A well-supported nuclear phylogeny of Poaceae and implications for the evolution of C4 photosynthesis

• DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2022.01.015
• Publication Date: 2022-01-31T10:48:22Z
• Authors: Weichen Huang; Lin Zhang; J. Travis Columbus; Yi Hu; Yiyong Zhao; Lin Tang; Zhenhua Guo; Wenli Chen; Michael McKain; Madelaine Bartlett; Chien-Hsun Huang; De-Zhu Li; Song Ge; Hong Ma
• Keywords: Monophyly; Subfamily

Poaceae (the grasses) includes rice, maize, wheat, and other crops, is the most economically important angiosperm family. also one of largest plant families, consisting over 11 000 species with a global distribution that contributes to diverse ecosystems. are classified into 12 subfamilies, generally strong phylogenetic support for their monophyly. However, many relationships within among tribes and/or subtribes, remain uncertain. To better resolve phylogeny, we generated 342 transcriptomic seven genomic datasets; these were combined datasets provide sequences 357 in 231 genera, representing 45 all subfamilies. Over 1200 low-copy nuclear genes retrieved from datasets, several subsets obtained using additional criteria, used coalescent analyses reconstruct phylogeny. Our results strongly monophyly subfamilies; however, subfamily Puelioideae was separated two non-sister clades, each previously defined tribes, supporting hypothesis places tribe separate subfamily. Molecular clock estimated crown age be ∼101 million years old. Ancestral character reconstruction C3/C4 photosynthesis supports multiple independent origins C4 photosynthesis. These further supported by analysis ppc gene family encodes phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase, which suggests members three paralogous subclades (ppc-aL1a, ppc-aL1b, ppc-B2) recruited as functional genes. This study provides valuable resources robust framework evolutionary grass