No Time To Read

Arif Ashraf
No Time To Read Podcast

Arif, plant biologist and host of the podcast, will talk to lead author of a recently published plant biology paper. The guest will simply explain the story of the publication, answer questions from the host, and share personal experience and details related to the article. As an audience, you will tune in to the episode with an expectation that you will know the story of the paper without reading it. Besides, you can keep listening the podcast during your experiment, walking outside, in your car and wherever possible.

  1. S2E9 | Sunil Kenchanmane Raju | DNA methylation and Gene duplication

    07/16/2023

    S2E9 | Sunil Kenchanmane Raju | DNA methylation and Gene duplication

    Article: DNA methylation signatures of duplicate gene evolution in angiosperms Journal: Plant Physiology Year: 2023 Guest: Sunil Kenchanmane Raju Host: Arif Ashraf Abstract Gene duplication is a source of evolutionary novelty. DNA methylation may play a role in the evolution of duplicate genes (paralogs) through its association with gene expression. While this relationship has been examined to varying extents in a few individual species, the generalizability of these results at either a broad phylogenetic scale with species of differing duplication histories or across a population remains unknown. We applied a comparative epigenomic approach to 43 angiosperm species across the phylogeny and a population of 928 Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) accessions, examining the association of DNA methylation with paralog evolution. Genic DNA methylation was differentially associated with duplication type, the age of duplication, sequence evolution, and gene expression. Whole-genome duplicates were typically enriched for CG-only gene body methylated or unmethylated genes, while single-gene duplications were typically enriched for non-CG methylated or unmethylated genes. Non-CG methylation, in particular, was a characteristic of more recent single-gene duplicates. Core angiosperm gene families were differentiated into those which preferentially retain paralogs and “duplication-resistant” families, which convergently reverted to singletons following duplication. Duplication-resistant families that still have paralogous copies were, uncharacteristically for core angiosperm genes, enriched for non-CG methylation. Non-CG methylated paralogs had higher rates of sequence evolution, higher frequency of presence–absence variation, and more limited expression. This suggests that silencing by non-CG methylation may be important to maintaining dosage following duplication and be a precursor to fractionation. Our results indicate that genic methylation marks differing evolutionary trajectories and fates between paralogous genes and have a role in maintaining dosage following duplication. Cover art design and audio editing: Ragib Anjum

    32 min
  2. S2E8 | Margot Smit | Origin and timing of stomatal patterning

    06/10/2023

    S2E8 | Margot Smit | Origin and timing of stomatal patterning

    Article: Extensive embryonic patterning without cellular differentiation primes the plant epidermis for efficient post-embryonic stomatal activities Journal: Developmental Cell Year: 2023 Guest: Margot Smit Host: Arif Ashraf Abstract Plant leaves feature epidermal stomata that are organized in stereotyped patterns. How does the pattern originate? We provide transcriptomic, imaging, and genetic evidence that Arabidopsis embryos engage known stomatal fate and patterning factors to create regularly spaced stomatal precursor cells. Analysis of embryos from 36 plant species indicates that this trait is widespread among angiosperms. Embryonic stomatal patterning in Arabidopsis is established in three stages: first, broad SPEECHLESS (SPCH) expression; second, coalescence of SPCH and its targets into discrete domains; and third, one round of asymmetric division to create stomatal precursors. Lineage progression is then halted until after germination. We show that the embryonic stomatal pattern enables fast stomatal differentiation and photosynthetic activity upon germination, but it also guides the formation of additional stomata as the leaf expands. In addition, key stomatal regulators are prevented from driving the fate transitions they can induce after germination, identifying stage-specific layers of regulation that control lineage progression during embryogenesis. Cover art design and audio editing: Ragib Anjum

    23 min

About

Arif, plant biologist and host of the podcast, will talk to lead author of a recently published plant biology paper. The guest will simply explain the story of the publication, answer questions from the host, and share personal experience and details related to the article. As an audience, you will tune in to the episode with an expectation that you will know the story of the paper without reading it. Besides, you can keep listening the podcast during your experiment, walking outside, in your car and wherever possible.

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