Open AccessGenome evolution of the psammophyte Pugionium for desert adaptation and further speciation
Author(s) -
Quanjun Hu,
Ying Ma,
Terezie Mandáková,
Shengjun Shi,
Chunlin Chen,
Pengchuan Sun,
Lei Zhang,
Landi Feng,
Yudan Zheng,
Xiaoqin Feng,
Wenjie Yang,
Jiebei Jiang,
Ting Li,
Pingping Zhou,
Qiushi Yu,
Dongshi Wan,
Martin Lysák,
Zhenxiang Xi,
Eviatar Nevo,
Jianquan Liu
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.011
H-Index - 771
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.2025711118
Subject(s) - biology , genome , adaptation (eye) , evolutionary biology , genetic algorithm , population , gene flow , genus , brassicaceae , chromosome , gene , genetics , genetic variation , ecology , demography , neuroscience , sociology
Significance Plants’ adaptations to and divergence in arid deserts have long fascinated scientists and the general public. Here, we present a genomic analysis of two congeneric desert plant species that clarifies their evolutionary history and shows that their common ancestor arose from a hybrid polyploidization, which provided genomic foundations for their survival in deserts. The whole-genome duplication was followed by translocation-based rearrangements of the ancestral chromosomes. Rapid evolution of genes in these reshuffled chromosomes contributed greatly to the divergences of the two species in desert microhabitats during which gene flow was continuous. Our results provide insights into plant adaptation in the arid deserts and highlight the significance of polyploidy-driven chromosomal structural variations in species divergence.