The Olsen Lab
Washington University, Department of Biology
Evolution, Ecology, and Population Biology Program
Plant Biology Program
Molecular evolution of cyanogenesis in white clover (Trifolium repens)
White clover (Trifolium repens) is naturally polymorphic for cyanogenesis (HCN production with tissue damage). Cyanogenesis protects plants from small herbivores, but frequencies of cyanogenic plants decrease in colder climates, possibly because cyanogenesis is detrimental to plants in areas of frequent frosts. The cyanogenesis polymorphism is controlled by two genes: Ac controls the presence/absence of cyanogenic glucosides, and Li controls the presence/absence of the enzyme required for their hydrolysis (linamarase). We are currently examining the molecular evolution of the cyanogenesis loci to understand the genetic basis and evolutionary dynamics of this adaptive variation.
The results of an assay to detect the presence or absence of cyanogenesis components in clover.