Abstract Detail

Systematics

Garcia, Nicolas [1], Tharpe, Emily [1], Buell, C. Robin [2], Dudareva, Natalia [3], Godden, Grant [2], Henry, Laura [3], Kamileen, Mohamed Omar [4], Schuette, Scott [4], O'Connor, Sarah [4], Soltis, Pamela  S. [1], Soltis, Douglas [1].

Preliminary analyses of genome size and secondary metabolite evolution in Lamiaceae.

The mint family (Lamiaceae), with ca. 236 genera and 7200 species, is the sixth largest angiosperm family. This clade has a cosmopolitan distribution and is incredibly diverse morphologically with a broad range of growth forms (e.g., ephemeral herbs, vines, shrubs, long-lived trees) as well as diverse ecological niche preferences (e.g., rainforest canopy dominants, high alpine scree, desert halophytes). Mints are also well known for extensive chemical diversity that contributes anti-herbivore defenses. Lamiaceae are of major economic and cultural importance worldwide and include numerous widely used culinary and medicinal herbs, ornamentals, and economically important trees. Collectively, the agronomic utility of Lamiaceae species is primarily attributable to their diverse set of secondary metabolites. Prevalent chemical classes found within mints include monoterpenes, iridoids, and sesquiterpenes. As part of a comprehensive analysis of mint chemistry, gene expression, and genomics, we analyzed the evolution of mint chemical diversity and nuclear DNA content in a phylogenetic context. We sampled 47 species, representing all major lineages of Lamiaceae, from the Mint Genome Project greenhouse collection. Three main chemical classes – monoterpenes, iridoids, and sesquiterpenes – were screened through mass spectrometry and gas chromatography. Nuclear genome sizes were estimated through flow cytometry using chicken erythrocyte nuclei (2.5 2C/pg) as internal standard. Using transcriptomes for these 47 species, we will assemble a mint framework phylogeny. Ancestral reconstructions will be conducted for the presence/absence of the main chemical classes and for each compound, and for continuous variation of genome sizes.

Related Links:
The Mint Genome Project website

1 - University of Florida, Florida Museum of Natural History, 1659 Museum Rd., Gainesville , FL, 32611, USA
2 - Michigan State University, Department of Plant Biology, 612 Wilson Rd., Plant Biology Laboratories, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
3 - Purdue University, Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, 625 Agriculture Mall Drive, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
4 - John Innes Centre, Department of Biological Chemistry, Norwich NR4 7UH, Norwich, UK

Keywords:
mints
chemistry
ancestral state reconstruction.

Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 17, Asterids I part B
Location: 204/Savannah International Trade and Convention Center
Date: Tuesday, August 2nd, 2016
Time: 11:00 AM
Number: 17012
Abstract ID:625
Candidate for Awards:None