| 1. |
- Zuntini, Alexandre R., et al.
(author)
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Phylogenomics and the rise of the angiosperms
- 2024
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In: NATURE. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 629, s. 843-850
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Angiosperms are the cornerstone of most terrestrial ecosystems and human livelihoods(1,2). A robust understanding of angiosperm evolution is required to explain their rise to ecological dominance. So far, the angiosperm tree of life has been determined primarily by means of analyses of the plastid genome(3,4). Many studies have drawn on this foundational work, such as classification and first insights into angiosperm diversification since their Mesozoic origins(5-7). However, the limited and biased sampling of both taxa and genomes undermines confidence in the tree and its implications. Here, we build the tree of life for almost 8,000 (about 60%) angiosperm genera using a standardized set of 353 nuclear genes(8). This 15-fold increase in genus-level sampling relative to comparable nuclear studies(9) provides a critical test of earlier results and brings notable change to key groups, especially in rosids, while substantiating many previously predicted relationships. Scaling this tree to time using 200 fossils, we discovered that early angiosperm evolution was characterized by high gene tree conflict and explosive diversification, giving rise to more than 80% of extant angiosperm orders. Steady diversification ensued through the remaining Mesozoic Era until rates resurged in the Cenozoic Era, concurrent with decreasing global temperatures and tightly linked with gene tree conflict. Taken together, our extensive sampling combined with advanced phylogenomic methods shows the deep history and full complexity in the evolution of a megadiverse clade.
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| 2. |
- Lughadha, E. N., et al.
(author)
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Extinction risk and threats to plants and fungi
- 2020
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In: Plants People Planet. - : Wiley. - 2572-2611. ; 2:5, s. 389-408
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Societal Impact Statement There is increasing awareness that plants and fungi, as natural solutions, can play an important role in tackling ongoing global environmental challenges. We illustrate how understanding current and projected threats to plants and fungi is necessary to manage and mitigate risks, while building awareness of gaps and bias in current assessment coverage is essential to adequately prioritize conservation efforts. We highlight the state of the art in conservation science and point to current methods of assessment and future studies needed to mitigate species extinction. SummaryPlant and fungal biodiversity underpin life on earth and merit careful stewardship in an increasingly uncertain environment. However, gaps and biases in documented extinction risks to plant and fungal species impede effective management. Formal extinction risk assessments help avoid extinctions, through engagement, financial, or legal mechanisms, but most plant and fungal species lack assessments. Available global assessments cover c. 30% of plant species (ThreatSearch). Red List coverage overrepresents woody perennials and useful plants, but underrepresents single-country endemics. Fungal assessments overrepresent well-known species and are too few to infer global status or trends. Proportions of assessed vascular plant species considered threatened vary between global assessment datasets: 37% (ThreatSearch), and 44% (International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species). Our predictions, correcting for several quantifiable biases, suggest that 39% of all vascular plant species are threatened with extinction. However, other biases remain unquantified, and may affect our estimate. Preliminary trend data show plants moving toward extinction. Quantitative estimates based on plant extinction risk assessments may understate likely biodiversity loss: they do not fully capture the impacts of climate change, slow-acting threats, or clustering of extinction risk, which could amplify loss of evolutionary potential. The importance of extinction risk estimation to support existing and emerging conservation initiatives is likely to grow as threats to biodiversity intensify. This necessitates urgent and strategic expansion of efforts toward comprehensive and ongoing assessment of plant and fungal extinction risk.
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| 3. |
- Negrão, Djanira R., et al.
(author)
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Fragmentation of Lignin from Organosolv Black Liquor by White Rot Fungi
- 2015
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In: BioResources. - : North Carolina State University. - 1930-2126. ; 10:1, s. 1553-1573
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The mycelial growth ability of 13 white rot fungi were separately evaluated in kraft, organosolv, and soda black liquor agar-plates. The fungus able to best grow and decolorize black liquor agar-plates was grown in organosolv black liquor to investigate whether it reduced organosolv lignin molar mass. The fungus Bjerkandera adusta showed fair mycelial growth and decolorization ability in 10% black liquor-agar plates. To obtain low-molecular weight (MW) lignin, B. adusta was cultivated in 150-mL Erlenmeyer flasks containing 10% black liquor and maintained in a shaking culture for 15 days. Lignin was recovered from each Erlenmeyer flask by acid precipitation and was analysed by size exclusion chromatography (SEC) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The lowest MW of lignin from black liquor was observed on the 11th and 12th days, at 1461 and 1790 kDa, respectively, with the polydispersity close to 1.0, indicating that the molecules were similar in size. Fourier transform infrared spectra bands showed modification of the lignin structure during 9 days, with new bands appearing after five days of lignin biodegradation.
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| 5. |
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| 6. |
- Melani, Rafael D., et al.
(author)
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The Blood Proteoform Atlas : A reference map of proteoforms in human hematopoietic cells
- 2022
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In: Science. - : American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). - 0036-8075 .- 1095-9203. ; 375:6579, s. 411-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Human biology is tightly linked to proteins, yet most measurements do not precisely determine alternatively spliced sequences or posttranslational modifications. Here, we present the primary structures of similar to 30,000 unique proteoforms, nearly 10 times more than in previous studies, expressed from 1690 human genes across 21 cell types and plasma from human blood and bone marrow. The results, compiled in the Blood Proteoform Atlas (BPA), indicate that proteoforms better describe protein-level biology and are more specific indicators of differentiation than their corresponding proteins, which are more broadly expressed across cell types. We demonstrate the potential for clinical application, by interrogating the BPA in the context of liver transplantation and identifying cell and proteoform signatures that distinguish normal graft function from acute rejection and other causes of graft dysfunction.
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| 7. |
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| 8. |
- Perez-Escobar, Oscar A., et al.
(author)
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The origin and speciation of orchids
- 2024
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In: NEW PHYTOLOGIST. - 0028-646X .- 1469-8137. ; 242:2, s. 700-716
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Orchids constitute one of the most spectacular radiations of flowering plants. However, their origin, spread across the globe, and hotspots of speciation remain uncertain due to the lack of an up-to-date phylogeographic analysis. We present a new Orchidaceae phylogeny based on combined high-throughput and Sanger sequencing data, covering all five subfamilies, 17/22 tribes, 40/49 subtribes, 285/736 genera, and c. 7% (1921) of the 29 524 accepted species, and use it to infer geographic range evolution, diversity, and speciation patterns by adding curated geographical distributions from the World Checklist of Vascular Plants. The orchids' most recent common ancestor is inferred to have lived in Late Cretaceous Laurasia. The modern range of Apostasioideae, which comprises two genera with 16 species from India to northern Australia, is interpreted as relictual, similar to that of numerous other groups that went extinct at higher latitudes following the global climate cooling during the Oligocene. Despite their ancient origin, modern orchid species diversity mainly originated over the last 5 Ma, with the highest speciation rates in Panama and Costa Rica. These results alter our understanding of the geographic origin of orchids, previously proposed as Australian, and pinpoint Central America as a region of recent, explosive speciation.
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| 9. |
- Smith, L. T., et al.
(author)
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Revised Species Delimitation in the Giant Water Lily Genus Victoria (Nymphaeaceae) Confirms a New Species and Has Implications for Its Conservation
- 2022
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In: Frontiers in Plant Science. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 1664-462X. ; 13
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Reliably documenting plant diversity is necessary to protect and sustainably benefit from it. At the heart of this documentation lie species concepts and the practical methods used to delimit taxa. Here, we apply a total-evidence, iterative methodology to delimit and document species in the South American genus Victoria (Nymphaeaceae). The systematics of Victoria has thus far been poorly characterized due to difficulty in attributing species identities to biological collections. This research gap stems from an absence of type material and biological collections, also the confused diagnosis of V. cruziana. With the goal of improving systematic knowledge of the genus, we compiled information from historical records, horticulture and geography and assembled a morphological dataset using citizen science and specimens from herbaria and living collections. Finally, we generated genomic data from a subset of these specimens. Morphological and geographical observations suggest four putative species, three of which are supported by nuclear population genomic and plastid phylogenomic inferences. We propose these three confirmed entities as robust species, where two correspond to the currently recognized V. amazonica and V. cruziana, the third being new to science, which we describe, diagnose and name here as V. boliviana Magdalena and L. T. Sm. Importantly, we identify new morphological and molecular characters which serve to distinguish the species and underpin their delimitations. Our study demonstrates how combining different types of character data into a heuristic, total-evidence approach can enhance the reliability with which biological diversity of morphologically challenging groups can be identified, documented and further studied.
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