This paper presents new records and noteworthy data on the following taxa in
SE Europe and adjacent regions: the diatom alga Eunotia boreoalpina; the
saprotrophic fungus Clitocybe truncicola; the ...liverwort Haplomitrium
hookeri; the moss Leptodon smithii: the monocots Epipactis purpurata, Stipa
tirsa, Typha laxmannii and T. shuttleworthii; and the dicots
Krascheninnikovia ceratoides, Polygonum albanicum and Sorbus latifolia.
nema
The interplay of polyploidisation, hybridization, and apomixis contributed to the exceptional diversity of
(Rosaceae), giving rise to a mosaic of genetic and morphological entities. The
species ...complex from the mountains of Central and South-eastern Europe represents an allopolyploid apomictic system of populations that originated following hybridisation between
and
. However, the mode and frequency of such allopolyploidisations and the relationships among different, morphologically more or less similar populations that have often been described as different taxa remain largely unexplored. We used amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) fingerprinting, plastid DNA sequencing, and analyses of nuclear microsatellites, along with multivariate morphometrics and ploidy data, to disentangle the relationships among populations within this intricate complex. Our results revealed a mosaic of genetic lineages-many of which have not been taxonomically recognised-that originated via multiple allopolyploidisations. The clonal structure within and among populations was then maintained via apomixis. Our results thus support previous findings that hybridisation, polyploidization, and apomixis are the main drivers of
diversification in Europe.
AIMS: Habitats on ultramafic substrate present a hostile environment for plant development. We aimed to determine whether any particular range of genome size is favoured in such habitats. METHODS: ...Genome sizes of natural serpentinophyte populations were estimated using propidium iodide cytometry and compared with published data by phylogeny paired t-tests with plants from other substrata. RESULTS: The panel included 308 taxa belonging to 213 genera, with new values for 28 genera and 93 species. Using Leitch’s criteria, 56 % taxa belong to the group very small genomes (1C ≤ 1.4 pg), 22 % to small (1.4–3.5 pg), 19 % to intermediary (3.5–14 pg), 3 % to large (14–35 pg) and 0.31 % to very large (1C ≥ 35 pg). The majority of species were either indifferent for substrate (56 %) or facultative serpentinophytes (33 %). Most obligate serpentinophytes possessed very small genomes, and none exceeded 5 pg (1C). On average, plants growing on serpentine exhibited lower Cx-values than the same taxa growing on other soil types. About 4 % of species were annuals and 88 % perennials. Hemicryptophytes were dominant. Presence of at least two ploidy levels was recorded for 10 species. CONCLUSIONS: Water stress, high temperatures and presence of heavy metals in serpentine habitats impose a high selective pressure and favour perennial species with very small genomes.
represents a multiploid and facultative apomictic system of widely distributed mountain populations. We used flow cytometry to determine genome size, ploidy level, and reproduction mode variation of ...the Balkan populations, supplemented by analysis of nuclear microsatellites in order to address: (i) geographic distribution and variation of cytotypes among the populations; (ii) variation of reproduction mode and the frequency of sexuality; (iii) pathways of endosperm formation among the sampled polyploids and their endosperm balance requirements; (iv) genotypic diversity and geographic distribution of clonal lineages of polyploids. The prevalence of apomictic tetraploid cytotype followed by sexual diploids and extremely rare triploids was demonstrated. This prevalence of tetraploids affected the populations' structure composed from clonal genotypes with varying proportions. The co-occurrence of diploids and tetraploids generated higher cytotype, reproductive mode, and genotypic diversity, but mixed-ploidy sites were extremely rare. The endosperm imbalance facilitates the development and the occurrence of intermediate triploids in mixed-ploidy populations, but also different tetraploid lineages elsewhere with unbalanced endosperm. All these results showed that the South European populations of
have higher levels of cytotype and reproductive diversity compared to the Central European ones. Therefore, the South European populations can be considered as a potential reservoir of regional and global diversity for this species.
The Balkan Peninsula is one of the 250 centres for plant diversity identified in the World, and one of the major biodiversity hotspot plant areas in Europe. Balkan flora has been well studied at the ...morphological, phytogeographical and taxonomic levels, but a scarce attention had been paid to genome size. This work consists of two distinct parts. The first concerned the contribution for 2C values of Balkan plants, taking into account mainly the plants with unknown genome size. On the one hand, 54 accessions of 51 species or infraspecific taxa belonging to 43 genera and 25 families were studied for their nuclear DNA amount. Among the obtained values, 46 are novel (four for genera, 31 for species, 10 for subspecies and one for a hybrid). The novelties represent the 6.43% of the 731 taxa with nuclear DNA amount assessed in the Balkans to date. Three taxa presented two ploidy levels in different populations. Partial endoreplication has been detected in
Dactylorhiza cordigera
subsp.
bosniaca.
This observation brings a new addition to the list of partial endoreplication cases in Orchidaceae, a family which, with Brassicaceae, shows this phenomenon most frequently. On the other hand, we compiled all bibliographic data concerning C-values for plants of the Balkan region, aiming to establish a genome size database, which is available online and will be regularly updated. We presented some numeric analyses on the 1013 accessions and 731 taxa for which data are currently accumulated and concluded with a discussion on the usefulness of such a database.
When sexual meets apomict Hajrudinović, Alma; Siljak-Yakovlev, Sonja; Brown, Spencer C. ...
Annals of botany,
08/2015, Letnik:
116, Številka:
2
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Allopolyploidy and intraspecific heteroploid crosses are associated, in certain groups, with changes in the mating system. The genus Sorbus represents an appropriate model to study the relationships ...between ploidy and reproductive mode variations. Diploid S. aria and tetraploid apomictic S. austriaca were screened for ploidy and mating system variations within pure and sympatric populations in order to gain insights into their putative causalities.
Flow cytometry was used to assess genome size and ploidy level among 380 S. aria s.l. and S. austriaca individuals from Bosnia and Herzegovina, with 303 single-seed flow cytometric seed screenings being performed to identify their mating system. Pollen viability and seed set were also determined.
Flow cytometry confirmed the presence of di-, tri- and tetraploid cytotype mixtures in mixed-ploidy populations of S. aria and S. austriaca. No ploidy variation was detected in single-species populations. Diploid S. aria mother plants always produced sexually originated seeds, whereas tetraploid S. austriaca as well as triploid S. aria were obligate apomicts. Tetraploid S. aria preserved sexuality in a low portion of plants. A tendency towards a balanced 2m : 1p parental genome contribution to the endosperm was shared by diploids and tetraploids, regardless of their sexual or asexual origin. In contrast, most triploids apparently tolerated endosperm imbalance.
Coexistence of apomictic tetraploids and sexual diploids drives the production of novel polyploid cytotypes with predominantly apomictic reproductive modes. The data suggest that processes governing cytotype diversity and mating system variation in Sorbus from Bosnia and Herzegovina are probably parallel to those in other diversity hotspots of this genus. The results represent a solid contribution to knowledge of the reproduction of Sorbus and will inform future investigations of the molecular and genetic mechanisms involved in triggering and regulating cytotype diversity and alteration of reproductive modes.
The name Thymus humifusus var. aureopunctatus, described from Bosnia and Herzegovina, is lectotypified, and its taxonomic value is discussed. Thymus richardii subsp. richardii is currently considered ...an endemic subspecies common to Mallorca (Balearic Islands) and Bosnia and Herzegovina from the Balkan Peninsula. Specimens identified as
Th. richardii
from both Balearic Islands and Bosnia and Herzegovina were studied to determine if they are indeed the same taxonomic entity. Detailed micromorphological observations and morphometric analysis, suggest that the Balkan plants (Th. humifusus var. aureopunctatus) and the Majorcan populations (Th. richardii subsp. richardii) are clearly separate entities. For the former name, based on morphological, phytochemical, biogeographical and present results, we propose the subspecific rank, as Th. richardii subsp. aureopunctatus
comb. & stat. nov.
Full descriptions of all five subspecies currently accepted within
Th. richardii
are provided.
A study of the phytochemical and molecular characteristics of ten Micromeria and six Clinopodium taxa (family Lamiaceae) distributed in the Balkan Peninsula was carried out. The phytochemicals ...detected in essential oils by gas chromatography, mass spectrometry, and molecular data amplified fragment length polymorphism were used to study the taxonomic relationships among the taxa and the correlations between phytochemical and molecular data. STRUCTURE analysis revealed three genetic groups, while Bayesian Analysis of Population Structure grouped the studied taxa into 11 clusters nested in the groups obtained by STRUCTURE. Principal components analysis performed with the 21 most represented compounds in the essential oils yielded results that were partly consistent with those obtained by STRUCTURE and neighbour-joining analyses. However, their geographic distributions did not support the genetic grouping of the studied taxa and populations. The Mantel test showed a significant correlation between the phytochemical and genetic data (r = 0.421, p < 0.001). Genetic distance explained 17.8% of the phytochemical distance between populations. The current taxonomic position of several of the studied taxa is yet to be satisfactorily resolved, and further studies are needed. Such future research should include nuclear and plastid DNA sequences from a larger sample of populations and individuals.
Chemical profile and antioxidant activity of the species
Vis. ssp.
(Plantaginaceae)-which is endemic to Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro -were investigated. Volatile compounds produced ...by glandular trichomes (composed of one stalk cell and two elliptically formed head cells according to scanning electron microscope investigation) were isolated from the plants collected in two locations. Additionally, as a part of specialized metabolites, total polyphenols, total tannins, total flavonoids and total phenolic acids were determined spectrophotometrically. In the lipophilic volatile fractions-essential oils, the most abundant compounds identified were hexahydrofarnesyl acetone, caryophyllene oxide and hexadecanoic acid. In total, the class of oxygenated sesquiterpenes and the group of fatty aldehydes, acids and alcoholic compounds dominated in the essential oils. In the hydrophilic volatile fractions-hydrosols, the most abundant compounds identified were
mentha-1(7),8-dien-2-ol,
-aromadendrene and
caryophyllene. A group of oxygenated monoterpenes and the sesquiterpene hydrocarbons dominated in the hydrosols. Antioxidant activity of essential oils and hydrosols was tested with two methods: 2,2'-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC). Essential oils showed higher antioxidant activity than hydrosols and showed similar antioxidant activity to
essential oil. Obtained results demonstrate that this genus is a potential source of volatiles with antioxidant activity.
Due to climate extremes and limited natural resources, especially water, we can expect increased demand in the future for species that can better tolerate climate extremes such as drought. One ...potentially valuable horticultural species is the endemic species of the Dinaride Mountains Micromeria croatica (Pers.) Schott (family Lamiaceae). It grows in the crevices of carbonate rocks, extending from an altitude of 150 m to more than 2000 m. This study aims to provide additional insight into the genetic and morphological diversity of this endemic species, focusing on valuable horticultural traits. To achieve this goal, morphological and molecular analyses were performed on ten natural populations. Through STRUCTURE and PCoA analyses, ten M. croatica populations were placed into western and eastern genetic groups, with several individuals from western populations assigned to the eastern group and vice versa. These atypical individuals assigned to the new genetic group by BAPS analysis indicate gene flow between western and eastern populations. Similarly, an analysis of molecular variance revealed fewer genetic differences than within studied populations. Both PCA and CANDISC analysis based on eleven morphological traits largely confirmed the existence of two slightly different genetic groups. Two populations containing plants with the most flowers per shoot, one with white-flowered individuals, one with the roundest leaves, and one with the narrowest leaves proved to be the most horticulturally valuable. The genetic and morphological variability found should be a sufficient basis for the potential selection of M. croatica populations and individuals for horticultural purposes.
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