Genomic Convergence in the Adaptation to Extreme Environments. 2020

Shaohua Xu, and Jiayan Wang, and Zixiao Guo, and Ziwen He, and Suhua Shi
State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, Key Laboratory of Biodiversity Dynamics and Conservation of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.

Convergent evolution is especially common in plants that have independently adapted to the same extreme environments (i.e., extremophile plants). The recent burst of omics data has alleviated many limitations that have hampered molecular convergence studies of non-model extremophile plants. In this review, we summarize cases of genomic convergence in these taxa to examine the extent and type of genomic convergence during the process of adaptation to extreme environments. Despite being well studied by candidate gene approaches, convergent evolution at individual sites is rare and often has a high false-positive rate when assessed in whole genomes. By contrast, genomic convergence at higher genetic levels has been detected during adaptation to the same extreme environments. Examples include the convergence of biological pathways and changes in gene expression, gene copy number, amino acid usage, and GC content. Higher convergence levels play important roles in the adaptive evolution of extremophiles and may be more frequent and involve more genes. In several cases, multiple types of convergence events have been found to co-occur. However, empirical and theoretical studies of this higher level convergent evolution are still limited. In conclusion, both the development of powerful approaches and the detection of convergence at various genetic levels are needed to further reveal the genetic mechanisms of plant adaptation to extreme environments.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D010944 Plants Multicellular, eukaryotic life forms of kingdom Plantae. Plants acquired chloroplasts by direct endosymbiosis of CYANOBACTERIA. They are characterized by a mainly photosynthetic mode of nutrition; essentially unlimited growth at localized regions of cell divisions (MERISTEMS); cellulose within cells providing rigidity; the absence of organs of locomotion; absence of nervous and sensory systems; and an alternation of haploid and diploid generations. It is a non-taxonomical term most often referring to LAND PLANTS. In broad sense it includes RHODOPHYTA and GLAUCOPHYTA along with VIRIDIPLANTAE. Plant
D005075 Biological Evolution The process of cumulative change over successive generations through which organisms acquire their distinguishing morphological and physiological characteristics. Evolution, Biological
D000071251 Extreme Environments An ENVIRONMENT which falls outside the range of tolerance for the survival of organisms that are not specifically adapted to survive or thrive in it. Examples of such environments are among the hottest and coldest places on earth. Environment, Extreme,Environments, Extreme,Extreme Environment
D000220 Adaptation, Biological Changes in biological features that help an organism cope with its ENVIRONMENT. These changes include physiological (ADAPTATION, PHYSIOLOGICAL), phenotypic and genetic changes. Adaptation, Biologic,Biological Adaptation,Biologic Adaptation
D018745 Genome, Plant The genetic complement of a plant (PLANTS) as represented in its DNA. Plant Genome,Genomes, Plant,Plant Genomes
D019143 Evolution, Molecular The process of cumulative change at the level of DNA; RNA; and PROTEINS, over successive generations. Molecular Evolution,Genetic Evolution,Evolution, Genetic

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