Altered circadian rhythms regulate growth vigour in hybrids and allopolyploids

Zhongfu Ni, Eun-Deok Kim, Misook Ha, Erika Lackey, Jianxin Liu, Yirong Zhang, Qixin Sun and Z. Jeffrey Chen ()
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Zhongfu Ni: Section of Molecular Cell and Developmental Biology,
Eun-Deok Kim: Section of Molecular Cell and Developmental Biology,
Misook Ha: Section of Molecular Cell and Developmental Biology,
Erika Lackey: Section of Molecular Cell and Developmental Biology,
Jianxin Liu: Section of Molecular Cell and Developmental Biology,
Yirong Zhang: Section of Molecular Cell and Developmental Biology,
Qixin Sun: China Agricultural University, Yuanmingyuan Xilu No. 2, Beijing, 100094, China
Z. Jeffrey Chen: Section of Molecular Cell and Developmental Biology,

Nature, 2009, vol. 457, issue 7227, 327-331

Abstract: Growing around the clock Polyploidy, or whole-genome duplication, is an evolutionary innovation common in plants. Several major crops, including wheat, cotton and canola, are allopolyploids, containing two or more divergent genomes and some plants exist as intra- and interspecific hybrids. Such plants can display vigorous growth. A study of hybrids of Arabidopsis thaliana and A. arenosa sheds light on the mechanistic basis of this increased vigour. Epigenetic modulation of circadian clock regulators is shown to mediate the expression of genes in photosynthetic and starch metabolic pathways in allopolyploids. As a result, they accumulate more chlorophyll, produce more starch, and grow larger than the parents. Thus the hybrid and allopolyploid plants appear to gain advantages from the control of physiological and metabolic pathways by reversibly adjusting circadian clock regulators to make better use of the daylight hours.

Date: 2009
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DOI: 10.1038/nature07523

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