Comparative expression analysis in three Brassicaceae species revealed compensatory changes of the underlying gene regulatory network

Jessica Pietsch; Anna Deneer; Christian Fleck; Martin Hülskamp

doi:10.3389/fpls.2022.1086004

Comparative expression analysis in three Brassicaceae species revealed compensatory changes of the underlying gene regulatory network

Front Plant Sci. 2023 Jan 4:13:1086004. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1086004. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Jessica Pietsch¹, Anna Deneer², Christian Fleck³, Martin Hülskamp¹

Affiliations

¹ Botanical Institute, Biocenter, Cologne University, Cologne, Germany.
² Biometris, Department of Mathematical and Statistical Methods, Wageningen University, Wageningen, Netherlands.
³ Spatial Systems Biology Group, Center for Data Analysis and Modeling, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.

Abstract

Trichomes are regularly distributed on the leaves of Arabidopsis thaliana. The gene regulatory network underlying trichome patterning involves more than 15 genes. However, it is possible to explain patterning with only five components. This raises the questions about the function of the additional components and the identification of the core network. In this study, we compare the relative expression of all patterning genes in A. thaliana, A. alpina and C. hirsuta by qPCR analysis and use mathematical modelling to determine the relative importance of patterning genes. As the involved proteins exhibit evolutionary conserved differential complex formation, we reasoned that the genes belonging to the core network should exhibit similar expression ratios in different species. However, we find several striking differences of the relative expression levels. Our analysis of how the network can cope with such differences revealed relevant parameters that we use to predict the relevant molecular adaptations in the three species.

Keywords: arabis alpina; brassicaceae; cardamine hirsuta; evolution; genetic analysis; patterning; trichomes.