Abstract
Carnivorous plants exploit animals as a nutritional source and have inspired long-standing questions about the origin and evolution of carnivory-related traits. To investigate the molecular bases of carnivory, we sequenced the genome of the heterophyllous pitcher plant Cephalotus follicularis, in which we succeeded in regulating the developmental switch between carnivorous and non-carnivorous leaves. Transcriptome comparison of the two leaf types and gene repertoire analysis identified genetic changes associated with prey attraction, capture, digestion and nutrient absorption. Analysis of digestive fluid proteins from C. follicularis and three other carnivorous plants with independent carnivorous origins revealed repeated co-options of stress-responsive protein lineages coupled with convergent amino acid substitutions to acquire digestive physiology. These results imply constraints on the available routes to evolve plant carnivory.
Highlights
Carnivorous plants exploit animals as a nutritional source and have inspired long-standing questions about the origin and evolution of carnivory-related traits
Cephalotus follicularis (Cephalotus), a carnivorous plant native to southwest Australia that belongs to the monospecific family Cephalotaceae in the order Oxalidales, forms both carnivorous pitcher leaves and non-carnivorous flat leaves (Fig. 1)
As we succeeded in regulating the developmental switch between pitcher and flat leaves by ambient temperature (Fig. 1b and Supplementary Fig. 1f,g), their transcriptomes were compared
Summary
Carnivorous plants exploit animals as a nutritional source and have inspired long-standing questions about the origin and evolution of carnivory-related traits. RNase T2, known as a constituent of digestive fluids[1,8,9], is enriched among orthogroups composed only of genes from Cephalotus and another carnivorous plant Utricularia gibba (Supplementary Table 18). To further investigate the origin and evolution of digestive enzymes of Cephalotus and three other distantly related carnivorous plants (Drosera adelae, N. alata and Sarracenia purpurea), we sequenced fragments of digestive fluid proteins and identified 35 corresponding genes (Fig. 2a and Supplementary Tables 25–28).
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
