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- Anthocyanins (3)
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Articles 1 - 15 of 15
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Uv Radiation Increases Flavonoid Protection But Decreases Reproduction In Silene Littorea, José Carlos Del Valle, Mª Luisa Buide, Justen B. Whittall, Fernando Valladares, Eduardo Narbona
Uv Radiation Increases Flavonoid Protection But Decreases Reproduction In Silene Littorea, José Carlos Del Valle, Mª Luisa Buide, Justen B. Whittall, Fernando Valladares, Eduardo Narbona
Biology
Plants respond to changes in ultraviolet (UV) radiation both morphologically and physiologically. Among the variety of plant UV-responses, the synthesis of UV-absorbing flavonoids constitutes an effective non-enzymatic mechanism to mitigate photoinhibitory and photooxidative damage caused by UV stress, either reducing the penetration of incident UV radiation or acting as quenchers of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In this study, we designed a UV-exclusion experiment to investigate the effects of UV radiation in Silene littorea. We spectrophotometrically quantified concentrations of both anthocyanins and UV-absorbing phenolic compounds in petals, calyces, leaves and stems. Furthermore, we analyzed the UV effect on the photosynthetic …
Stability Of Petal Color Polymorphism: The Significance Of Anthocyanin Accumulation In Photosynthetic Tissues, José Carlos Del Valle, Cristina Alcalde-Eon, Mª Teresa Escribano-Bailón, Mª Luisa Buide, Justen B. Whittall, Eduardo Narbona
Stability Of Petal Color Polymorphism: The Significance Of Anthocyanin Accumulation In Photosynthetic Tissues, José Carlos Del Valle, Cristina Alcalde-Eon, Mª Teresa Escribano-Bailón, Mª Luisa Buide, Justen B. Whittall, Eduardo Narbona
Biology
Background: Anthocyanins are the primary source of colour in flowers and also accumulate in vegetative tissues, where they have multiple protective roles traditionally attributed to early compounds of the metabolic pathway (flavonols, flavones, etc.). Petal-specific loss of anthocyanins in petals allows plants to escape from the negative pleiotropic effects of flavonoid and anthocyanins loss in vegetative organs, where they perform a plethora of essential functions. Herein, we investigate the degree of pleiotropy at the biochemical scale in a pink-white flower colour polymorphism in the shore campion, Silene littorea. We report the frequencies of pink and white individuals across 21 populations …
Transcriptome And Biochemical Analysis Of A Flower Color Polymorphism In Silene Littorea (Caryophyllaceae), Inés Casimiro-Soriguer, Eduardo Narbona, Mª L. Buide, José C. Del Valle, Justen B. Whittall
Transcriptome And Biochemical Analysis Of A Flower Color Polymorphism In Silene Littorea (Caryophyllaceae), Inés Casimiro-Soriguer, Eduardo Narbona, Mª L. Buide, José C. Del Valle, Justen B. Whittall
Biology
Flower color polymorphisms are widely used as model traits from genetics to ecology, yet determining the biochemical and molecular basis can be challenging. Anthocyanin-based flower color variations can be caused by at least 12 structural and three regulatory genes in the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway (ABP). We use mRNA-Seq to simultaneously sequence and estimate expression of these candidate genes in nine samples of Silene littorea representing three color morphs (dark pink, light pink, and white) across three developmental stages in hopes of identifying the cause of flower color variation. We identified 29 putative paralogs for the 15 candidate genes in the …
On Flavonoid Accumulation In Different Plant Parts: Variation Patterns Among Individuals And Populations In The Shore Campion (Silene Littorea), José C. Del Valle, Mª Luisa Buide, Inés Casimiro-Soriguer, Justen B. Whittall, Eduardo Narbona
On Flavonoid Accumulation In Different Plant Parts: Variation Patterns Among Individuals And Populations In The Shore Campion (Silene Littorea), José C. Del Valle, Mª Luisa Buide, Inés Casimiro-Soriguer, Justen B. Whittall, Eduardo Narbona
Biology
The presence of anthocyanins in flowers and fruits is frequently attributed to attracting pollinators and dispersers. In vegetative organs, anthocyanins and other non-pigmented flavonoids such as flavones and flavonols may serve protective functions against UV radiation, cold, heat, drought, salinity, pathogens, and herbivores; thus, these compounds are usually produced as a plastic response to such stressors. Although, the independent accumulation of anthocyanins in reproductive and vegetative tissues is commonly postulated due to differential regulation, the accumulation of flavonoids within and among populations has never been thoroughly compared. Here, we investigated the shore campion (Silene littorea, Caryophyllaceae) which exhibits …
Transcriptome Analysis Of A Petal Anthocyanin Polymorphism In The Arctic Mustard, Parrya Nudicaulis, Timothy Butler, Cynthia Dick, Matthew L. Carlson, Justen B. Whittall
Transcriptome Analysis Of A Petal Anthocyanin Polymorphism In The Arctic Mustard, Parrya Nudicaulis, Timothy Butler, Cynthia Dick, Matthew L. Carlson, Justen B. Whittall
Biology
Angiosperms are renown for their diversity of flower colors. Often considered adaptations to pollinators, the most common underlying pigments, anthocyanins, are also involved in plants’ stress response. Although the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway is well characterized across many angiosperms and is composed of a few candidate genes, the consequences of blocking this pathway and producing white flowers has not been investigated at the transcriptome scale. We take a transcriptome-wide approach to compare expression differences between purple and white petal buds in the arctic mustard, Parrya nudicaulis, to determine which genes’ expression are consistently correlated with flower color. Using mRNASeq and de …
Regulation Of D-Galacturonate Metabolism In Caulobacter Crescentus By Humr, A Laci-Family Transcriptional Repressor, Craig Stephens, Aaesha I. Sheikh, Deborah Caswell, Cynthia Dick, Spencer Gang, Justin Jarrell, Ankita Kohli, Amanda Lieu, Jared Lumpe, Meghan Garrett, Jennifer Parker
Regulation Of D-Galacturonate Metabolism In Caulobacter Crescentus By Humr, A Laci-Family Transcriptional Repressor, Craig Stephens, Aaesha I. Sheikh, Deborah Caswell, Cynthia Dick, Spencer Gang, Justin Jarrell, Ankita Kohli, Amanda Lieu, Jared Lumpe, Meghan Garrett, Jennifer Parker
Biology
The oligotrophic freshwater bacterium Caulobacter crescentus encodes a cluster of genes (CC_1487 to CC_1495) shown here to be necessary for metabolism of D-galacturonate, the primary constituent of pectin, a major plant polymer. Sequence analysis suggests that these genes encode a version of the bacterial hexuronate isomerase pathway. A conserved 14 bp sequence motif is associated with promoter regions of three operons within this cluster, and is conserved in homologous gene clusters in related alpha-Proteobacteria. Embedded in the hexuronate gene cluster is a gene (CC_1489) encoding a member of the LacI family of bacterial transcription factors. This gene product, designated here …
Cryptic Genetic Subdivision In The San Benito Evening Primrose (Camissonia Benitensis), Cynthia A. Dick, Julie A. Herman, Ryan E. O'Dell, Adriana Lopez-Villalobos, Chris Eckert, Justen B. Whittall
Cryptic Genetic Subdivision In The San Benito Evening Primrose (Camissonia Benitensis), Cynthia A. Dick, Julie A. Herman, Ryan E. O'Dell, Adriana Lopez-Villalobos, Chris Eckert, Justen B. Whittall
Biology
When rare plants are distributed across a range of habitats, ecotypic differentiation may arise requiring customized conservation measures. The rate of local adaptation may be accelerated in complex landscapes with numerous physical barriers to gene flow. In such cases, examining the distribution of genetic diversity is essential in determining conservation management units. We investigated the distribution of genetic diversity in the federally threatened Camissonia benitensis (Onagraceae), which grows in two distinct serpentine habitats across several watersheds in San Benito, Fresno, and Monterey Cos., CA, USA. We compared genetic diversity with that of its two widespread relatives, C. contorta and C. …
Reproductive Ecology And Severe Pollen Limitation In The Polychromic Tundra Plant, Parrya Nudicaulis (Brassicaceae), Justin R. Fulkerson, Justen B. Whittall, Matthew L. Carlson
Reproductive Ecology And Severe Pollen Limitation In The Polychromic Tundra Plant, Parrya Nudicaulis (Brassicaceae), Justin R. Fulkerson, Justen B. Whittall, Matthew L. Carlson
Biology
Pollen limitation is predicted to be particularly severe in tundra habitats. Numerous reproductive patterns associated with alpine and arctic species, particularly mechanisms associated with reproductive assurance, are suggested to be driven by high levels of pollen limitation. We studied the reproductive ecology of Parrya nudicaulis, a species with relatively large sexual reproductive investment and a wide range of floral pigmentation, in tundra habitats in interior montane Alaska to estimate the degree of pollen limitation. The plants are self-compatible and strongly protandrous, setting almost no seed in the absence of pollinators. Supplemental hand pollinations within pollinator exclusion cages indicated no cage …
Increased Floral Divergence In Sympatric Monkeyflowers, Dena L. Grossenbacher, Justen B. Whittall
Increased Floral Divergence In Sympatric Monkeyflowers, Dena L. Grossenbacher, Justen B. Whittall
Biology
Sympatric sister species are predicted to have greater divergence in reproductive traits than allopatric sister species, especially if mating system shifts, such as the evolution of self-fertilization, are more likely to originate within the geographic range of the outcrossing ancestor. We present evidence that supports this expectation-sympatric sister species in the monkeyflower genus, Mimulus, exhibit greater divergence in flower size than allopatric sister species. Additionally, we find that sympatric sister species are more likely to have one species with anthers that overtop their stigmas than allopatric sister species, suggesting that the evolution of automatic self-pollination may contribute to this pattern. …
Arctic Mustard Flower Color Polymorphism Controlled By Petal-Specific Downregulation At The Threshold Of The Anthocyanin Biosynthetic Pathway, Cynthia A. Dick, Jason Buenrostro, Timothy Butler, Matthew L. Carlson, Daniel J. Kliebenstein, Justen B. Whittall
Arctic Mustard Flower Color Polymorphism Controlled By Petal-Specific Downregulation At The Threshold Of The Anthocyanin Biosynthetic Pathway, Cynthia A. Dick, Jason Buenrostro, Timothy Butler, Matthew L. Carlson, Daniel J. Kliebenstein, Justen B. Whittall
Biology
Intra- and interspecific variation in flower color is a hallmark of angiosperm diversity. The evolutionary forces underlying the variety of flower colors can be nearly as diverse as the colors themselves. In addition to pollinator preferences, non-pollinator agents of selection can have a major influence on the evolution of flower color polymorphisms, especially when the pigments in question are also expressed in vegetative tissues. In such cases, identifying the target(s) of selection starts with determining the biochemical and molecular basis for the flower color variation and examining any pleiotropic effects manifested in vegetative tissues. Herein, we describe a widespread purple-white …
Origins And Consequences Of Serpentine Endemism In The California Flora, Brian L. Anacker, Justen B. Whittall, Emma E. Goldberg, Susan P. Harrison
Origins And Consequences Of Serpentine Endemism In The California Flora, Brian L. Anacker, Justen B. Whittall, Emma E. Goldberg, Susan P. Harrison
Biology
Habitat specialization plays an important role in the creation and loss of biodiversity over ecological and evolutionary time scales. In California, serpentine soils have a distinctive flora, with 246 serpentine habitat specialists (i.e., endemics). Using molecular phylogenies for 23 genera containing 784 taxa and 51 endemics, we infer few transitions out of the endemic state, which is shown by an analysis of transition rates to simply reflect the low frequency of endemics (i.e., reversal rates were high). The finding of high reversal rates, but a low number of reversals, is consistent with the widely hypothesized trade-off between serpentine tolerance and …
How Anthocyanin Mutants Respond To Stress: The Need To Distinguish Between Stress Tolerance And Maximal Vigour, Eric J. Von Wettberg, Maureen L. Stanton, Justen B. Whittall
How Anthocyanin Mutants Respond To Stress: The Need To Distinguish Between Stress Tolerance And Maximal Vigour, Eric J. Von Wettberg, Maureen L. Stanton, Justen B. Whittall
Biology
Background: Anthocyanins are produced by plants in response to diverse stresses Mutants that block the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway (A BP) at various steps can easily be compared across numerous abiotic stresses Hypothesis: Anthocyanins or their precursors are required for stress tolerance. Thus, ABP loss-of-function mutants should have proportionately lower fitness than wildtype plants under stress, compared with benign conditions In contrast, a decrease in maximal vigour the general capacity for growth and fecundity should be most pronounced under benign conditions that allow luxuriant growth by the most vigorous genotypes Tests: Determine whether, under stressful conditions. ABP loss-of-function mutants have relatively …
Genetic Variation At Nuclear Loci Fails To Distinguish Two Morphologically Distinct Species Of Aquilegia, Elizabeth A. Cooper, Justen B. Whittall, Scott A. Hodges, Magnus Nordborg
Genetic Variation At Nuclear Loci Fails To Distinguish Two Morphologically Distinct Species Of Aquilegia, Elizabeth A. Cooper, Justen B. Whittall, Scott A. Hodges, Magnus Nordborg
Biology
Aquilegia formosa and pubescens are two closely related species belonging to the columbine genus. Despite their morphological and ecological differences, previous studies have revealed a large degree of intercompatibility, as well as little sequence divergence between these two taxa [1,2]. We compared the inter- and intraspecific patterns of variation for 9 nuclear loci, and found that the two species were practically indistinguishable at the level of DNA sequence polymorphism, indicating either very recent speciation or continued gene flow. As a comparison, we also analyzed variation at two loci across 30 other Aquilegia taxa; this revealed slightly more differentiation among taxa, …
Plant Defense: A Pre-Adaptation For Pollinator Shifts, Justen B. Whittall, Matthew L. Carlson
Plant Defense: A Pre-Adaptation For Pollinator Shifts, Justen B. Whittall, Matthew L. Carlson
Biology
No abstract provided.
The Evolution Of Organismal Complexity In Angiosperms As Measured By The Information Content Of Taxonomic Descriptions, J. Gordon Burleigh, Justen B. Whittall, Michael J. Sanderson
The Evolution Of Organismal Complexity In Angiosperms As Measured By The Information Content Of Taxonomic Descriptions, J. Gordon Burleigh, Justen B. Whittall, Michael J. Sanderson
Biology
We describe an information theoretic method for measuring relative organismal complexity. The complexity measure is based on the amount of information contained in formal taxonomic descriptions of organisms. We examine the utility of this measure for quantifying the complexity of plant families. The descriptions are subjective by nature, but we find a significant correlation in the complexity values of plant families from two independently authored sets of formal taxonomic descriptions. An analysis of the evolution of complexity across angiosperms found evidence of a pattern of increasing complexity. Our measure of complexity provides an operational definition of complexity that may be …