PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Tianyuan Lu
AU  - Ming-Rui Li
AU  - Ning Ding
AU  - Zhen-Hui Wang
AU  - Li-Zhen Lan
AU  - Xiang Gao
AU  - Lin-Feng Li
TI  - Genetic and epigenetic mechanisms underpinning the adaptive radiation of <em>Aquilegia</em> species
AID  - 10.1101/782821
DP  - 2019 Jan 01
TA  - bioRxiv
PG  - 782821
4099  - http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2019/09/26/782821.short
4100  - http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2019/09/26/782821.full
AB  - Elucidating how the intrinsic factors interact with extrinsic triggers to determine species diversification is crucial to understanding the evolution and persistence of biodiversity. The genus Aquilegia is a model system to address the evolutionary mechanisms underpinning rapid adaptive radiation.We surveyed the genomes and methylomes of ten worldwide Aquilegia species to investigate whether specific genetic and epigenetic architectures are involved in the diversification of Asian, European and North American columbine species.The resulting phylogenies and population structure inferences revealed high divergence among the Asian, European and North American species. Candidate genes identified at the genetic and epigenetic levels are functionally correlated with diverse adaptation-related traits such as cell reproduction, flower development, and stress tolerance. In particular, a considerable proportion of the selection genes and their associated pathways show overlaps among the intra- and inter-lineage comparisons. Moreover, while CG-loss variations can lead to depletion of cytosine methylation level, epigenetic modification is a complementary intrinsic factor that intertwines with genetic mechanism to facilitate the diversification of Aquilegia species.Our findings suggest that specific genetic and epigenetic architectures have conferred high adaptability to the columbine species to cope with diverse external conditions, which eventually led to the rapid radiation of Aquilegia species.