Bryophytes hold a larger gene family space than vascular plants

Dong, Shanshan; Wang, Sibo; Li, Linzhou; Yu, Jin; Zhang, Yongxia; Xue, Jia-Yu; Chen, Hengchi; Ma, Jianchao; Zeng, Yuying; Cai, Yuqing; Huang, Wei; Zhou, Xuping; Wu, Jiayi; Li, Jianyou; Yao, Yifeng; Hu, Ruoyang; Zhao, Tao; Villarreal, Juan Carlos A.; Dirick, Leon; Liu, Li

doi:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41588-025-02325-9

Bryophytes hold a larger gene family space than vascular plants

Dong, Shanshan

[1];

Wang, Sibo

[2];

Li, Linzhou

[2];

Yu, Jin

[2];

Zhang, Yongxia

[3];

Xue, Jia-Yu

[4];

Chen, Hengchi

[5];

Ma, Jianchao

[6];

Zeng, Yuying

[2];

Cai, Yuqing

[2];

Huang, Wei

[2];

Zhou, Xuping

[1];

Wu, Jiayi

[1];

Li, Jianyou

[1];

Yao, Yifeng

[7];

Hu, Ruoyang

[8];

Zhao, Tao

[9];

Villarreal, Juan Carlos A.

[10];

Dirick, Leon

[11];

Liu, Li

[12];

Ignatov, Michael

[13];

Jin, Minghui

[14];

Ruan, Jue

[14];

He, Yikun

[8];

Wang, Haifeng

[15];

Xu, Bo

[7];

Rozzi Marin, Ricardo Roberto

[16];

Wegrzyn, Jill

[17];

Stevenson, Dennis William

[18];

Renzaglia, Karen S.

[19];

Chen, Hongfeng

[7];

Zhang, Li

[1];

Zhang, Shouzhou

[1];

Mackenzie Calderon, Roy

[20];

Moreno, Javier E.

[21];

Melkonian, Michael

[22];

Wei, Tong

[2];

Gu, Ying

[2];

Xu, Xun

[2];

Rensing, Stefan A.

[23];

Huang, Jinling

[6];

Long, Manyuan

[24];

Goffinet, Bernard

[17];

Bowman, John L.

[25];

van de Peer, Yves

[4];

Liu, Huan

[2];

Liu, Yang

[1]

¹
Fairy Lake Bot Garden
²
Beijing Genomics Institute (BGI)
³
Shenzhen University
⁴
Nanjing Agricultural University
⁵
Ghent University
⁶
Henan University
⁷
Chinese Academy of Sciences
⁸
Capital Normal Univ CNU Beijing
⁹
Northwest A&F University - China
¹⁰
Laval University
¹¹
INRAE
¹²
Hubei University
¹³
Lomonosov Moscow State University
¹⁴
Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences
¹⁵
Guangxi University
¹⁶
Centro universitario UMAG Cabo de Hornos, Puerto Williams
¹⁷
University of Connecticut
¹⁸
New York Botanical Garden
¹⁹
Southern Illinois University System
²⁰
Centro universitario UMAG Cabo de Hornos
²¹
National University of the Littoral
²²
Max Planck Inst Plant Breeding Res MPIPZ
²³
University of Freiburg
²⁴
University of Chicago
²⁵
Monash University

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41588-025-02325-9

Date Issued

2025-10

Type

Artículo

Journal

Nature Genetics

ISSN

1061-4036

1546-1718

Open Access

hybrid

Volume

57

Start page

2562

End page

2569

Links

https://arca.umag.cl/handle/123456789/16003

After 500 million years of evolution, extant land plants compose the following two sister groups: the bryophytes and the vascular plants. Despite their small size and simple structure, bryophytes thrive in a wide variety of habitats, including extreme conditions. However, the genetic basis for their ecological adaptability and long-term survival is not well understood. A comprehensive super-pangenome analysis, incorporating 123 newly sequenced bryophyte genomes, reveals that bryophytes possess a substantially greater diversity of gene families than vascular plants. This includes a higher number of unique and lineage-specific gene families, originating from extensive new gene formation and continuous horizontal transfer of microbial genes over their long evolutionary history. The evolution of bryophytes' rich and diverse genetic toolkit, which includes new physiological innovations like unique immune receptors, likely facilitated their spread across different biomes. These newly sequenced bryophyte genomes offer a valuable resource for exploring alternative evolutionary strategies for terrestrial success.

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Size

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Format

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