Duckweed evolution: from land back to water

Fang, Yang; Tian, Xueping; Jin, Yanling; Du, Anping; Ding, Yanqiang; Liao, Zhihua; He, Kai; Zhao, Yuxiao; Guo, Ling; Xiao, Yao; Xu, Yi; Chen, Shuang; Che, Yuqing; Li, Tan; Wang, Songhu; Li, Jia‐Tang; Yi, Zhuolin; Chen, Lanchai; Zhao, Leyi; Zhang, Fangyuan; Li, Guo‐You; Li, Jinmeng; Xiong, Qinli; Zhang, Yongmei; Zhang, Qing; Cao, Hieu X.; Zhao, Hai

doi:10.1101/2023.03.22.533731

Cited by 4 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 99 publications

(151 reference statements)

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“…S5A ). Anthocyanin and flavonoid genes are more expansive in S. polyrhiza and less prevalent in Lemna species, suggesting alternative mechanisms for photo-oxidative stress tolerance ( Landolt, 1986 ; Davies et al , 2022 ; Fang et al , 2023 , Preprint).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Physiological adaptation to irradiance in duckweeds is species and accession specific and depends on light habitat niche

Smith,

Cowan,

Taylor

et al. 2024

Journal of Experimental Botany

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Duckweeds span 36 species of free-floating aquatic organisms with body sizes ranging from 2 mm to 10 mm, where each plant body plan is reduced to a largely leaf-like structure. As an emerging crop, their fast growth rates offer potential for cultivation in closed systems. We describe a novel UK collection derived from low light (dLL) or high light (dHL) habitats, profiled for growth, photosynthesis, and photoprotection (non-photochemical quenching, NPQ) responses. Twenty-three accessions of three Lemna species and one Spirodela polyrhiza were grown under relatively low light (LL: 100 μmol m–2 s–1) and high light (HL: 350 μmol m–2 s–1) intensities. We observed broad within- and between-species level variation in photosynthesis acclimation. Duckweeds grown under HL exhibited a lower growth rate, biomass, chlorophyll, and quantum yield of photosynthesis. In HL compared with LL, carotenoid de-epoxidation state and NPQ were higher, whilst PSII efficiency (φPSII) and Chl a:b ratios were unchanged. The dLL plants showed relatively stronger acclimation to HL compared with dHL plants, especially Lemna japonica accessions. These achieved faster growth in HL with concurrent higher carotenoid levels and NPQ, and less degradation of chlorophyll. We conclude that these data support local adaptation to the light environment in duckweed affecting acclimation in controlled conditions.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Physiological adaptation to irradiance in duckweeds is species and accession specific and depends on light habitat niche

Smith,

Cowan,

Taylor

et al. 2024

Journal of Experimental Botany

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“…Spirodela displays a broad range of adaptations to their free-floating aquatic lifestyle, such as the loss of complete stomatal closure response to prevent water loss [166]. Besides TE control, RdDM plays a role in the regulation of gene expression and physiological adaptation to several abiotic stresses, such as heat, drought, salinity, or low environmental humidity [20,167,168].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Atypical epigenetic and small RNA control of transposons in clonally reproducingSpirodela polyrhiza

Dombey,

Barragán-Borrero,

Buendía-Ávila

et al. 2024

Preprint

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BackgroundA handful of model plants have provided insight into silencing of transposable elements (TEs) through RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM). Guided by 24-nt long small-interfering RNAs (siRNAs), this epigenetic regulation installs DNA methylation and histone modifications like H3K9me2, which can be subsequently maintained independently of siRNAs. However, the genome of the clonally propagating duckweedSpirodela polyrhiza(Lemnaceae) has low levels of DNA methylation, very low expression of RdDM components, and near absence of 24-nt siRNAs. Moreover, some genes encoding RdDM factors, DNA methylation maintenance, and RNA silencing mechanisms are missing from the genome.ResultsWe investigated the distribution of TEs and their epigenetic marks in the Spirodela genome. While abundant degenerated TEs have largely lost DNA methylation and H3K9me2 is low, they remain transcriptionally silenced and are marked by H3K9me1. By contrast, we found high levels of DNA methylation and H3K9me2 in the relatively few intact TEs which are source of 24-nt siRNAs like RdDM-controlled TEs in other angiosperms. Some intact TEs are also regulated by post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS), producing 22-nt siRNAs despite the absence of a DCL2, required for their biogenesis in other angiosperms.ConclusionsThe data suggest that, potentially as adaptation to vegetative propagation, RdDM extent, components, and targets are different from other angiosperms, preferentially focused on potentially intact TEs. It also provides evidence for heterochromatin maintenance independently of DNA methylation. These discoveries highlight the diversity of silencing mechanisms that exist in plants and the importance of using disparate model species to discover these mechanisms.

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“…In its wild habitat KS12 has high coverage in Summer and is visibly red (Figure 1D). The role of antioxidant mechanisms may be important drivers in species differentiation to light adaptation here, as anthocyanin and flavonoid genes are more expansive in S. polyrhiza and less prevalent in Lemna species (Landolt, 1986;Davies et al, 2022;Fang et al, 2023).…”

Section: Species Variation Of Growth and Photosynthesismentioning

confidence: 99%

Physiological adaptation to high irradiance in duckweeds depends on light habitat niche and is ecotype and species-specific

Smith,

Cowan,

Taylor

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Duckweeds are free-floating aquatic organisms with species ranging from 2 mm-10 mm, where each plant is a single leaflike structure. Recognized as an emerging food crop, their fast growth rates offer potential for cultivation in closed systems. However the majority of available duckweed clones lack information regarding habitat origin and physiology. We describe a novel UK collection derived from low light (dLL) or high light (dHL) habitats and profiled for growth, photosynthesis and photoprotection (Non Photochemical Quenching, NPQ) responses. Multiple ecotypes of three Lemna species and one ecotype of Spirodela polyrhiza, were grown under low light (LL:100 μmol m-2 s-1) and high light (HL:350 μmol m-2 s-1). We found species and ecotypic variation in photosynthesis acclimation. Duckweeds grown under HL exhibited lower growth rate, biomass, chlorophyll and quantum yield of photosynthesis. In HL-compared to LL, carotenoid de-epoxidation state and NPQ were higher whilst photosystem II efficiency (ΦPSII) and chla:b ratios were unchanged. Interestingly dLL plants showed relatively stronger acclimation to HL compared to dHL plants: These ecotypes achieved faster growth in HL: by area and colony gain, higher carotenoid levels and less degradation of chlorophyll. We conclude that adaptation to local habitat among ecotypes strongly affects performance under controlled conditions.

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Duckweed evolution: from land back to water

Cited by 4 publications

References 99 publications

Physiological adaptation to irradiance in duckweeds is species and accession specific and depends on light habitat niche

Physiological adaptation to irradiance in duckweeds is species and accession specific and depends on light habitat niche

Atypical epigenetic and small RNA control of transposons in clonally reproducingSpirodela polyrhiza

Physiological adaptation to high irradiance in duckweeds depends on light habitat niche and is ecotype and species-specific

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