Comparative transcriptomic analysis reveals conserved transcriptional programs underpinning organogenesis and reproduction in land plants

The evolution of plant organs, including leaves, stems, roots, and flowers, mediated the explosive radiation of land plants, which shaped the biosphere and allowed the establishment of terrestrial animal life. Furthermore, the fertilization products of angiosperms, seeds serve as the basis for most of our food. The evolution of organs and immobile gametes required the coordinated acquisition of novel gene functions, the co-option of existing genes, and the development of novel regulatory programs. However, our knowledge of these events is limited, as no large-scale analyses of genomic and transcriptomic data have been performed for land plants. To remedy this, we have generated gene expression atlases for various organs and gametes of 10 plant species comprising bryophytes, vascular plants, gymnosperms, and flowering plants. Comparative analysis of the atlases identified hundreds of organ- and gamete-specific gene families and revealed that most of the specific transcriptomes are significantly conserved. Interestingly, the appearance of organ-specific gene families does not coincide with the corresponding organ’s appearance, suggesting that co-option of existing genes is the main mechanism for evolving new organs. In contrast to female gametes, male gametes showed a high number and conservation of specific genes, suggesting that male reproduction is highly specialized. The expression atlas capturing pollen development revealed numerous transcription factors and kinases essential for pollen biogenesis and function. To provide easy access to the expression atlases and these comparative analyses, we provide an online database, www.evorepro.plant.tools, that allows the exploration of expression profiles, organ-specific genes, phylogenetic trees, co-expression networks, and others.