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. 2014 Apr 8:4:4423.
doi: 10.1038/srep04423.

Increased apomixis expression concurrent with genetic and epigenetic variation in a newly synthesized Eragrostis curvula polyploid

Diego C Zappacosta  1 , Ana C Ochogavía  2 , Juan M Rodrigo  3 , José R Romero  3 , Mauro S Meier  3 , Ingrid Garbus  3 , Silvina C Pessino  2 , Viviana C Echenique  1
Affiliations

Increased apomixis expression concurrent with genetic and epigenetic variation in a newly synthesized Eragrostis curvula polyploid

Diego C Zappacosta et al. Sci Rep. .

Abstract

Eragrostis curvula includes biotypes reproducing through obligate and facultative apomixis or, rarely, full sexuality. We previously generated a "tetraploid-dihaploid-tetraploid" series of plants consisting of a tetraploid apomictic plant (T), a sexual dihaploid plant (D) and a tetraploid artificial colchiploid (C). Initially, plant C was nearly 100% sexual. However, its capacity to form non-reduced embryo sacs dramatically increased over a four year period (2003-2007) to reach levels of 85-90%. Here, we confirmed high rates of apomixis in plant C, and used AFLPs and MSAPs to characterize the genetic and epigenetic variation observed in this plant in 2007 as compared to 2003. Of the polymorphic sequences, some had no coding potential whereas others were homologous to retrotransposons and/or protein-coding-like sequences. Our results suggest that in this particular plant system increased apomixis expression is concurrent with genetic and epigenetic modifications, possibly involving transposable elements.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Schematic representation for the generation of the ‘back-and-forth' ploidy series.
This image was created by D.Z.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Cytoembryological analysis.
Sexual (a, c) and diplosporous (b, d) development. Bar: 20 μm. (a) Funtional chalazal megaspore and degenerated micropilar megaspores, (b) elongated megaspore mother cell, (c) tetranucleated stage of sexual embryo sac, (d) tetranucleated stage of apomictic embryo sac.
Figure 3
Figure 3. Dendrograms of T and C genotypes for genetic and epigenetic markers.
Dendrograms obtained from AFLPs (A) and MSAPs (B) of genotypes Tanganyika (T) and colchiploid (C) from samples collected in 2003 and 2007 and MSAPs (C) of genotypes Tanganyika (T) and colchiploid (C) from samples collected in 2007, 2011 and 2013.
Figure 4
Figure 4. Examples of MSAP and AFLP profiles.
Left panel: MSAP amplicon produced with the HM5-E36 primer combination. 1 indicates samples obtained in 2003. 2 indicates samples obtained in 2007. M indicates digestion with MspI. H indicates digestion with HpaII (e.g., sample T1M corresponds to genotype Tanganyika, year 2003, MspI digestion). Different cytosine methylation patterns are indicated by arrows on the left. Right panels: AFLP amplicons produced with the M38-E33 and M38-E36 primer combinations. 1 indicates samples obtained in 2003. 2 indicates samples obtained in 2007 (e.g., sample T1 corresponds to genotype Tanganyika, year 2003). Different genetic patterns produced by primer combination M38-E36 are indicated by arrows on the left. Full length blots are presented in the Supplementary Information.
Figure 5
Figure 5. Contribution of retrotransposon sequences to cDNA libraries of E. curvula.
Each bar indicates the percentage of the retrotransposons in the library. Ec02: Library produced from Tanganyika (T) inflorescences, Ec04: Library produced from UNST1131 (C) inflorescences.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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