PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

A few essential genetic differences tailor flowers to bee or hummingbird pollinators

Around 20 sites spread across the genome distinguish bee- and hummingbird-pollinated wild Penstemons

A few essential genetic differences tailor flowers to bee or hummingbird pollinators
2023-09-28
(Press-News.org) Large differences in flower characteristics between wildflowers with different pollinators are achieved by a few key genetic differences, according to a study by Carolyn Wessinger at the University of South Carolina, US, and colleagues, publishing September 28th in the open access journal PLOS Biology.

Plants that rely on animal pollinators, such as insects or birds, have evolved distinctive suites of flower characteristics — known as “pollination syndromes” — that are tailored to the pollinator. For example, most plants in the Penstemon genus have wide, blue flowers that provide a landing pad for bees, but some species have evolved narrow, red, tube-like flowers that are adapted for pollination by hummingbirds.

To understand how these pollination syndromes are maintained at the genetic level, researchers sequenced the DNA of 229 plants from three related Penstemon species: two adapted for pollination by bees (P. neomexicanus and P. virgatus), and one that has adapted to hummingbird pollination (P. barbatus).

They found surprisingly few genetic differences that distinguish P. barbatus from its bee-pollinated relatives, despite large differences in flower characteristics. Overall, plants from the same region were more genetically similar than geographically more distant individuals, regardless of species, suggesting that there is genetic mixing between bee- and hummingbird-adapted wildflowers. However, they identified 21 sites that consistently differed between species with different pollinators. These sites are distributed across the genome, making it more likely that the complementary suite of flower traits might be broken apart by recombination (the shuffling of maternal and paternal genes that occurs when gametes are made), creating less successful hybrids. Three of the genetic differences are close to genomic locations involved in flower color, width and nectar volume, traits that are distinctive to the different pollination syndromes.

The authors say that rare hybridization events between neighboring bee- and hummingbird-pollinated Penstemon species, combined with strong selection to maintain suites of flower characteristics adapted to each pollinator, could explain the results.

Dr Wessinger notes: “Although bee- vs. hummingbird-pollinated species are easily distinguished in the field, based on unmistakable differences in flowers and the overall stature of the plant, a surprisingly small number of genetic regions distinguish these different species at the genetic level.”

#####

In your coverage, please use this URL to provide access to the freely available paper in PLOS Biology: http://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.3002294

Citation: Wessinger CA, Katzer AM, Hime PM, Rausher MD, Kelly JK, Hileman LC (2023) A few essential genetic loci distinguish Penstemon species with flowers adapted to pollination by bees or hummingbirds. PLoS Biol 21(9): e3002294. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3002294

Author Countries: United States

Funding: see manuscript

END


[Attachments] See images for this press release:
A few essential genetic differences tailor flowers to bee or hummingbird pollinators

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Dartmouth study removes human bias from debate over dinosaurs' demise

2023-09-28
To help resolve the scientific debate over whether it was a giant asteroid or volcanic eruptions that wiped out the dinosaurs and most other species 66 million years ago, Dartmouth researchers tried a new approach — they removed scientists from the debate and let the computers decide. The researchers report in the journal Science a new modeling method powered by interconnected processors that can work through reams of geological and climate data without human input. They tasked nearly 130 processors with analyzing the fossil record in reverse to pinpoint the events and conditions that led to the Cretaceous–Paleogene (K–Pg) extinction event that ...

Cleared to launch? Ethical guidelines needed for human research in commercial spaceflight

2023-09-28
HOUSTON – (Sept. 28, 2023) – The commercial spaceflight industry is expanding opportunities for scientific research in space, but the industry needs clear ethical guidelines before human research is ready for liftoff. In a new policy paper published in Science, a global, multidisciplinary team of bioethicists, health policy experts, space health researchers, commercial spaceflight professionals and government regulators outlines potential ethical concerns facing the future of commercial space research and provides guiding principles ...

Genome-wide study of staghorn coral identifies genomic markers of disease resistance

2023-09-28
A genome-wide survey of highly endangered staghorn coral in the Caribbean has identified 10 genomic regions associated with resilience against white band disease – an emergent infectious disease responsible for killing up to 95% of Caribbean Acropora species, including staghorn corals (A. cervicornis). The findings could be used as a conservation tool to improve disease resistance in the wild and nursery stocks of staghorn corals used to repopulate damaged coral reefs throughout Caribbean waters. Over the last several decades, Earth’s reef corals have experienced unprecedented declines. Increased anthropogenic ...

Uncovered: the source of sticking power and virulence for an emerging fungal pathogen

2023-09-28
A previously uncharacterized adhesin protein specific to a human fungal pathogen first discovered in 2009 plays a crucial role in the fungus’s ability to colonize a variety of living and non-living surfaces, and in its virulence, according to a new study. “These findings [about Candida auris] offer insight into the genetics and molecular mechanisms by which [this fungus] mediates surface association, a trait critical to the increasing disease burden of this emerging pathogen,” write the authors. Since its first discovery in 2009, C. auris has become increasingly responsible for life-threatening infections in health care facilities worldwide. Outbreaks of ...

Science News Special Issue: Heat and Health

2023-09-28
From long-frozen and potentially dangerous pathogens awakening in Arctic permafrost to emerging heat-related hazards in human pregnancy, ongoing climate change presents new challenges for human health. In this Special Issue, Science’s News Department offers a collection of five news stories highlighting several facets of the complex intersection between heat, disease, and human health and the researchers seeking to understand related emerging threats. In one Feature, Science Correspondent Kai Kupferschmidt discusses ...

Innovative approach reveals environmental mechanisms of the end-Cretaceous extinction

2023-09-28
A novel approach to a question that’s been widely investigated reveals more insights about the environmental forcings associated with the end-Cretaceous mass extinction, suggesting that volcanism and other biological changes imparted stress on the global carbon cycle across the Cretaceous/Paleogene (K/Pg) boundary. In addition to providing new insights into the factors that contributed to extinction, the approach could be useful in disentangling other complex perturbations in the Earth system and their associated climatic and biological impacts. The end-Cretaceous mass ...

Ethical guidelines needed before human research in commercial spaceflight is ready for liftoff

2023-09-28
A global, multidisciplinary team of bioethicists, health policy experts, commercial spaceflight professionals and space health researchers, including Rachael Seidler from the University of Florida, has developed guiding principles and best practices to help ensure human research conducted in space is safe and inclusive. The proposed ethical guidelines were released Friday in a policy paper published in Science and are the result of a workshop held at the Banbury Center of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory funded by the Translational ...

Van Andel Institute chief scientist earns $7.9 million Outstanding Investigator Award to support cancer research

Van Andel Institute chief scientist earns $7.9 million Outstanding Investigator Award to support cancer research
2023-09-28
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (September 28, 2023) — Van Andel Institute Chief Scientific Officer Peter A. Jones, Ph.D., D.Sc. (hon), has received a seven-year, nearly $7.9 million grant from the National Cancer Institute’s Outstanding Investigator Award program. The funding will fuel his research into the epigenetic errors that drive cancer development — and help him find ways to fix them.   The award is a renewal of an earlier seven-year, $7.8 million Outstanding Investigator Award granted to Jones in 2017. The National Cancer Institute, a part of the National Institutes of Health, launched the Outstanding Investigator Award program in 2014 to support “investigators with ...

NUTRITION 2024 makes its way to Chicago 

2023-09-28
Rockville, MD (September 28, 2023) – The American Society for Nutrition (ASN) announced today that its annual meeting, NUTRITION 2024, will take place in Chicago, Illinois, June 29 - July 2, 2024. NUTRITION 2024 is the premier meeting for the nutrition community, exploring developments in clinical and translational nutrition, food science and systems, diet and disease, basic science, global health, and more. Nutrition scientists are invited to share their research and join together with clinicians, policy experts, industry, and the media to network and learn for 3.5 exciting days in Chicago. "I look forward to being together with the best in our field. From groundbreaking ...

Innovative approach unveiled: Boosting terpenoid bioproduction via remodeling of isoprene pyrophosphate metabolism

Innovative approach unveiled: Boosting terpenoid bioproduction via remodeling of isoprene pyrophosphate metabolism
2023-09-28
Terpenoids, the largest family of natural products, have gained significant attention for their diverse applications in industries such as pharmaceuticals, fragrances, and biofuels. However, the efficient synthesis of terpenoids using engineered cell factories has been hindered by the limited supply of isoprene pyrophosphate (IPP), the key building block for terpenoid production. Now, a research team led by Jian Chen at Jiangnan University in China has made a groundbreaking discovery that could revolutionize terpenoid bioproduction. In their research article published in the journal Engineering, Chen and his team unveil a novel approach to address the challenge of insufficient IPP ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Metformin changes blood metal levels in humans

Long-term anticoagulation discontinuation after catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation

Fractional flow reserve–guided complete vs culprit-only revascularization in non–ST-elevation myocardial infarction and multivessel disease

Participation of women in cardiovascular trials from 2017 to 2023

Semaglutide and tirzepatide in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction

Changes in biology of internal fat may be the leading cause of heart failure

Transcatheter or surgical treatment of patients with aortic stenosis at low to intermediate risk

Promising new drug for people with stubborn high blood pressure

One shot of RSV vaccine effective against hospitalization in older adults for two seasons

Bivalent RSV prefusion F protein–based vaccine for preventing cardiovascular hospitalizations in older adults

Clonal hematopoiesis and risk of new-onset myocarditis and pericarditis

Risk of myocarditis or pericarditis with high-dose vs standard-dose influenza vaccine

High-dose vs standard-dose influenza vaccine and cardiovascular outcomes in older adults

Prevalence, determinants, and time trends of cardiovascular health in the WHO African region

New study finds that, after a heart attack, women have worse prognosis when treated with beta-blockers

CNIC-led REBOOT clinical trial challenges 40-year-old standard of care for heart attack patients

Systolic blood pressure and microaxial flow pump–associated survival in infarct-related cardiogenic shock

Beta blockers, the standard treatment after a heart attack, may offer no benefit for heart attack patients and women can have worse outcomes

High Mountain Asia’s shrinking glaciers linked to monsoon changes

All DRII-ed up: How do plants recover after drought?

Research on stigma says to just ‘shake it off’

Scientists track lightning “pollution” in real time using NASA satellite

Millions of women rely on contraceptives, but new Rice study shows they may do more than just prevent pregnancy

Hot days make for icy weather, Philippine study finds

Roxana Mehran, MD, receives the most prestigious award given by the European Society of Cardiology

World's first clinical trial showing lubiprostone aids kidney function

Capturing language change through the genes

Public trust in elections increases with clear facts

Thawing permafrost raised carbon dioxide levels after the last ice age

New DNA test reveals plants’ hidden climate role

[Press-News.org] A few essential genetic differences tailor flowers to bee or hummingbird pollinators
Around 20 sites spread across the genome distinguish bee- and hummingbird-pollinated wild Penstemons