The evolution of seeds

Linkies, Ada; Graeber, Kai; Knight, Charles; Leubner‐Metzger, Gerhard

doi:10.1111/j.1469-8137.2010.03249.x

Cited by 380 publications

(250 citation statements)

References 130 publications

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“…Conifers are, however, an interesting model for the study of maternal effects (Yakovlev et al, 2012). Conifer seeds contain a haploid endosperm of maternal origin that directly transmits both resource reserves and epigenetic marks from the mother to the offspring (Linkies et al, 2010). The long-lasting period of seed maturation in conifers (up to two years in the case of Maritime pine) also broadens the window period during which environmental cues can be imprinted into the seeds (Cendán et al, 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mediation of seed provisioning in the transmission of environmental maternal effects in Maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Aiton)

2013

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Although maternal environmental effects are increasingly recognized as an important source of phenotypic variation with relevant impacts in evolutionary processes, their relevance in long-lived plants such as pine trees is largely unknown. Here, we used a powerful sample size and a strong quantitative genetic approach to analyse the sources of variation of early seedling performance and to identify seed mass (SM)-dependent and -independent maternal environmental effects in Maritime pine. We measured SM of 8924 individual seeds collected from 10 genotypes clonally replicated in two environments of contrasting quality (favourable and stressful), and we measured seedling growth rate and biomass allocation to roots and shoots. SM was extremely variable (up to 14-fold) and strongly determined by the maternal environment and the genotype of the mother tree. The favourable maternal environment led to larger cones, larger seeds and reduced SM variability. The maternal environment also determined the offspring phenotype, with seedlings coming from the favourable environment being 35% larger and with greater root/shoot ratio. Transgenerational plasticity appears, thus, to be a relevant source of phenotypic variation in the early performance of this pine species. Seed provisioning explained most of the effect of the maternal environment on seedling total biomass. Environmental maternal effects on seedling biomass allocation were, however, determined through SM-independent mechanisms, suggesting that other epigenetic regulation channels may be involved.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mediation of seed provisioning in the transmission of environmental maternal effects in Maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Aiton)

2013

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“…The size, shape, and number of leaves strongly determine a plant's photosynthetic capacity and the efficiency with which water and nutrients are used. Consequently, the size of the leaves influences plant biomass and yield (Linkies et al, 2010;Pérez-Pérez et al, 2010). Therefore, understanding the mechanisms controlling various aspects of leaf development, such as growth rate and final size, is of great interest, in particular since the demands in food, feed, and renewable bioenergy are envisaged to increase strongly in the next decades (Godfray et al, 2010).…”

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confidence: 99%

Combined Large-Scale Phenotyping and Transcriptomics in Maize Reveals a Robust Growth Regulatory Network

et al. 2016

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Leaves are vital organs for biomass and seed production because of their role in the generation of metabolic energy and organic compounds. A better understanding of the molecular networks underlying leaf development is crucial to sustain global requirements for food and renewable energy. Here, we combined transcriptome profiling of proliferative leaf tissue with indepth phenotyping of the fourth leaf at later stages of development in 197 recombinant inbred lines of two different maize (Zea mays) populations. Previously, correlation analysis in a classical biparental mapping population identified 1,740 genes correlated with at least one of 14 traits. Here, we extended these results with data from a multiparent advanced generation intercross population. As expected, the phenotypic variability was found to be larger in the latter population than in the biparental population, although general conclusions on the correlations among the traits are comparable. Data integration from the two diverse populations allowed us to identify a set of 226 genes that are robustly associated with diverse leaf traits. This set of genes is enriched for transcriptional regulators and genes involved in protein synthesis and cell wall metabolism. In order to investigate the molecular network context of the candidate gene set, we integrated our data with publicly available functional genomics data and identified a growth regulatory network of 185 genes. Our results illustrate the power of combining in-depth phenotyping with transcriptomics in mapping populations to dissect the genetic control of complex traits and present a set of candidate genes for use in biomass improvement

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“…Seed mass across the plant kingdom is highly defined by plant and genome size rather than by the mode of dispersal or environmental conditions (Linkies et al, 2010). Compared with other morphological traits, seed mass is a most important parameter, indicating the potential to supply both radicle protrusion (germination) and seedling establishment (Salisbury, 1974;Montesinos-Navarro et al, 2011;Igea et al, 2016).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

phenoSeeder - A Robot System for Automated Handling and Phenotyping of Individual Seeds

et al. 2016

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The enormous diversity of seed traits is an intriguing feature and critical for the overwhelming success of higher plants. In particular, seed mass is generally regarded to be key for seedling development but is mostly approximated by using scanning methods delivering only two-dimensional data, often termed seed size. However, three-dimensional traits, such as the volume or mass of single seeds, are very rarely determined in routine measurements. Here, we introduce a device named phenoSeeder, which enables the handling and phenotyping of individual seeds of very different sizes. The system consists of a pick-and-place robot and a modular setup of sensors that can be versatilely extended. Basic biometric traits detected for individual seeds are two-dimensional data from projections, three-dimensional data from volumetric measures, and mass, from which seed density is also calculated. Each seed is tracked by an identifier and, after phenotyping, can be planted, sorted, or individually stored for further evaluation or processing (e.g. in routine seed-to-plant tracking pipelines). By investigating seeds of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), rapeseed (Brassica napus), and barley (Hordeum vulgare), we observed that, even for apparently roundshaped seeds of rapeseed, correlations between the projected area and the mass of seeds were much weaker than between volume and mass. This indicates that simple projections may not deliver good proxies for seed mass. Although throughput is limited, we expect that automated seed phenotyping on a single-seed basis can contribute valuable information for applications in a wide range of wild or crop species, including seed classification, seed sorting, and assessment of seed quality.

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The evolution of seeds

Cited by 380 publications

References 130 publications

Mediation of seed provisioning in the transmission of environmental maternal effects in Maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Aiton)

Mediation of seed provisioning in the transmission of environmental maternal effects in Maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Aiton)

Combined Large-Scale Phenotyping and Transcriptomics in Maize Reveals a Robust Growth Regulatory Network

phenoSeeder - A Robot System for Automated Handling and Phenotyping of Individual Seeds

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