Targeted sequence capture study of the Portullugo

We used targeted sequence capture to obtain gene sequence data from the plant clade Portullugo. This clade contains the cacti and their relatives and is especially interesting because plants within the clade have all three major photosynthesis types found in land plants: C3, C4, and CAM photosynthesis. We specifically targeted genes that are known to be involved in C4 and CAM photosynthesis, so we could look for mutations in those gene sequences that would optimize them genes for C4 and CAM photosynthesis (some of these mutations are already known from previous studies on grasses and on the Portullugo). Knowing which gene changes arose in different groups (and which changes seem to be necessary for C4 or CAM photosynthesis and arose in all groups), can help us understand these water-conserving types of photosynthesis better. We also sequenced other genes with various different functions in order to have more information to use to reconstruct the relationships of these species.