Silene, a versatile model system: from sex and genome evolution to ecology and speciation.
Karrenberg S, Bačovský V, Berardi AE, De Cauwer I, Giraud T
Plant Evolution
PubMedUnderstanding how plants like campions and catchflies adapt, fight disease, and evolve new traits gives scientists the tools to better predict how wildflowers and crops will respond to climate change, new pathogens, and shifting pollinator populations.
Silene is a group of common wildflowers — including campions and catchflies — that scientists have been using for decades as a kind of living laboratory. By studying these plants, researchers have figured out how plants develop separate male and female individuals, how they fend off fungal diseases, and how their flowers change shape and color to attract specific pollinators. This review rounds up all the major discoveries and points toward exciting questions these plants can help answer next.
Key Findings
Silene research has pioneered understanding of how sex chromosomes form and function in plants, offering clues about the evolution of separate sexes across the plant kingdom.
Studies of Silene flowers infected by anther-smut fungi revealed key insights into how pathogens specialize on particular host plants and how plants and their diseases coevolve over time.
Silene is emerging as a model for studying how plants adapt to harsh abiotic environments and how pollinator-driven selection shapes flower color, scent, and structure.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Scientists review how the flowering plant genus Silene has become a powerful research tool for understanding how plants evolve, reproduce, and adapt. Studies using Silene have yielded major discoveries about sex chromosomes, plant-fungus interactions, and how flowers evolve to attract pollinators.
Abstract Preview
Fundamental and applied research in evolutionary biology benefits from the use of model systems in which approaches from disparate disciplines can be integrated. Here, we review recent progress in ...
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Species Mentioned
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Silene is a genus of flowering plants in the family Caryophyllaceae. Containing nearly 900 species, it is the largest genus in the family. Common names include campion and catchfly. Many Silene species are widely distributed, particularly in the northern hemisphere.