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IPK Gatersleben > Research > Dept. Cytogenetics and Genome Analysis > Apomixis
 

 

Apomixis
Head: Dr Timothy F. Sharbel
Tel: +49 (0)39482 5608
Fax: +49 (0)39482 5137
Email: sharbel@ipk-gatersleben.de

Research Interest
We are interested in the origin and evolution of apomixis (asexual reproduction through seed) in wild plant populations. From a practical standpoint, apomixis technology has been referred to as a potential agricultural revolution due to the extensive benefits it could bring to crop production. From a theoretical standpoint, apomixis is considered an evolutionary-unstable form of reproduction since asexuality should lead to genetic uniformity and mutation accumulation. Apomixis (and parthenogenesis in animals) is nonetheless an extremely successful reproductive strategy in certain biogeographical contexts. Our research thus focuses on naturally-occurring genetic and phenotypic variation on both large and small geographic scales, with the goal of understanding how and why the switch from sexuality to apomixis is made. In addition, apomixis is very frequently associated with polyploidy, hybridization and genomic instability, and thus we also study these phenomena and how they are correlated with apomictic phenotypes.
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Recent References
2010200920082007200620052004
[ ^ ] 2010
2010 SHARBEL, T.F., M.L. VOIGT, J.M. CORRAL, G. GALLA, J. KUMLEHN, C. KLUKAS, F. SCHREIBER, H. VOGEL & B. ROTTER Apomictic and sexual ovules of Boechera display heterochronic global gene expression patterns. The Plant Cell 22:655-671.
2010 HOFMANN, N.R. Apomixis and gene expression in Boechera.  The Plant Cell 22:539.
2010 GALLA, G., G. BARCACCIA, A. SCHALLAU, M. PUENTE MOLINS, H. BAUMLEIN, & T.F. SHARBEL The cytohistological basis of apospory in Hypericum perforatum L. Sex Plant Reprod. (in press)
2010 AMBROSI, D.G., GALLA, G., PURELLI, M., BARBI, T., FABBRI, A.,LUCRETTI, S., SHARBEL, T.F., & G. BARCACCIA DNA Markers and FCSS analyses shed light on the genetic diversity and reproductive strategy of Jatropha curcas L.  Diversity 2:810-836.
 
 
2010 ALIYU, O.M., M.E. SCHRANZ & T.F. SHARBEL Quantitative variation for apomixis components in the genus Boechera.  Am. J. Botany (in press).
 
 
2010 GALLA, G., S. ZENOI, G. MARCONI, G. MARINO, A. BOTTON, F. PINOSA, S. CITTERIO, S. COLLANI, B. RUPERTI, K. PALME, E. ALBERTINI, M. PEZZOTTI, H. DE JONG, M. MAU, T.F. SHARBEL, N. DE SORME, D. GEELEN & G. BARCACCIA Sporophytic and gametophyitic functions of the cell cycle-associated Mob1 gene in Arabidopsis thaliana L. New Phytologist (in review)
2010 BRINGEZU, T.G.G., T.F. SHARBEL & W.E. WEBER Grain development and endoreduplication in maize and the impact of heat stress.  Euphytica (in review). 
 
 
2010 PAULE, J., T.F. SHARBEL & C. DOBES Cytotype and reproductive differentiation in the Potentilla argentea L. group (Rosaceae). Molecular Ecology (in review).
[ ^ ] 2009
2009 ALBERTINI, E., G. BARCACCIA, A. MAZZUCATO, T.F. SHARBEL & M. FALCINELLI
Apomixis in the era of biotechnology. In Plant Developmental Biology - Biotechnological Perspectives:  Volume 1 (Pua E.C. and Davey M. eds.). Berlin: Springer Verlag.  pp. 405-436.
2009 ANSSOUR, S., T. KRÜGEL, T.F. SHARBEL, H.P. SALUZ, G. BONAVENTURE, & I.T. BALDWIN Phenotypic, genetic and genomic consequences of natural and synthetic polyploidization of Nicotiana attenuata and Nicotiana obtusifolia. Annals of Botany 103: 1207-1217.
2009 CORRAL, J.M., M. PIWCZYNSKI & T.F. SHARBEL
Allelic sequence divergence in the apomictic Boechera holboellii complex. In Lost Sex, the Evolutionary Biology of Parthenogenetic Reproduction (Schön, I., Martens, K. and van Dijk, P.J., eds). Berlin: Springer Verlag.  pp. 495-516.
2009 KIEFER, C., C. DOBES, T.F. SHARBEL & M.S. KOCH Phylogeographic structure of the chloroplast DNA gene pool in North American Boechera - a genus and continental wide perspective. Mol. Phyl. Evol.  52(2): 303-311.
2009 LOXDALE, H., F. NYABUGA, W. WEISSER, TF SHARBEL, & M. TODD Microsatellites from Lysiphlebus hirticornis Mackauer (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a specialist primary parasitoid attacking the specialist tansy aphid, Metopeurum fuscoviride Stroyan (Hemiptera: Aphididae).  Molecular Ecology Resources 9(3): 931-934.
2009 SHARBEL, T.F., M.L. VOIGT, J.M. CORRAL, T. THIEL, A. VARSHNEY, J. KUMLEHN, H. VOGEL & B. ROTTER Molecular signatures of apomictic and sexual ovules in the Boechera holboellii complex. The Plant Journal 58(5): 870-882.
[ ^ ] 2008
[ ^ ] 2007
2007 BARCACCIA, G., H. BÄUMLEIN, & T.F. SHARBEL Apomixis in St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum): An overview and glimpse towards the future. HÖRANDL E., GROSSNIKLAUS U., VAN DIJK P., SHARBEL T.F. (eds.): Apomixis: Evolution, Mechanisms and Perspectives. International Association for Plant Taxonomy, Koeltz Scientific Books pp 259-280.
2007 DOBES, C., T.F. SHARBEL & M. KOCH Towards understanding the dynamics of hybridization and apomixis in the evolution of genus Boechera (Brassicaceae). Syst. Biodiversity 5: 321-331.
2007 HÖRANDL, E., U. GROSSNIKLAUS, P. VAN DIJK & T. SHARBEL

Apomixis: Evolution, Mechanisms and Perspectives. Gantner, Ruggell [Regnum Veg. 147].

2007 KANTAMA, L., T.F. SHARBEL, M. ERIC SCHRANZ, T. MITCHELL-OLDS, S. DE VRIES & H. DE JONG Diploid apomicts of the Boechera holboelli complex display large scale chromosome substitutions and aberrant chromosomes.  Proc. Natl.  Acad.  Sci. 104: 14026-14031.
2007 VOIGT, M.-L., M. MELZER, T. RUTTEN, T. MITCHELL-OLDS & T.F. SHARBEL Gametogenesis in the apomictic Boechera holboellii complex: the male perspective. HÖRANDL E., GROSSNIKLAUS U., VAN DIJK P., SHARBEL T.F. (eds.): Apomixis: Evolution, Mechanisms and Perspectives. International Association for Plant Taxonomy, Koeltz Scientific Books pp. 235-258.
[ ^ ] 2006
2006 BARCACCIA, G. F. ARZENTON, T.F. SHARBEL, S. VAROTTO, P. PARRINI & M. LUCCHIN Genetic diversity and reproductive biology in ecotypes of the facultative apomict Hypericum perforatum L. Heredity 96: 322-334.
2006 DOBES, C., M. KOCH & T.F. SHARBEL Embryology, karyology, and modes of reproduction in North American genus Boechera (Brassicaceae): a compilation of seven decades of research. Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 93: 517-533.
[ ^ ] 2005
2005 MATZK, F., S. PRODANOVIC, H. BÄUMLEIN & I. SCHUBERT The Inheritance of Apomixis in Poa pratensis Confirms a Five Locus Model with Differences in Gene Expressivity and Penetrance. Plant Cell 17(1): 13-24.
2005 MITCHELL-OLDS, T., I.A. AL-SHEHBAZ, M. KOCH & T.F. SHARBEL Crucifer evolution in the post-genomic era. HENRY R.J. (ed.): Plant Diversity and Evolution, Genotypic and Phenotypic Variation in Higher Plants. CABI Publishing (Cambridge, MA), pp. 119-138.
2005 SHARBEL, T.F., T. MITCHELL-OLDS, C. DOBES, L. KANTAMA & H. DE JONG Biogeographic distribution of polyploidy and B chromosomes in the apomictic Boechera holboellii complex. PUERTAS M., NARANJO T. (eds.): Plant Cytogenetics (special issue of Cytogenetic and Genome Research) 109 (1-3): 283-292.
[ ^ ] 2004
2004 SHARBEL, T.F., M.-L. VOIGT, T. MITCHELL-OLDS, L. KANTAMA & H. DE JONG Are the aneuploid chromosomes in the apomictic Boechera holboellii complex B chromosomes? CAMACHO J.P.M. (ed.): B Chromosomes in the Eukaryote Genome (special issue of Cytogenetic and Genome Research). Cytogenetic and Genome Research 106(2-4): 173-183.
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Staff
scientific staff
Corral Garcia, Dr. Jose Maria +49 (0)39482 5216
Mau, Martin +49 (0)39482 5673
Pellino, Marco +49 (0)39482 5232
Puente Molins, Dr. Marta +49 (0)39482 5216
Sharbel, Dr. Timothy +49 (0)39482 5608
staff or visitors
Aliyu, Dr. Olawale Mashood +49 (0)39482 5673
Amiteye, Samuel +49 (0)39482 5216
Block, Heidi +49 (0)39482 5232
Boerner, Leane +49 (0)39482 5774
Fischer, Silvana
Katzorke, Vera +49 (0)39482 5297
Otto, Dr. Lars-Gernot
Piwczynski, Marcin
Schmeichel, Thomas +49 (0)39482 5232
Thiel, Thomas +49 (0)39482 5390
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Interesting Links
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Keywords
apomixis, apomeiosis, Boechera, embryogenesis, Hypericum, parthenogenesis, hybridization