The prevalence of polyploidy in wild and crop species has stimulated debate over its evolutionary advantages and disadvantages. Previous studies have focused on changes occurring at the ...polyploidization events, including genome-wide changes termed “genome shock,” as well as ancient polyploidy. Recent bioinformatics advances and empirical studies of Arabidopsis and wheat relatives are filling a research gap: the functional evolutionary study of polyploid species using RNA-seq, DNA polymorphism, and epigenomics. Polyploid species can become generalists in natura through environmental robustness by inheriting and merging parental stress responses. Their evolvability is enhanced by mutational robustness working on inherited standing variation. The identification of key genes responsible for gradual adaptive evolution will encourage synthetic biological approaches to transfer polyploid advantages to other species.
•Advances in bioinformatics enabled high-resolution analysis of polyploid genomics.•Polyploids can become generalists by inheriting and merging parental adaptations.•Mutational robustness enhances evolvability of polyploid species.•There are pitfalls in assessing the contribution of gradual evolution and genome shock.•Population genomics fills a research gap between ancient and synthetic polyploids.
A sulfonated indium (In) metal organic framework (MOF) is reported with an anionic layered structure incorporating hydrogen-bonded dimethylammonium cations and water molecules. The MOF becomes ...amorphous in >60% relative humidity; however, impedance analysis of pelletized powders revealed a proton conduction value of over 10–3 S cm–1 at 25 °C and 40% RH, a very high proton conduction value for low humidity and moderate temperature. Given the modest humidity stability of the MOF, triaxial impedance analyses on a single crystal was performed and confirmed bulk proton conductivity over 10–3 S cm–1 along two axes corroborating the data from the pellet.
Understanding the molecular details of CO₂-sorbent interactions is critical for the design of better carbon-capture systems. Here we report crystallographic resolution of CO₂ molecules and their ...binding domains in a metal-organic framework functionalized with amine groups. Accompanying computational studies that modeled the gas sorption isotherms, high heat of adsorption, and CO₂ lattice positions showed high agreement on all three fronts. The modeling apportioned specific binding interactions for each CO₂ molecule, including substantial cooperative binding effects among the guest molecules. The validation of the capacity of such simulations to accurately model molecular-scale binding bodes well for the theory-aided development of amine-based CO₂ sorbents. The analysis shows that the combination of appropriate pore size, strongly interacting amine functional groups, and the cooperative binding of CO₂ guest molecules is responsible for the low-pressure binding and large uptake of CO₂ in this sorbent material.
Selfing has evolved in animals, fungi, and plants, and since Darwin's pioneering study, it is considered one of the most frequent evolutionary trends in flowering plants. Generally, the evolution of ...selfing is characterized by a loss of self-incompatibility, the selfing syndrome, and changes in genome-wide polymorphism patterns. Recent interdisciplinary studies involving molecular functional experiments, genome-wide data, experimental evolution, and evolutionary ecology using
Arabidopsis thaliana, Caenorhabditis elegans
, and other species show that the evolution of selfing is not merely a degradation of outcrossing traits but a model for studying the recurrent patterns underlying adaptive molecular evolution. For example, in wild
Arabidopsis
relatives, self-compatibility evolved from mutations in the male specificity gene,
S-LOCUS CYSTEINE-RICH PROTEIN S-LOCUS PROTEIN 11
(
SCR SP11
), rather than the female specificity gene,
S-LOCUS RECEPTOR KINASE
(
SRK
), supporting the theoretical prediction of sexual asymmetry. Prevalence of dominant self-compatible mutations is consistent with Haldane's sieve, which acts against recessive adaptive mutations. Time estimates based on genome-wide polymorphisms and self-incompatibility genes generally support the recent origin of selfing.
Recent advances in the genomics of polyploid species answer some of the long-standing questions about the role of polyploidy in crop species. Here, we summarize the current literature to reexamine ...scenarios in which polyploidy played a role both before and after domestication. The prevalence of polyploidy can help to explain environmental robustness in agroecosystems. This review also clarifies the molecular basis of some agriculturally advantageous traits of polyploid crops, including yield increments in polyploid cotton via subfunctionalization, modification of a separated sexuality to selfing in polyploid persimmon via neofunctionalization, and transition to a selfing system via nonfunctionalization combined with epistatic interaction between duplicated S-loci. The rapid progress in genomics and genetics is discussed along with how this will facilitate functional studies of understudied polyploid crop species.
•The quality of genomic analyses of polyploid crop species has improved markedly.•Polyploidization was involved in crop domestication, but the paths were complex.•Polyploidy may be common in mass extinctions and related to the generalist niche.•Dioecy was converted to selfing systems via polyploidization in persimmon.•Epistatic interaction of duplicated S-loci facilitated self-compatibility.
Metal–organic framework (MOF) materials are a nontraditional route to ion conductors, but their crystallinity can give insight into molecular-level transport mechanisms. However, some MOFs can be ...structurally compromised in humid environments. A new 3D metal–organic framework, PCMOF-5, is reported which conducts protons above 10–3 S/cm at 60 °C and 98% relative humidity. The MOF contains free phosphonic acid groups, shows high humidity stability, and resists swelling in the presence of hydration. Channels filled with crystallographically located water and acidic groups are also observed.
Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as solid sorbents for carbon dioxide (CO
) capture face the challenge of merging efficient capture with economical regeneration in a durable, scalable material. ...Zinc-based Calgary Framework 20 (CALF-20) physisorbs CO
with high capacity but is also selective over water. Competitive separations on structured CALF-20 show not just preferential CO
physisorption below 40% relative humidity but also suppression of water sorption by CO
, which was corroborated by computational modeling. CALF-20 has a low enthalpic regeneration penalty and shows durability to steam (>450,000 cycles) and wet acid gases. It can be prepared in one step, formed as composite materials, and its synthesis can be scaled to multikilogram batches.
Post-combustion CO2 capture from the flue gas is one of the key technology options to reduce greenhouse gases, because this can be potentially retrofitted to the existing fleet of coal-fired power ...stations. Adsorption processes using solid sorbents capable of capturing CO2 from flue gas streams have shown many potential advantages, compared to other conventional CO2 capture using aqueous amine solvents. In view of this, in the past few years, several research groups have been involved in the development of new solid sorbents for CO2 capture from flue gas with superior performance and desired economics. A variety of promising sorbents such as activated carbonaceous materials, microporous/mesoporous silica or zeolites, carbonates, and polymeric resins loaded with or without nitrogen functionality for the removal of CO2 from the flue gas streams have been reviewed. Different methods of impregnating functional groups, including grafting techniques and modifying the support materials, have been discussed to enhance the performance of the sorbents. The performance characteristics of the solid sorbents are assessed in terms of various desired attributes, such as their equilibrium adsorption capacity, selectivity, regeneration, multicycle durability, and adsorption/desorption kinetics. The potential of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) is also recognized to determine whether these novel materials provide better CO2 adsorption capacity under low CO2 partial pressure. A comprehensive critical review and analysis of the literature on this subject has been carried out to update the recent progress in this arena. A comparison of different solid sorbents at different stages is made. It also includes a brief review on techno-economic analysis and design aspects of sorbent bed contactor configuration. Finally, a few recommendations have been proposed for further research efforts to progress post-combustion carbon capture.
A new porous metal–organic framework (MOF), barium tetraethyl-1,3,6,8-pyrenetetraphosphonate (CALF-25), which contains a new phosphonate monoester ligand, was synthesized through a hydrothermal ...method. The MOF is a three-dimensional structure containing 4.6 Å × 3.9 Å rectangular one-dimensional pores lined with the ethyl ester groups from the ligand. The presence of the ethyl ester groups makes the pores hydrophobic in nature, as determined by the low heats of adsorption of CH4, CO2, and H2O (14.5, 23.9, and 45 kJ mol–1, respectively) despite the polar and acidic barium phosphonate ester backbone. The ethyl ester groups within the pores also protect CALF-25 from decomposition by water vapor, with crystallinity and porosity being retained after exposure to harsh humid conditions (90% relative humidity at 353 K). The use of phosphonate esters as linkers for the construction of MOFs provides a method to protect hydrolytically susceptible coordination backbones through kinetic blocking.
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