Key message We link key aspects of land plant reproductive evolution and detail how successive molecular changes leading to novel tissues and organs require co-evolution of communication systems between tissues. Abstract: The transition of water-dependent reproduction of algae to mechanisms with very…
Plants have shaped Earth's history, forming a large part of biomass and serving as key food sources for heterotrophs. Insects, especially herbivores, drive the evolution of plant defenses. Recognized since the 18th century, these interactions led to the field of chemical ecology in the 19th century.…
Abstract Knowledge of the frequencies of synonymous triplets in protein-coding and non-coding DNA stretches can be used in gene finding. These frequencies depend on the GC content of the genome or parts of it. An example of interest is provided by stop codons. This is relevant for the definition of Open…
London: Macmillan Publishers Limited, part of Springer Nature, 2023-12-27
MADS-box genes encode transcription factors that play important roles in the development and evolution of plants. There are more than a dozen clades of MADS-box genes in angiosperms, of which those with functions in the specification of floral organ identity are especially well-known. From what has been…
MADS-domain transcription factors (MTFs) are involved in the control of many important processes in eukaryotes. They are defined by the presence of a unique and highly conserved DNA-binding domain, the MADS domain. MTFs bind to double-stranded DNA as dimers and recognize specific sequences termed CArG…
Background: Fruits are the seed-bearing structures of flowering plants and are highly diverse in terms of morphology, texture and maturation. Dehiscent fruits split open upon maturation to discharge their seeds while indehiscent fruits are dispersed as a whole. Indehiscent fruits evolved from dehiscent…
O-methylation is an important mechanism contributing to the formation of the enormous structural and functional diversity of specialized metabolites in the plant kingdom. In the grasses (Poaceae) two important classes of induced defense metabolites are benzoxazinoids (BXs) and flavonoids. Their O-methyl…
Phytoplasmas are bacterial pathogens that live mainly in the phloem of their plant hosts. They dramatically manipulate plant development by secreting effector proteins that target developmental proteins of their hosts. Traditionally, the effects of individual effector proteins have been studied by ectopic…
Aethionema arabicum is an important model plant for Brassicaceae trait evolution, particularly of seed (development, regulation, germination, dormancy) and fruit (development, dehiscence mechanisms) characters. Its genome assembly was recently improved but the gene annotation was not updated. Here, we…
Key message We studied the DNA-binding profile of the MADS-domain transcription factor SEPALLATA3 and mutant variants by SELEX-seq. DNA-binding characteristics of SEPALLATA3 mutant proteins lead us to propose a novel DNA-binding mode. Abstract MIKC-type MADS-domain proteins, which function as essential…
Multi-step biochemical pathways in plants is a challenging area of trait dissection as plants rapidly evolve novel specialized metabolites, often resulting in genus- or species-specific chemical compounds that are synthesized by unrelated gene families. Although the evolution of multi-step biochemical…
In the eighteenth century, scientists realized that the daily movements of plant leaves were driven by an endogenous rhythm that resonate with the external light-dark cycle. It is now well established that the timekeeper mechanism that drives these rhythms, the so-called circadian clock, regulates much…
A core element of the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) sensors is their suitability as a transducer, which converts the binding event into a measurable signal. Since the strength of the signal depends on the electromagnetic field of the nanoparticle and the surrounding medium, signal amplification…
Die erste Abwehr von Pflanzen gegen biotische und abiotische Stressfaktoren bildet die pflanzliche Zellwand, einem Polymer zusammengesetzt aus diversen Zuckerderivaten. Der Hauptbestandteil der Pflanzenzellwand besteht aus Zellulose - einem Polysaccharid aufgebaut aus β-1,4-verbundenen Glucoseeinheiten.…
Understanding the evolution of adaptive traits has long been the central topic of evolutionary biology. But, elucidating their evolutionary history remains a big challenge, because it requires genomic information across closely related species, detailed knowledge on the genetic basis of adaptive traits,…
The flower development of angiosperms is controlled by floral homeotic MIKCC-type MADS-domain transcription factors (MADS-TFs) that activate or repress target genes by forming floral organ specific DNA-bound heterotetrameric complexes termed floral quartets. The ability to form floral quartets highly…
Chronische lymphatische Leukämie (CLL) ist die am häufigsten auftretende Leukämieform des Erwachsenenalters in den westlichen Ländern. Die Überlebensrate von CLL-Patienten durchaus unterschiedlich ist und hängt stark von den entsprechend Chromosomenveränderungen ab. Von besonderer Bedeutung sind hierbei…
Abstract
Modern livestock breeding includes immunogenetic aspects in order to address disease resistance, health and welfare. In domestic pigs positive and negative associations between immune and performance traits have been observed. Little is known about the underlying genetic factors, however, since…
In dieser Arbeit untersuche ich die Funktion und Evolution von verschiedenen MIKC-Typ-MADS-Box-Genen aus Reis, die sich dank ihrer hohen Diversität, Zahl und ihrer großen Bedeutung während pflanzlicher Entwicklungsprozesse gut eignen, um Genduplikation zu studieren. Bsister-MADS-Box-Gene sind für ihre…