Syllabus
Advances in sequencing and its importance for evolutionary studies. How "Next-generation" sequencing works and how many model specie we have.
What are plants? Presentation of the main evolutionary lineages of plants from the oldest algae ancestors, summary of their main features and evolutionary advances.Transition of plants to land in light of paleobiology and molecular biology. Where did sporophyte come from, what is it good for and how is the transition between the gametophytic and sporophytic phase of plant development regulated? Wood is a fundamental innovation of vascular plants. Where did it come from and how is it related to the evolution of blood vessels in plants? And what have bryophytes already? Mechanisms of evolution of new genes - polyploidization and duplication of genes. Paleopolyploidization in Arabidopsis and other lines versus neopolyploidization. The mysterious phenomenon of diploidization and what is known about its mechanism. How are genes rearranged? How did plant-specific phytohormonal signaling pathways occur? Were they already present in algae, or did they arise as a novelty of plants after the transition to land? We will discuss in detail the development of auxin signaling and compare it with other signalling based on controlled protein degradation.How the meristem activity of the plant is regulated and from how this signaling evolved. How is the root and shoot meristem related to each other and when did the root evolve in evolution? Leaf evolution in the context of molecular biology. Is Zimmerman's theory true? Are leaves of lycopods, ferns and more advanced plants really different? What is the history of genes that regulate the formation of flower. Will it help us to uncover the mystery of the flower's origin?Membrane receptors and signal peptides. The largest and still under-studied plant signalling component.
Annotation
Course on the emergence of plants and evolution of key innovations in their development. It is discussed the transition of plants to land, the emergence of sporophyte, evolution of shoots, leaves and roots and the origin of flowers.
Furthermore, the similarities between individual phytohormonal signalling pathways are shown and their origin is revealed. The general part of the course deals with the mechanisms of gene formation, polyploidization and diploidization.