Endopolyploidy is a common response to UV-B stress in natural plant populations, but its magnitude may be affected by chromosome type.
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2020 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Annals of Botany |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Web | https://academic.oup.com/aob/article-abstract/126/5/883/5862361?redirectedFrom=fulltext |
| Doi | http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcaa109 |
| Keywords | Endopolyploidy; UV-B-absorbing compounds; endoreduplication index; flow cytometry; holocentric chromosomes; monocentric chromosomes; natural population; ultraviolet radiation |
| Description | BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Ultraviolet-B radiation (UV-B) radiation damages the DNA, cells and photosynthetic apparatus of plants. Plants commonly prevent this damage by synthetizing UV-B-protective compounds. Recent laboratory experiments in Arabidopsis and cucumber have indicated that plants can also respond to UV-B stress with endopolyploidy. Here we test the generality of this response in natural plant populations, considering their monocentric or holocentric chromosomal structure. METHODS: We measured the endopolyploidy index (flow cytometry) and the concentration of UV-B-protective compounds in leaves of 12 herbaceous species (1007 individuals) from forest interiors and neighbouring clearings where they were exposed to increased UV-B radiation (103 forest+clearing populations). We then analysed the data using phylogenetic mixed models. KEY RESULTS: The concentration of UV-B protectives increased with UV-B doses estimated from hemispheric photographs of the sky above sample collection sites, but the increase was more rapid in species with monocentric chromosomes. Endopolyploidy index increased with UV-B doses and with concentrations of UV-B-absorbing compounds only in species with monocentric chromosomes, while holocentric species responded negligibly. CONCLUSIONS: Endopolyploidy seems to be a common response to increased UV-B in monocentric plants. Low sensitivity to UV-B in holocentric species might relate to their success in high-UV-stressed habitats and corroborates the hypothesized role of holocentric chromosomes in plant terrestrialization. |
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