The effects of genome duplications in a community context

Abstract

Contents 57I.57II.59III.59IV.63V.64VI.64VII.6666References66 Summary Whole‐genome duplication (WGD), or polyploidy, has important effects on the genotype and phenotype of plants, potentially altering ecological interactions with other organisms. Even though the connections between polyploidy and species interactions have been recognized for some time, we are only just beginning to test whether WGD affects community context. Here I review the sparse information on polyploidy and community context and then present a set of hypotheses for future work. Thus far, community‐level studies of polyploids suggest an array of outcomes, from no changes in community context to shifts in the abundance and composition of interacting species. I propose a number of mechanisms for how WGD could alter community context and how the emergence of polyploids in populations could also alter the community context of parental diploids and other plant species. Resolving how and when these changes are expected to occur will require a deeper understanding of the connections among WGD, phenotypic changes, and the direct and indirect effects of species interactions.

A meta‐analysis of whole genome duplication and the effects on flowering traits in plants

“…The ubiquity of polyploidy in plants is interesting because theoretical predictions suggest that polyploids should rarely be able to successfully establish in natural populations (Levin, ; Fowler and Levin, , ; Felber, ; Baack, ). Better understanding the phenotypes resulting from WGD can help us understand which traits might play key ecological roles during establishment in the critical generations immediately following polyploidization (Segraves, ). This study is the first to use meta‐analytical approaches to assess how WGD affects floral traits in the generations immediately following genome duplication.…”

Whole-genome duplication and host genotype affect rhizosphere microbial communities

“…Therefore, further study is required to elucidate the effects of these bacteria on Arabidopsis ’ growth. These taxa may be especially impactful in the context of mixed populations of diploid and tetraploid individuals, where stressful conditions could be compounded or mitigated by host-associated microbes (Segraves, 2017).…”

Impacts of Nitrogen and Phosphorus: From Genomes to Natural Ecosystems and Agriculture

“…Recent evidence suggests that genome structure (i.e., genome size, ploidal level) and nutrient availability can influence plant distributions, community composition, and biomass production in grasslands (Šmarda et al, 2013;Guignard et al, 2016;Segraves, 2017). This possibility is bolstered by large-scale comparative analyses using the Plant DNA C-values database (Bennett and Leitch, 2012) which suggest that plants with large genomes are at greater risk of extinction and are less tolerant of polluted soils and extreme environmental conditions (Vinogradov, 2003;Knight et al, 2005;Greilhuber and Leitch, 2013).…”