SPEAKER: Zhenhua Liu Tenure-track Associate Professor; Ph.D.; Supervisor PI Department of Plant Science，SAB   RESEARCH INTERESTS :  Biosynthetic pathways of plants; Pathways encoded by biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs); Translation of important biosynthtic pathways into affordable applications https://zhenhua6885.wixsite.com/scientist-site

TIME ：12:45-13:30  Dec 2, 2020  (Wednesday)

VENUE：Room 104, Building B, School of Agriculture and Biology

ORGANIZER：Office of Discipline and Science & Technology, SAB; Young Teachers Association, SAB

TITTLE: Evolutionary Mechanism Underpinning Metabolic Diversity in Plants

ABSTRACT: 

Numerous examples of biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs), including for compounds of agricultural and medicinal importance, have now been discovered in plant genomes. However, little is known about how these complex traits are assembled and diversified. Here we examine a large number of variants within and between species for a paradigm BGC (the thalianol cluster), which has evolved specifically within the Arabidopsis genus. Comparisons at the species level reveal differences in BGC organization and involvement of auxiliary genes, resulting in production of species-specific triterpenes. Within species, the thalianol cluster is primarily fixed, showing a low frequency of deleterious haplotypes. We further identify adaptive chromosomal inversion as a molecular mechanism that shuffles more distant genes into the cluster, so enabling cluster compaction. Antagonistic natural selection pressures are likely involved in shaping the occurrence and maintenance of this BGC. Our work sheds light on the birth, life and death of complex genetic and metabolic traits in plants.