Isoetes taiwanensis

Isoetes taiwanensis is a species of plant in the family Isoetaceae. It is endemic to Taiwan, and the only species of quillwort there. As other quillworts, it is relatively small, with erect leaves 7–24 cm (2.8–9.4 in) long. It grows submersed in shallow ponds for most of the year.[2] IUCN considers it critically endangered because of habitat loss.[1]

Isoetes taiwanensis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Lycophytes
Class: Lycopodiopsida
Order: Isoetales
Family: Isoetaceae
Genus: Isoetes
Species:
I. taiwanensis
Binomial name
Isoetes taiwanensis
De Vol

The first quillwort genome sequence was of I. taiwanensis.[3] This showed that there were differences in its biochemistry from terrestrial plants that had adopted the same strategy for CO2 fixation, namely Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM). This involves the enzyme phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) and plants have two forms of the enzyme. One is normally involved in CO2 fixation during photosynthesis and the other in central metabolism. From the genome sequence, it appears that in I. taiwanensis both forms are involved in photosynthesis. In addition, the time of day of the peak abundance of some of the components of CAM was different from terrestrial plants. These fundamental differences in biochemistry suggests that CAM in I. taiwanensis, and likely all quillworts, is another example of convergent evolution of CAM.[3]

References
  1. China Plant Specialist Group (2004). "Isoetes taiwanensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2004: e.T46616A11070562. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2004.RLTS.T46616A11070562.en. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  2. Devol, Charles E. (1994). "Isoetaceae". In Huang, Tseng-chieng (ed.). Flora of Taiwan. Vol. 1 (2nd ed.). Taipei, Taiwan: Editorial Committee of the Flora of Taiwan, Second Edition. pp. 58–59. ISBN 957-9019-52-5. Archived from the original on 4 July 2018. Retrieved 8 September 2012.
  3. Wickell, David; Kuo, Li-Yaung; Yang, Hsiao-Pei; others, and 11 (2021). "Underwater CAM photosynthesis elucidated by Isoetes genome". Nature Communications. 12 (1): 6348. Bibcode:2021NatCo..12.6348W. doi:10.1038/s41467-021-26644-7. PMC 8566536. PMID 34732722.
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