Article
Agronomy
Nabil Ahmad, Ali Chamas, Richard Trethowan
Summary: This study investigates the reproductive system and in vitro pollen germination of the Australian tomato, providing valuable insights for tomato breeding and conservation programs.
Article
Plant Sciences
Brooke R. Kern, Lauren N. Carley, David A. Moeller
Summary: By labeling pollen, researchers found that pollen dispersal distance is positively correlated with conspecific density and remains consistent across different populations. This finding suggests that environmental factors play a crucial role in gene flow.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Christina Steinecke, Courtney E. Gorman, Marc Stift, Marcel E. Dorken
Summary: The transition from self-incompatibility to self-compatibility often leads to high rates of self-fertilization, resulting in reproductive isolation of self-compatible lineages. In Arabidopsis lyrata subsp. lyrata, the high selfing rates of self-compatible plants are influenced by external factors, such as patterns of pollinator movement, under standardized conditions.
Article
Plant Sciences
Yuan-Mi Wu, Xue-Li Shen, Ling Tong, Feng-Wei Lei, Xiao-Fei Xia, Xian-Yun Mu, Zhi-Xiang Zhang
Summary: This study revealed the reproductive characteristics of L. oblata, a critically endangered species endemic to cliffs in North China, providing insight into its endangerment and suggesting conservation strategies. L. oblata has highly pollinator-dependent self-fertilization as part of a mixed mating system. Floral features such as low-flowering synchrony, asynchronous anthers dehiscence, and high duration of stigma receptivity, improve pollination efficiency in the case of low pollinator service.
Article
Plant Sciences
Yiling Wang, Yafei Lan, Hang Ye, Xiaolong Feng, Qiyang Qie, Li Liu, Min Chai
Summary: This study provides the first detailed report on the reproductive biology and breeding systems of Opisthopappus longilobus and Opisthopappus taihangensis. Both species have similar floral syndromes and require insect pollination. Hymenopteran and Diptera species were observed as effective pollinators. The results also suggest that in the absence of insect pollination, self-pollination plays an important role in seed production, particularly in harsh environments like the Taihang Mountains cliffs.
Article
Ecology
Cole Burns, Soraya Villalobos, Jana C. Vamosi
Summary: The study suggests that generalized pollinators do not play a significant role in increasing the reproductive output of many plant species, and may only offer a weak buffer against stronger disturbances.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Horticulture
H. Castro, C. Siopa, V Casais, M. Castro, J. Loureiro, H. Gaspar, S. Castro
Summary: This study investigated the impact of artificial pollination on kiwifruit production and found that pollen supply improved productivity in most orchards, especially in terms of increasing fruit set and improving fruit quality. However, not all orchards required or benefited from artificial pollination. Further research is needed to assess the efficiency of the methodologies used in this region.
SCIENTIA HORTICULTURAE
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Stephen J. Trueman, Wiebke Kamper, Joel Nichols, Steven M. Ogbourne, David Hawkes, Trent Peters, Shahla Hosseini Bai, Helen M. Wallace
Summary: This study demonstrates for the first time the existence of pollen limitation in mass-flowering trees. Improved pollination can increase soybean yield and have an impact on fruit quality.
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Ola Lundin, Chloe A. Raderschall
Summary: The study found that bumble bee abundance and legitimate flower visitor abundance were higher in areas with higher landscape complexity. Additionally, although excluding insect pollination in the pollination experiment resulted in fewer beans per pod, the individual bean weight increased, maintaining total bean mass per plant. This suggests that faba bean pollination potential is higher in complex landscapes, and there is not a complete dependency on insect pollination.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Helena Castro, Catarina Siopa, Vinicius Casais, Mariana Castro, Joao Loureiro, Hugo Gaspar, Maria Celeste Dias, Silvia Castro
Summary: This study quantified pollination deficits in kiwifruit orchards, finding a negative correlation between pollination deficits and pollinator abundance, and a positive correlation with yield. Understanding the factors influencing pollination deficits is crucial for promoting pollinators and management practices.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Dawid Moron, Emilia Marjanska, Piotr Skorka, Magdalena Lenda, Michal Woyciechowski
Summary: This study found that invasive goldenrods did not suffer from pollinator shortage and ineffective pollination, especially in habitats densely covered by the invader, due to the presence of large-bodied pollinators, which affected the composition of pollinators and pollination effectiveness.
DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
James G. Rodger, Joanne M. Bennett, Mialy Razanajatovo, Tiffany M. Knight, Mark van Kleunen, Tia-Lynn Ashman, Janette A. Steets, Cang Hui, Gerardo Arceo-Gomez, Martin Burd, Laura A. Burkle, Jean H. Burns, Walter Durka, Leandro Freitas, Jurene E. Kemp, Junmin Li, Anton Pauw, Jana C. Vamosi, Marina Wolowski, Jing Xia, Allan G. Ellis
Summary: The study found that the lack of pollinators has a significant impact on plant reproduction, with some plant species unable to produce seeds without pollinators, while others face a major reduction in fertility. Specifically, plants with tree growth form, multiple reproductive episodes, more specialized pollination systems, and tropical distributions are more vulnerable to the effects of reduced pollinator services.
Article
Ecology
Amy L. Brunton-Martin, Anne C. Gaskett, Hanna Kokko
Summary: In species with obligate sexual reproduction, scarcity of males may limit female reproductive success, but the impact on population-level persistence is unclear. Sexually deceptive orchids attract mate-searching male insects, but haplodiploid pollinators can reproduce regardless of sperm availability, potentially mitigating the costs of deception. The enhanced resilience of haplodiploid pollinators against deceptive exploitation may be a reason why these systems have persisted.
Article
Ecology
Kuangyi Xu
Summary: Increased self-fertilization can provide reproductive assurance and decrease fitness due to deleterious mutations when plant populations experience pollen limitation. This study used eco-evolutionary models to examine the conditions in which higher self-fertilization through plasticity and/or evolution can rescue populations from pollen limitation. The results showed that rescue is most likely to occur at an intermediate level of selfing rate increase, with plasticity being more likely than evolution. The study emphasizes the importance of plasticity in plant population rescue and provides insights for understanding the evolution of mating system plasticity in future research.
AMERICAN NATURALIST
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Fabiana Esposito, Ricardo Costa, Mario Boieiro
Summary: The study identified diverse flower visitors of the Madeiran endemic Echium candicans, with bees being the most common visitors. Large bees showed higher visitation rates and carried more homospecific pollen compared to other visitors. However, their behavior may contribute to inbreeding, while other visitors, such as butterflies, promote outcrossing. Overall, the different flower visitors provide complementary pollination services, emphasizing the importance of a diverse pollinator community for successful pollination in island plants.
Article
Plant Sciences
Brian J. Sanderson, Li Wang, Peter Tiffin, Zhiqiang Wu, Matthew S. Olson
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tuomas Hamala, Mark J. Guiltinan, James H. Marden, Siela N. Maximova, Claude W. dePamphilis, Peter Tiffin
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2020)
Article
Ecology
Ryan D. Briscoe Runquist, Amanda J. Gorton, Jeremy B. Yoder, Nicholas J. Deacon, Jake J. Grossman, Shan Kothari, Marta P. Lyons, Seema N. Sheth, Peter Tiffin, David A. Moeller
AMERICAN NATURALIST
(2020)
Article
Plant Sciences
Liana T. Burghardt, Diana Trujillo, Brendan Epstein, Peter Tiffin, Nevin D. Young
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Tuomas Hamala, Peter Tiffin
Article
Plant Sciences
Aubrie R. M. James, Timothy E. Burnette, Jasmine Mack, David E. James, Vincent M. Eckhart, Monica A. Geber
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Tuomas Hamala, Amanda J. Gorton, David A. Moeller, Peter Tiffin
Article
Biology
Brendan Epstein, Peter Tiffin
Summary: This study reveals that symbiosis genes in rhizobial genomes undergo high rates of horizontal transfer, along with signatures of purifying selection. Particularly, genes involved in initiating symbiosis and in mediating benefits to the host show strong patterns of horizontal transfer and purifying selection.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Tuomas Hamala, Eric K. Wafula, Mark J. Guiltinan, Paula E. Ralph, Claude W. dePamphilis, Peter Tiffin
Summary: The study uses 31 chromosome-scale, haplotype-resolved genome assemblies of Theobroma cacao to investigate the fitness consequences of structural variants (SVs) in natural populations. It reveals that the majority of SVs are deleterious, influencing gene expression and likely impairing gene function. Despite the overall detrimental effects, individual SVs bearing signatures of local adaptation are identified, some of which are associated with differentially expressed genes between populations, particularly those involved in pathogen resistance.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Liana T. Burghardt, Brendan Epstein, Michelle Hoge, Diana I. Trujillo, Peter Tiffin
Summary: The research examines the influence of environmental factors on the nitrogen-fixing mutualism between leguminous plants and rhizobial bacteria. It finds that host genotype, nitrogen addition, rhizobial density, and community complexity all affect selection on rhizobial strains. Rhizobial density has a stronger impact on strain frequency compared to nitrogen addition. Higher density leads to less diverse but more beneficial nodule communities, particularly in the context of more selective host genotypes.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Amanda J. Gorton, John W. Benning, Peter Tiffin, David A. Moeller
Summary: Spatial patterns of adaptation were examined in the common ragweed using reciprocal transplant experiments. The study found evidence of local adaptation in the northern region, but maladaptation in the southern region. The results suggest that climate change has caused maladaptation, especially in the southern range, and may result in contraction of the species' range over time.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Brendan Epstein, Liana T. Burghardt, Katy D. Heath, Michael A. Grillo, Adam Kostanecki, Tuomas Hamala, Nevin D. Young, Peter Tiffin
Summary: This study investigated the coevolution between legumes and rhizobia using population genomic analysis. The results showed that there were genotype-by-genotype effects on rhizobial fitness and some rhizobial genes displayed signatures of recent positive selection. However, neither annotated host symbiosis genes nor genes responsible for this variation showed enrichment for positive or balancing selection. This suggests that stabilizing selection dominates the selection acting on symbiotic traits, and the variation in these traits is under mutation-selection balance. Furthermore, the study found that the symbiosis may not be a major driver of variation in plant growth in multistrain contexts.
Review
Genetics & Heredity
Cornille Amandine, Dieter Ebert, Eva Stukenbrock, Ricardo C. Rodriguez de la Vega, Peter Tiff, Daniel Croll, Aurelien Tellier
Summary: Coevolutionary interactions are a common driver of adaptation, but little is known about the genomic processes underlying coevolution in an ecological context. This article reviews recent advances in coevolutionary theory and genomics, and proposes a practical guide to understanding the dynamics of coevolution using an ecological genomics approach.
TRENDS IN GENETICS
(2022)
Correction
Ecology
Charles J. Geyer, Mason W. Kulbaba, Seema N. Sheth, Rachel E. Pain, Vincent M. Eckhart, Ruth G. Shaw
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Alex B. Riley, Michael A. Grillo, Brendan Epstein, Peter Tiffin, Katy D. Heath
Summary: This study examines the population structure of Sinorhizobium meliloti, a bacterial symbiont that forms a root nodule symbiosis with the host plant Medicago truncatula. The results show distinct population structures between hosts and symbionts, indicating potential minimal local specialization.