Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 20, 2025

Laser-assisted Microdissection LAM as a Tool for Transcriptional Profiling of Individual Cell Types
Published on: May 10, 2016
Phylogenomic analysis of the APETALA2 transcription factor subfamily across angiosperms reveals both deep
Merijn H L Kerstens1, M Eric Schranz1, Klaas Bouwmeester1
1Biosystematics Group, Wageningen University and Research, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, Wageningen, 6708 PB, the Netherlands.
Abstract:
The APETALA2 (AP2) subfamily of transcription factors are key regulators of angiosperm root, shoot, flower and embryo development. The broad diversity of anatomical and morphological structures is potentially associated with the genomic dynamics of the AP2 subfamily. However, a comprehensive phylogenomic analysis of the AP2 subfamily across angiosperms is lacking. We combined phylogenetic and synteny analysis of distinct AP2 subclades in the completed genomes of 107 angiosperm species. We identified major changes in copy number variation and genomic context within subclades across lineages, and discuss how these changes may have contributed to the evolution of lineage-specific traits. Multiple AP2 subclades show highly conserved patterns of copy number and synteny across angiosperms, while others are more dynamic and show distinct lineage-specific patterns. As examples of lineage-specific morphological divergence due to AP2 subclade dynamics, we hypothesize that loss of PLETHORA1/2 in monocots correlates with the absence of taproots, whereas independent lineage-specific changes of PLETHORA4/BABY BOOM and WRINKLED1 genes in Brassicaceae and monocots point towards regulatory divergence of embryogenesis between these lineages. Additionally, copy number expansion of TOE1 and TOE3/AP2 in asterids is implicated with differential regulation of flower development. Moreover, we show that the genomic context of AP2s is in general highly specialized per angiosperm lineage. To our knowledge, this study is the first to shed light on the evolutionary divergence of the AP2 subfamily subclades across major angiosperm lineages and emphasizes the need for lineage-specific characterization of developmental networks to understand trait variability further.
Related Concept Videos
Gene Evolution - Fast or Slow?
In contrast, regions which code...
Evolutionary Relationships through Genome Comparisons
Multi-species Conserved Sequences
Although the genome of each species varies greatly from each other, a few sequences are highly conserved. Such conserved...
Morphogenesis
Conservation of Protein Domains Over Different Proteins
A limited set of protein domains often duplicate and recombine during evolution. These domains can be organized in different combinations to...
Synteny and Evolution
Around 80 million years ago, the human and mice lineages diverged from the common ancestor. During the course of evolution, the ancestral...

