Convergent evolution of plant prickles by repeated gene co-option over deep time.

An enduring question in evolutionary biology concerns the degree to which episodes of convergent trait evolution depend on the same genetic programs, particularly over long timescales. In this work, we genetically dissected repeated origins and losses of prickles-sharp epidermal projections-that convergently evolved in numerous plant lineages. Mutations in a cytokinin hormone biosynthetic gene caused at least 16 independent losses of prickles in eggplants and wild relatives in the genus .

Dynamic evolution of small signalling peptide compensation in plant stem cell control.

Gene duplications are a hallmark of plant genome evolution and a foundation for genetic interactions that shape phenotypic diversity. Compensation is a major form of paralogue interaction but how compensation relationships change as allelic variation accumulates is unknown. Here we leveraged genomics and genome editing across the Solanaceae family to capture the evolution of compensating paralogues.