Abstract
Altitudinal gradients in mountain environments impose selection pressures that could result in marked heterogeneity in genetic characteristics, population features and reproductive success. ...Most Cactaceae occur in arid and semi-arid areas of the American continent, from sea level to 4500 m a.s.l., and some species have wide altitudinal ranges. The aim of this work was to analyse how cytogenetic features (mitotic chromosomes analysed using molecular cytogenetic techniques, DNA content estimated by flow cytometry), amplified fragment length polymorphism genetic diversity, population features (population density and individual size) and reproductive success (seeds per plant and fruit production) are related to an altitudinal gradient in five sites of Gymnocalycium monvillei located between 878 and 2230 m a.s.l. Our results showed that the sites at three intermediate altitude have optimal conditions as greatest genetic diversity, highest population density and highest seed production, whereas extreme sites are characterized by greatest reproductive isolation and highest DNA content and seed mass. The results indicate that the species has various mechanisms to survive along altitudinal gradients.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
•Sixty genotypes of Aloe vera were explored to reveal genetic diversity and population structure using AFLP markers.•All the genotypes were separated into three major clusters based on their genetic ...polymorphism.•The AMOVA analysis revealed 4.1% genetic variation among the three major groups of genotypes and 95.9% genetic variation among all the genotypes of Aloe vera.•The percentage of polymorphic loci was 93.75, 91.67, and 91.67, respectively, within the arid, temperate, and coastline zone groups.•Overall the study identified wide genetic variation among genotypes of Aloe vera that can be exploited for the future breeding program.
Aloe vera has been used since ancient times for cosmetics and medicinal uses. In the present study, sixty genotypes were collected from different agro-climatic zones to evaluate genetic variation using amplified fragment length polymorphism markers. A total of ten primer combinations were used, which generated a total of 16,578 fragments from 419 loci with an average of 41.9 loci per primer. The resolving power of the primers ranged from 24.86 to 87.20 with an average of 55.23 and polymorphic information content ranged from 0.92 to 0.98 with an average of 0.95. Clustering pattern and principal coordinate analysis revealed a considerable genetic variability among the selected genotypes. The population genetic analysis was carried out in terms of some essential genetic diversity parameters viz., Na, Ne, H, I, NPL, PPL, Hs, Ht, Nm, and Gst, which indicated a high degree of genetic diversity. Analysis of molecular variance revealed 7.46% genetic variation among the groups and 91.46% among genotypes. The degree of freedom and variance component observed were 2 and 3.496, respectively, among the groups and 57 and 42.858, among the genotypes. Population structure analysis assumes three populations that are consistent with an initial grouping of the genotypes based on their geographical regions. Furthermore, it is concluded that the AFLP markers were found an ideal tool for the genetic diversity in Aloe vera because it is a highly reproducible, highly polymorphic, high throughput, and cost-effective method. Observed results can be used for proper maintenance, validation, and effective utilization of Aloe vera genotypes.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Epigenetic modification of cytosine methylation states can be elicited by environmental stresses and may be a key process affecting phenotypic plasticity and adaptation. Parasites are potent ...stressors with profound physiological and ecological effects on their host, but there is little understanding in how parasites may influence host methylation states. Here, we estimate epigenetic diversity and differentiation among 21 populations of red grouse (Lagopus lagopus scotica) in north‐east Scotland and test for association of gastrointestinal parasite load (caecal nematode Trichostrongylus tenuis) with hepatic genome‐wide and locus‐specific methylation states. Following methylation‐sensitive AFLP (MSAP), 129 bands, representing 73 methylation‐susceptible and 56 nonmethylated epiloci, were scored across 234 individuals. The populations differed significantly in genome‐wide methylation levels and were also significantly epigenetically (FSC = 0.0227; P < 0.001) and genetically (FSC = 0.0058; P < 0.001) differentiated. Parasite load was not associated with either genome‐wide methylation levels or epigenetic differentiation. Instead, we found eight disproportionately differentiated epilocus‐specific methylation states (FST outliers) using bayescan software and significant positive and negative association of 35 methylation states with parasite load from bespoke generalized estimating equations (GEE), simple logistic regression (sam) and Bayesian environmental analysis (bayenv2). Following Sanger sequencing, genome mapping and geneontology (go) annotation, some of these epiloci were linked to genes involved in regulation of cell cycle, signalling, metabolism, immune system and notably rRNA methylation, histone acetylation and small RNAs. These findings demonstrate an epigenetic signature of parasite load in populations of a wild bird and suggest intriguing physiological effects of parasite‐associated cytosine methylation.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Global pesticide exposure in agriculture leads to biodiversity loss, even at ultra-low concentrations below the legal limits. The mechanisms by which the effects of toxicants act at such low ...concentrations are still unclear, particularly in relation to their propagation across the different biological levels. In this study, we demonstrate, for the first time, a cascade of effects from the gene to the community level. At the gene level, agricultural pesticide exposure resulted in reduced genetic diversity of field-collected Gammarus pulex, a dominant freshwater crustacean in Europe. Additionally, we identified alleles associated with adaptations to pesticide contamination. At the individual level, this genetic adaptation to pesticides was linked to a lower fecundity, indicating related fitness costs. At the community level, the combined effect of pesticides and competitors caused a decline in the overall number and abundance of pesticides susceptible macroinvertebrate competing with gammarids. The resulting reduction in interspecific competition provided an advantage for pesticide-adapted G. pulex to dominate macroinvertebrate communities in contaminated areas, despite their reduced fitness due to adaptation. These processes demonstrate the complex cascade of effects, and also illustrate the resilience and adaptability of biological systems across organisational levels to meet the challenges of a changing environment.
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•Effects of pesticides cascade from the gene level to the community level•Toxic pressure reduced genetic diversity in Gammarus pulex and altered allele distribution.•This genetic adaptation was associated with a decrease in individual fecundity.•Combined stress from pesticides and competition affects vulnerable invertebrates.•Hence, pesticide-adapted Gammarus pulex dominate contaminated invertebrate communities.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Forest species in the course of their evolution have experienced several environmental challenges, which since historic times include anthropogenic pollution. The effects of pollution on the genetic ...and epigenetic diversity in black pine (
) forests were investigated in the Amyntaio - Ptolemais - Kozani Basin, which has been for decades the largest lignite mining and burning center of Greece, with a total installed generating capacity of about 4.5 GW, operating for more than 70 years and resulting in large amounts of primary air pollutant emissions, mainly SO
, NOx and PM10.
, a biomarker for air pollution and a keystone species of affected natural ecosystems, was examined in terms of phenology (cone and seed parameters), genetics (283 AFLP loci) and epigenetics (606 MSAP epiloci), using two populations (exposed to pollution and control) of the current (mature trees) and future (embryos) stand. It was found that cone, seed, as well as genetic diversity parameters, did not show statistically significant differences between the exposed population and the control. Nevertheless, statistically significant differences were detected at the population epigenetic level. Moreover, there was a further differentiation regarding the intergenerational comparison: while the epigenetic diversity does not substantially change in the two generations assessed in the control population, epigenetic diversity is significantly higher in the embryo population compared to the parental stand in the exposed population. This study sheds a light to genome dynamics in a forest tree population exposed to long term atmospheric pollution burden and stresses the importance of assessing both genetics and epigenetics in biomonitoring applications.
•A novel linkage map of the safflower genome was constructed on amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLP) markers.•The first quantitative trait loci (QTL) were identified in the recombinant ...inbred lines (RILs) population of the Mex.22-191 × Goldasht cross.•In addition to additive and epistatic, QTL by environment interaction were determined.•All QTL were novel and had not been reported previously.•Co-localized QTL were proposed as new sources of QTL monitoring drought tolerance.
As a potential oil producer, safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) is advisable for growing in marginal and dry areas. The scarcity of identified linked markers is a major restriction to successful breeding programs in safflower for unfavorable environments. The genetic enhancement of safflower is a prerequisite to improve its utility and acceptability as an oilseed crop. Thus, this study aimed to determine QTL monitoring the importance and determination of epistatic impacts and QTL inter loci interaction as well as QTL by interaction in the F9 population derived from a Mex 22-191/Goldasht safflower under normal and drought stress conditions in the growing season of 2019. A new linkage map with 69 polymorphic AFLP markers was made which covered 556 cM of the safflower genome. At last, 17 major QTL with additive impacts (A) and 66 epistatic QTL with additive × additive impacts (AA) for ten agronomic traits in different environments were determined. The additive and epistatic QTL described 3.04%-24.71% and 8.31%-56.5 %–24.71 % and 8.31 %–56.5 % of the phenotypic variations of traits, respectively. Seven main genomic regions on linkage group (LG) 4 and LG5 were co-localized QTL for various traits. QTL by interactions found that four additive QTL were included in AE, and ten epistatic QTL were involved in AAE impacts, indicating that stress vis-à-vis non-stress conditions responsible for QTL. The identity linked markers with main and stable QTL can be applied as information markers for future investigations to introduce the candidate markers for breeding programs in safflower to increase the effectiveness of selection or drought tolerance enhancement.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Elymus scabrifolius es una gramínea perenne nativa de Sudamérica con gran potencial como recurso forrajero para ambientes con limitantes edáficas. En el presente trabajo se analizó la utilización de ...caracteres morfológicos y marcadores moleculares AFLP para la identificación genotípica de seis accesiones, un cultivar comercial y siete híbridos artificiales de esta especie. Ambos tipos de marcadores permitieron diferenciar a los materiales analizados en los respectivos dendrogramas, aunque las relaciones entre materiales variaron según el tipo de marcador. El Análisis de Componentes Principales permitió identificar las variables más relevantes para la diferenciación morfológica. Los híbridos se diferenciaron morfológicamente de ambos parentales, excepto un híbrido que se agrupó con su material paterno. Aunque en el análisis de los marcadores AFLP los híbridos se agruparon con uno de sus parentales, se pudo corroborar su origen híbrido mediante el registro de bandas paternas y polimórficas entre parentales. Se concluye que las metodologías empleadas para caracterizar los materiales analizados de E. scabrifolius serían de gran utilidad para el manejo eficiente de colecciones de germoplasma como así también para su utilización en programas de mejoramiento genético.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Synopsis
Not only AFLP but also HELLP and acute liver failure due to viruses in pregnancy meet the Swansea criteria, meriting a reappraisal and a reevaluation of the criteria.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Fungal protoplast fusion is an approach to introduce novel characteristics into industrially important strains. Cellulases, essential enzymes with a wide range of biotechnological applications, are ...produced by many species of the filamentous fungi Trichoderma. In this study, a collection of 60 natural isolates were screened for Avicel and carboxymethyl cellulose degradation, and two cellulase producers of Trichoderma virens and Trichoderma harzianum were used for protoplast fusion. One of the resulting hybrids with improved cellulase activity, C1-3, was fused with the hyperproducer Trichoderma reesei Rut-C30. A new selected hybrid, F7, was increased in cellulase activity 1.8 and 5 times in comparison with Rut-C30 and C1-3, respectively. The increases in enzyme activity correlated with an upregulation of the cellulolytic genes cbh1, cbh2, egl3, and bgl1 in the parents. The amount of mRNA of cbh1 and cbh2 in F7 resembled that of Rut-C30 while the bgl1 mRNA level was similar to that of C1-3. AFLP (amplified fragment length polymorphism) fingerprinting and GC–MS (gas chromatography – mass spectrometry) analysis represented variations in parental strains and fusants. In conclusion, the results demonstrate that a 3-interspecific hybrid strain was isolated, with improved characteristics for cellulase degradation and showing genetic polymorphisms and differences in the volatile profile, suggesting reorganizations at the genetic level.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
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