7
The Journey of Spirodela
Whole-Genome Sequencing
Dong An and Wenqin Wang
Abstract
The Spirodela shows great potential in the fields
of high-protein animal feed, biofuel, bioreactor,
and wastewater remediator, whereas the deficiency of genome greatly impedes the advancement of molecular biology and industrial
applications. Thus, sequencing and annotating
Spirodela genome is the prerequisite for opening new frontiers in the study of aquatic plants.
There are extraordinary resequencing efforts for
more Spirodela genotypes, which would help
fully interpret the genome and facilitate the
functional genomic studies. The sequence
information will allow the genetic dissection
of the characters involved in the aquatic
adaptation and the breeding strategies for the
improvement of biofuel, as well as stopping
environmental damage.
7.1 Introduction
The greater duckweeds, Spirodela polyrhiza, are
the aquatic flowering plants with the simplest
morphology and the smallest size (Wang et al.
2011). Spirodela is widely distributed over the
world, stretching at nearly any altitude from frigid to torrid zones (Xue et al. 2012; Wang 1990).
Some of the current uses of Spirodela are
promising biofuel candidates (Cui and Cheng
2015), bioengineering protein factories (Stomp
2005), wastewater remediation (Rahman and
Hasegawa 2011; Naumann et al. 2007), toxicity
testing organism (Wang 1990), and animal feed
(Culley and Epps 1973) (Fig. 7.1).
The Spirodela polyrhiza (Greater duckweed)
is comprised of leave-like fronds and roots. The
daughter fronds can be induced into the dormant
stage, called turions, under the stimulations of
low temperature, poor nutrition, and hormone of
abscisic acid. The Spirodela contains rich features that is greatly utilized in molecular biology
and biotechnology industry. The characteristics
of fast growth, heavy metal absorption, clonal
propagation, and starch accumulation contribute
to their potential applications in the fields of
biomass, bioremediator, bioreactor, and biofuel,
respectively.
7.2 Fast-Growing, Forever-Young
Plants as a Promising Biofuel
Spirodela fronds resemble cotyledons, and
embryonic leaves inside plant seeds become the
first leaves after germination. Unlike other plants
that develop different kinds of leaves as they
mature, Spirodela is arrested in the junior stage
D. An Á W. Wang (&)
School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao
Tong University, Shanghai, China
e-mail: wang2015@sjtu.edu.cn
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
X. H. Cao et al. (eds.), The Duckweed Genomes, Compendium of Plant Genomes,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-11045-1_7
77
The Journey of Spirodela
Whole-Genome Sequencing
Dong An and Wenqin Wang
Abstract
The Spirodela shows great potential in the fields
of high-protein animal feed, biofuel, bioreactor,
and wastewater remediator, whereas the deficiency of genome greatly impedes the advancement of molecular biology and industrial
applications. Thus, sequencing and annotating
Spirodela genome is the prerequisite for opening new frontiers in the study of aquatic plants.
There are extraordinary resequencing efforts for
more Spirodela genotypes, which would help
fully interpret the genome and facilitate the
functional genomic studies. The sequence
information will allow the genetic dissection
of the characters involved in the aquatic
adaptation and the breeding strategies for the
improvement of biofuel, as well as stopping
environmental damage.
7.1 Introduction
The greater duckweeds, Spirodela polyrhiza, are
the aquatic flowering plants with the simplest
morphology and the smallest size (Wang et al.
2011). Spirodela is widely distributed over the
world, stretching at nearly any altitude from frigid to torrid zones (Xue et al. 2012; Wang 1990).
Some of the current uses of Spirodela are
promising biofuel candidates (Cui and Cheng
2015), bioengineering protein factories (Stomp
2005), wastewater remediation (Rahman and
Hasegawa 2011; Naumann et al. 2007), toxicity
testing organism (Wang 1990), and animal feed
(Culley and Epps 1973) (Fig. 7.1).
The Spirodela polyrhiza (Greater duckweed)
is comprised of leave-like fronds and roots. The
daughter fronds can be induced into the dormant
stage, called turions, under the stimulations of
low temperature, poor nutrition, and hormone of
abscisic acid. The Spirodela contains rich features that is greatly utilized in molecular biology
and biotechnology industry. The characteristics
of fast growth, heavy metal absorption, clonal
propagation, and starch accumulation contribute
to their potential applications in the fields of
biomass, bioremediator, bioreactor, and biofuel,
respectively.
7.2 Fast-Growing, Forever-Young
Plants as a Promising Biofuel
Spirodela fronds resemble cotyledons, and
embryonic leaves inside plant seeds become the
first leaves after germination. Unlike other plants
that develop different kinds of leaves as they
mature, Spirodela is arrested in the junior stage
D. An Á W. Wang (&)
School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao
Tong University, Shanghai, China
e-mail: wang2015@sjtu.edu.cn
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
X. H. Cao et al. (eds.), The Duckweed Genomes, Compendium of Plant Genomes,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-11045-1_7
77