iDiv Annual Conference 2026

Phylogenomic and transcriptomic insights into the repeated evolution of fruit types in angiosperms

Not scheduled

20m

Talk Functions

Speaker

Ding-Jie Wang

Description

Fruits are key innovations in angiosperms, with dry and fleshy types reflecting distinct reproductive and ecological strategies. Dry fruits mainly rely on abiotic dispersal or mechanical release, whereas fleshy fruits attract frugivores through nutritional rewards and visual signals. Although dry and fleshy fruits evolved repeatedly across angiosperms, the molecular changes underlying the recurrent evolution at genomic or transcriptomic levels remain unresolved. Here, we combined phylogenomic analyses across 187 angiosperm species with comparative transcriptomic analyses from 20 species to explore their developmental and evolutionary basis. Dry fruit species exhibited significantly higher gene copy numbers than fleshy fruit species, suggesting distinct patterns of genome evolution associated with fruit type differentiation. Using phylogenetic generalized linear models (PGLMs), we identified repeated expansions of gene families related to fruit dehiscence and programmed cell death in dry fruits, whereas fleshy fruits showed repeated expansions in gene families associated with fruit ripening, ethylene signaling and sugar metabolism. Cross-species RNA-seq further revealed the transcriptional divergence during fruit development. Although both fruit types shared conserved developmental programs, genes upregulated in fleshy fruits were enriched in ripening-related processes, including aroma and secondary metabolisms, which may contribute to dispersal-related traits in fleshy fruits. In contrast, dry fruits showed enrichment in secondary cell wall biogenesis and stress response processes, consistent with their mechanical dispersal strategies. Most fruit-associated genes acted during ripening, marking the transition from photosynthetic and defended tissues to mature reproductive organs. Together, these findings suggest that repeated fruit type evolution is associated with both gene copy number changes and shifts in developmental gene expression patterns, providing insights into the molecular basis of fruit diversification across angiosperms.