Hannah Reese, a postdoctoral scientist at the Earlham Institute in the UK. Credit: Earlham Institute
Plants have similar variations in body clocks that are found in humans, according to new research that explores the genes that govern circadian rhythms in plants.
Research shows that a character change in their DNA code could potentially determine whether a plant lark is a nocturnal owl. These findings can help farmers and crop breeders choose their clock plants that are most suitable for their location, help increase yields and even the ability to cope with climate change.
The circadian clock is a nuclear metronome that guides an organism day and night – cutting off the arrival of the morning and closing the curtains at night. In plants, it regulates a variety of processes, from photosynthesis to the time of dawn to regulation of flowering time.
This rhythmic pattern can vary depending on geography, latitude, climate and asons tuo – plant clocks adapt best to cope with local conditions.
With the ultimate goal of growing crops that are more resilient to local change in the environment, researchers at the Earlham Institute and the John Ins Center in Norwich wanted to better understand the risks of climate change.
To investigate the genetic basis of these spatial differences, the team examined different circadian rhythms at Swedish Arabidopsis plants to identify and validate the genes associated with the clock tick.
Dr. Hannah Reese, a postdoctoral researcher at the Arlham Institute and author of the paper, said: “The overall health of a plant is affected by the length of its circadian clock each day and the way the tuna is passed. An accurate physical clock is used by competitors. And can lead to pathogens.
“We were interested in acknowledging how the plant circadian clocks would have an impact in Sweden; which is experiencing drastic changes in country daytime darkness and climate. Understanding the genetics behind body clock variation and adaptation can help us breed more climate-resilient crops in other regions.”
The team studied genes in 191 different species of Arabidopsis obtained from all over Sweden. They were looking for small differences in the genes between these plants that could explain the differences in circadian function.
Their analysis revealed that the same DNA base-pair mutation in a specific gene – COR28 in – is likely to be found in plants that take flowers and have a longer length. COR28 is a well-known compound of flowering time, cooling tolerance and circadian clock; All of this could affect local adaptation in Sweden.
“It’s amazing how a single base-pair change in a single gene’s index can quickly affect a clock’s ticket.”
Scientists also used the leading delayed fluorescence imaging method to screen plants with circadian clocks with different tunes. They showed that there is a difference of 10 hours between the clocks of the early risers and the latest phased plants – such as plants working in reverse shift patterns. The influence of both geography and the genetic lineage of plants was observed.
“Rbidopsis is a model plant system of Thalia,” said Dr. Reese said. “It was the first plant to have a genome sequence and has been studied extensively in circadian biology, but this is the first time anyone has studied this type of organization to find the genes responsible for different clock types.
“Our findings highlight some interesting genes that could present a target for crop breeders, and provide a platform for future research. Our delayed fluorescence imaging system can be used on any green photosynthesis material applied to a wide range of plants. The next step will be to apply these findings to major agricultural crops, including brassicas and wheat. “
The results of the study have been published in the journal Plants, cells and the environment.
The biological clock and the extra gene pair control the vital functions of the plant
Hannah Rees et al, Variations in the naturally circadian rhythms associated with the clock gene Loki in Swedish Arabidopsis accessions, Plant, cell and environment (2020). DOI: 10.1111 / pce.13941
Provided by the Earlham Institute
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