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.
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 (In press).
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 (In press).
2009
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 review.
2009
GALLA, G., S. ZENONI, G. MARCONI, G. MARINO, A. BOTTON, F. PINOSA, S. CITTERIO, B. RUPERTI, K. PALME, E. ALBERTINI, M. PEZZOTTI, T.F. SHARBEL & G. BARCACCIA
The Cell Cycle-Associated Mob1 Gene is Responsible for Defective Female Meiosis and Gametogenesis in Arabidopsis thaliana L. Plant Journal, in review.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
