What genes make a tree a tree?
Previously it was suggested that the defining feature of trees lies in the distinct regulatory patterns of genes shared by both herbaceous and woody plants.
Using the tree genome, Populus trichocarpa, the researchers performed comparative analyses of selection pressures and gene copy numbers to uncover new insights into what genes make a tree a tree.
The results highlight genes that may distinguish trees from herbs and suggest that factors beyond regulatory differences, such as pseudogenization and differences in gene copy numbers, may contribute to this distinction.
https://www.cell.com/trends/plant-science/fulltext/S1360-1385(25)00282-1
