolochia fimbriata: a potential experimental system for genetic studies

Abstract

BackgroundPrevious studies in basal angiosperms have provided insight into the diversity within the angiosperm lineage and helped to polarize analyses of flowering plant evolution. However, there is still not an experimental system for genetic studies among basal angiosperms to facilitate comparative studies and functional investigation. It would be desirable to identify a basal angiosperm experimental system that possesses many of the features found in existing plant model systems (e.g., Arabidopsis and Oryza).ResultsWe have considered all basal angiosperm families for general characteristics important for experimental systems, including availability to the scientific community, growth habit, and membership in a large basal angiosperm group that displays a wide spectrum of phenotypic diversity. Most basal angiosperms are woody or aquatic, thus are not well-suited for large scale cultivation, and were excluded. We further investigated members of Aristolochiaceae for ease of culture, life cycle, genome size, and chromosome number. We demonstrated self-compatibility for Aristolochia elegans and A. fimbriata, and transformation with a GFP reporter construct for Saruma henryi and A. fimbriata. Furthermore, A. fimbriata was easily cultivated with a life cycle of just three months, could be regenerated in a tissue culture system, and had one of the smallest genomes among basal angiosperms. An extensive multi-tissue EST dataset was produced for A. fimbriata that includes over 3.8 million 454 sequence reads.ConclusionsAristolochia fimbriata has numerous features that facilitate genetic studies and is suggested as a potential model system for use with a wide variety of technologies. Emerging genetic and genomic tools for A. fimbriata and closely related species can aid the investigation of floral biology, developmental genetics, biochemical pathways important in plant-insect interactions as well as human health, and various other features present in early angiosperms.

Evolving Ideas on the Origin and Evolution of Flowers: New Perspectives in the Genomic Era

“…Among magnoliids, Aristolochia fimbriata (pipevine; Aristolochiaceae) has been proposed as a potential experimental system and has numerous features that facilitate genetic studies ( Bliss et al 2013 ). Whereas most magnoliids are woody, this species is herbaceous, easily cultured with a rapid life cycle (3 months), transformable, and can be regenerated via tissue culture.…”

Flower Development and Perianth Identity Candidate Genes in the Basal Angiosperm Aristolochia fimbriata (Piperales: Aristolochiaceae)

“…The present research aims to assess the genetic basis responsible for the petaloid perianth and the gynostemium identity in Aristolochia , having the ABCE model as a reference point ( Figure 1 ). In order to do so we have selected Aristolochia fimbriata Cham., as this species has recently been proposed as a candidate magnoliid for evolutionary developmental studies for being a self-compatible herb with continuous flowering, and having high rate of seed germination, small genome size, and low (2 n = 14) chromosome number ( Bliss et al, 2013 ). The species is native to temperate South America but has been widely spread as an ornamental.…”

Nomenclatural updates of Aristolochia subgenus Pararistolochia (Aristolochiaceae)

“…Later, the monophyly of Pararistolochia was confirmed by molecular-based phylogenetic analyses (Neinhuis et al 2005. Ohi-Toma et al (2006) and Bliss et al (2013) showed that the Australasian and African species belonging to Pararistolochia are sister groups. On the basis of morphological synapomorphies, both subgeneric and generic rank would be acceptable for Pararistolochia.…”

“…Hutchinson and Dalziel (1927) first described the genus Pararistolochia, exclusively containing African species. Both morphological (Huber 1960(Huber , 1985González and Stevenson 2002) and molecular phylogenetic studies (Ohi-Toma et al 2006;Bliss et al 2013) have shown that Pararistolochia occurs not only in Africa, but that species from Australasia have to be included as well. Aristolochiaceae are important host plants for various genera of the family Papilionidae (Lepidoptera) (Simonsen et al 2010).…”