Germination and Seed/Embryo Size in Holoparasitic Flowering Plants with “Dust Seeds” and an Undifferentiated Embryo

Baskin, Jerry M.; Baskin, Carol C.

doi:10.1007/s12229-020-09242-y

Cited by 14 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 119 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…and hemiparasites (blue). This dataset contains 113 representative species from 17 parasitic plant families, summarized primarily from two seed morphology databases (Ganhão and Dias, 2019;Baskin and Baskin, 2022). The relative seed dimension is calculated by a log-transformed area:…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rethinking convergence in plant parasitism integrating molecular and population genetic processes

Cai¹

2022

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The need for photosynthesis has largely shaped the body plan, physiology, as well as gene repertoire of seed plants. However, shifts to a heterotrophic lifestyle have independently evolved twelve times in more than four thousand parasitic plants. Among these parasites, otherwise rare features have evolved repetitively at both the molecular and phenotypical levels, including reduced vegetative body, carrion mimicking, and abundant alien genetic materials. Here, I propose an integrated conceptual model to describe the general evolutionary trajectory of parasitic plants and provide a mechanistic explanation for their convergent evolution. This model connects our empirical understanding of the plants’ regulatory network with classic theories in molecular and population genetics. It emphasizes the cascading effects driven by the loss of photosynthesis as one major force shaping the genomic landscape of parasitic plants. In this paper, I review recent studies in the anatomy, physiology, and genetics of parasitic plants to support the photosynthesis-centered hypothesis of their convergent evolution. Focusing on non-photosynthetic holoparasites, I elucidate how they inevitably reach an evolutionary terminal status and highlight the utility of an explicitly described, falsifiable model for future studies in parasitic plants.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rethinking convergence in plant parasitism integrating molecular and population genetic processes

Cai¹

2022

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In Lophophytum, similar events to those observed in the apomictic species of Balanophora have been recorded, such as the fact that the endosperm develops autonomously without fertilization, that it develops enveloping the zygote, which starts dividing much later than the endosperm. The mature embryo is globular and undifferentiated as in other holoparasites, such as Pilostyles and Orobanche [54][55][56][57]. They lack a seed coat, due to the absence of integuments in the ovule.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Anatomy, Embryology and Life Cycle of Lophophytum, a Root-Holoparasitic Plant

Sato¹,

González²

2022

Parasitic Plants

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The most extreme manifestation of parasitism occurs in holoparasites, plants that are totally achlorophyllous. Among them, the genus Lophophytum (Balanophoraceae) is characterized by an aberrant vegetative body called a tuber, devoid of stems and leaves. The genus is exclusively South American, comprising five taxa, which parasitize the roots of trees or shrubs. This review focuses on the Argentine species of the genus: L. leandri and L. mirabile subsp. bolivianum. Topics covered include: morphology and anatomy of the vegetative body and host–parasite connection; structure, anatomy and development of the staminate and pistillate flowers; sporogenesis and gametogenesis, embryo sac inversion; endospermogenesis, embryogenesis and fruit development. The evolutionary trend in the gynoecium and embryo sac of the Balanophoraceae is also discussed to reflect the variability. Finally, observations were made on the synchronization of the life cycles of the parasites and hosts to infer possible ways by which parasitism has evolved, until now unknown.

show abstract

“…The box plot on the left shows the seed size from holoparasites (orange) and hemiparasites (blue). This data set contains 113 representative species from 17 parasitic plant families, summarized primarily from two seed morphology databases (Ganhão and Dias, 2019; Baskin and Baskin, 2022). The relative seed dimension is calculated by a log‐transformed area: Relative dimension = log (π × length × width).…”

Section: Bold Reproductive Strategiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rethinking convergence in plant parasitism through the lens of molecular and population genetic processes

Cai

2023

American J of Botany

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The autotrophic lifestyle of photosynthetic plants has profoundly shaped their body plan, physiology, and gene repertoire. Shifts to parasitism and heterotrophy have evolved at least 12 times in more than 4000 species, and this transition has consequently left major evolutionary footprints among these parasitic lineages. Features that are otherwise rare at the molecular level and beyond have evolved repetitively, including reduced vegetative bodies, carrion‐mimicking during reproduction, and the incorporation of alien genetic material. Here, I propose an integrated conceptual model, referred to as the funnel model, to define the general evolutionary trajectory of parasitic plants and provide a mechanistic explanation for their convergent evolution. This model connects our empirical understanding of gene regulatory networks in flowering plants with classical theories of molecular and population genetics. It emphasizes that the cascading effects brought about by the loss of photosynthesis may be a major force constraining the physiological capacity of parasitic plants and shaping their genomic landscapes. Here I review recent studies on the anatomy, physiology, and genetics of parasitic plants that lend support to this photosynthesis‐centered funnel model. Focusing on nonphotosynthetic holoparasites, I elucidate how they may inevitably reach an evolutionary terminal status (i.e., extinction) and highlight the utility of a general, explicitly described and falsifiable model for future studies of parasitic plants.

show abstract

Germination and Seed/Embryo Size in Holoparasitic Flowering Plants with “Dust Seeds” and an Undifferentiated Embryo

Cited by 14 publications

References 119 publications

Rethinking convergence in plant parasitism integrating molecular and population genetic processes

Rethinking convergence in plant parasitism integrating molecular and population genetic processes

Anatomy, Embryology and Life Cycle of Lophophytum, a Root-Holoparasitic Plant

Rethinking convergence in plant parasitism through the lens of molecular and population genetic processes

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About