Research project Genome evolution in parasitic plants
Parasitic plants obtain part of or all of their nutrients from another plant. We study one of the most well-known parasitic plants, the European mistletoe, Viscum album, but parasitism has evolved 12 times within the flowering plants and some 4750 species are parasites.
Some parasitic plants like mistletoes are capable of doing photosynthesis and remain green, while others have lost photosynthesis completely and appear pale and often leafless. In the current project we aim to understand the evolutionary consequences of parasitism at the genomic level. E.g. what happens to the chloroplast genome when photosynthesis is lost, and how can mistletoes survive when they lack respiratory genes, which are vital for all other plants?
Project description
My current research is primarily focused on parasitic plants and their evolution at the genomic level. Parasitic plants obtain part of or all of their nutrients from another plant or via mycorrhiza forming fungi (mycoheterotrophic parasites). One of the most well-known parasitic plants is the European mistletoe, Viscum album. While the mistletoe is capable of doing photosynthesis and hence green, other parasitic plants have lost photosynthesis completely and appear pale although the flowers may be brightly coloured.
Co-evolution of parasites and hosts provides an excellent system to investigate diversification and genotypic changes associated with heterotrophy, but the development and host interactions of parasitic plants are yet relatively unexplored genetically. While it is increasing well documented that the chloroplast genome, housing a suite of genes involved in photosynthesis, degrades when photosynthesis becomes redundant, less is known about evolutionary consequences of parasitism for the mitochondrial and nuclear genomes. Surprisingly the mitochondrial genome of mistletoe has also lost a number of genes although these would appear essential due to their function in cell respiration. The current research project includes evolutionary studies of all three genomes in a range of parasitic plants, but with a special emphasis on mistletoes and their closest relatives.
Genome evolution in parasitic plants
