Adaptive Evolution of C4 Photosynthesis through Recurrent Lateral Gene Transfer

摘要: Summary C 4 photosynthesis is a complex trait that confers higher productivity under warm and arid conditions [1–3]. It has evolved more than 60 times via the co-option of genes present in 3 ancestors followed by alteration patterns levels expression adaptive changes coding sequences [4–12], but evolutionary path to still poorly understood. The grass lineage Alloteropsis offers unparalleled opportunities for studying evolution, because it includes taxon five species vary significantly anatomy biochemistry [13, 14]. Using phylogenetic analyses nuclear leaf transcriptomes, we show fundamental elements pathway were acquired minimum four independent lateral gene transfers from taxa diverged this group 20 million years ago. transfer already fully adapted function occurred periodically over at least last 10 million been recurrent source optimization pathway. This report shows plant-plant can be potent genetic novelty adaptation flowering plants.