Are the Great Plains wildrye (Elymus canadensis) and the Siberian wildrye (Elymus sibiricus) conspecific? A study based on the nuclear 5S rDNA sequences

Botany ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 90 (6) ◽  
pp. 407-421 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernard R. Baum ◽  
Tara Edwards ◽  
Ekaterina Ponomareva ◽  
Douglas A. Johnson

Elymus canadensis L. and Elymus sibiricus L. are difficult to separate by morphology. The latter is found mainly in Asia and extends into northern North America; the former is confined to North America. We obtained the DNA sequences of 135 5S rDNA units collected from 19 localities throughout their respective ranges. The results of statistical parsimony, analysis of molecular variance, and sequence polymorphism analyses show that the two taxa are not conspecific.


2015 ◽  
Vol 146 (2) ◽  
pp. 144-152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Duilio M.Z.A. Silva ◽  
Ricardo Utsunomia ◽  
José C. Pansonato-Alves ◽  
Cláudio Oliveira ◽  
Fausto Foresti

Astyanax is a genus of Characidae fishes currently composed of 155 valid species. Previous cytogenetic studies revealed high chromosomal diversification among them, and several studies have been performed using traditional cytogenetic techniques to investigate karyotypes and chromosomal locations of 18S and 5S rDNA genes. However, only a few studies are currently available about other repetitive sequences. Here, the chromosomal location of small nuclear RNA genes, identified as U1 and U2 snRNA clusters, was established and compared to the distribution of 5S rDNA and histone clusters in 5 Astyanax species (A. paranae, A. fasciatus, A. bockmanni, A. altiparanae, and A. jordani) using FISH. The cytogenetic mapping of U1 and U2 snRNA demonstrated a conserved pattern in the number of sites per genome independent of the location in Astyanax species. The location of the U1 snRNA gene was frequently associated with 5S rDNA sequences, indicating a possible interaction between the distinct repetitive DNA families. Finally, comparisons involving the location of U1 and U2 snRNA clusters in the chromosomes of Astyanax species revealed a very diverse pattern, suggesting that many rearrangements have occurred during the diversification process of this group.



2002 ◽  
Vol 80 (11) ◽  
pp. 1151-1159 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Dusabenyagasani ◽  
G Laflamme ◽  
R C Hamelin

We detected nucleotide polymorphisms within the genus Gremmeniella in DNA sequences of β-tubulin, glyceraldehyde phosphate dehydrogenase, and mitochondrial small subunit rRNA (mtSSU rRNA) genes. A group-I intron was present in strains originating from fir (Abies spp.) in the mtSSU rRNA locus. This intron in the mtSSU rRNA locus of strains isolated from Abies sachalinensis (Fridr. Schmidt) M.T. Mast in Asia was also found in strains isolated from Abies balsamea (L.) Mill. in North America. Phylogenetic analyses yielded trees that grouped strains by host of origin with strong branch support. Asian strains of Gremmeniella abietina (Lagerberg) Morelet var. abietina isolated from fir (A. sachalinensis) were more closely related to G. abietina var. balsamea from North America, which is found on spruce (Picea spp.) and balsam fir, and European and North American races of G. abietina var. abietina from pines (Pinus spp.) were distantly related. Likewise, North American isolates of Gremmeniella laricina (Ettinger) O. Petrini, L.E. Petrini, G. Laflamme, & G.B. Ouellette, a pathogen of larch, was more closely related to G. laricina from Europe than to G. abietina var. abietina from North America. These data suggest that host specialization might have been the leading evolutionary force shaping Gremmeniella spp., with geographic separation acting as a secondary factor.Key words: Gremmeniella, geographic separation, host specialization, mitochondrial rRNA, nuclear genes.



Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 751
Author(s):  
Francesco Dovana ◽  
Paolo Gonthier ◽  
Matteo Garbelotto

Phlebiopsis gigantea (Fr.) Jülich is a well-known generalist conifer wood saprobe and a biocontrol fungus used in several world countries to prevent stump infection by tree pathogenic Heterobasidion fungal species. Previous studies have reported the presence of regional and continental genetic differentiation in host-specific fungi, but the presence of such differentiation for generalist wood saprobes such as P. gigantea has not been often studied or demonstrated. Additionally, little information exists on the distribution of this fungus in western North America. The main purposes of this study were: (I) to assess the presence of P. gigantea in California, (II) to explore the genetic variability of P. gigantea at the intra and inter-continental levels and (III) to analyze the phylogeographic relationships between American and European populations. Seven loci (nrITS, ML5–ML6, ATP6, RPB1, RPB2, GPD and TEF1-α) from 26 isolates of P. gigantea from coniferous forests in diverse geographic distribution and from different hosts were analyzed in this study together with 45 GenBank sequences. One hundred seventy-four new sequences were generated using either universal or specific primers designed in this study. The mitochondrial ML5–ML6 DNA and ATP6 regions were highly conserved and did not show differences between any of the isolates. Conversely, DNA sequences from the ITS, RPB1, RPB2, GPD and TEF1-α loci were variable among samples. Maximum likelihood analysis of GPD and TEF1-α strongly supported the presences of two different subgroups within the species but without congruence or geographic partition, suggesting the presence of retained ancestral polymorphisms. RPB1 and RPB2 sequences separated European isolates from American ones, while the GPD locus separated western North American samples from eastern North American ones. This study reports the presence of P. gigantea in California for the first time using DNA-based confirmation and identifies two older genetically distinct subspecific groups, as well as three genetically differentiated lineages within the species: one from Europe, one from eastern North America and one from California, with the latter presumably including individuals from the rest of western North America. The genetic differentiation identified here among P. gigantea individuals from coniferous forests from different world regions indicates that European isolates of this fungus should not be used in North America (or vice versa), and, likewise, commercially available eastern North American P. gigantea isolates should not be used in western North America forests. The reported lack of host specificity of P. gigantea was documented by the field survey and further reinforces the need to only use local isolates of this biocontrol fungus, given that genetically distinct exotic genotypes of a broad generalist microbe may easily spread and permanently alter the microbial biodiversity of native forest ecosystems.



Genome ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 47 (4) ◽  
pp. 732-741 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wolfgang Staiber

The origin of germline-limited chromosomes (Ks) as descendants of somatic chromosomes (Ss) and their structural evolution was recently elucidated in the chironomid Acricotopus. The Ks consist of large S-homologous sections and of heterochromatic segments containing germline-specific, highly repetitive DNA sequences. Less is known about the molecular evolution and features of the sequences in the S-homologous K sections. More information about this was received by comparing homologous gene sequences of Ks and Ss. Genes for 5.8S, 18S, 28S, and 5S ribosomal RNA were choosen for the comparison and therefore isolated first by PCR from somatic DNA of Acricotopus and sequenced. Specific K DNA was collected by microdissection of monopolar moving K complements from differential gonial mitoses and was then amplified by degenerate oligonucleotide primer (DOP)-PCR. With the sequence data of the somatic rDNAs, the homologous 5.8S and 5S rDNA sequences were isolated by PCR from the DOP-PCR sequence pool of the Ks. In addition, a number of K DOP-PCR sequences were directly cloned and analysed. One K clone contained a section of a putative N-acetyltransferase gene. Compared with its homolog from the Ss, the sequence exhibited few nucleotide substitutions (99.2% sequence identity). The same was true for the 5.8S and 5S sequences from Ss and Ks (97.5%–100% identity). This supports the idea that the S-homologous K sequences may be conserved and do not evolve independently from their somatic homologs. Possible mechanisms effecting such conservation of S-derived sequences in the Ks are discussed.Key words: microdissection, DOP-PCR, germline-limited chromosomes, molecular evolution.



2012 ◽  
Vol 298 (6) ◽  
pp. 1151-1165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marina Grabiele ◽  
Laura Chalup ◽  
Germán Robledo ◽  
Guillermo Seijo


Paleobiology ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 50-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline A. E. Strömberg ◽  
Francesca A. McInerney

The rapid ecological expansion of grasses with C4 photosynthesis at the end of the Neogene (8–2 Ma) is well documented in the fossil record of stable carbon isotopes. As one of the most profound vegetation changes to occur in recent geologic time, it paved the way for modern tropical grassland ecosystems. Changes in CO2 levels, seasonality, aridity, herbivory, and fire regime have all been suggested as potential triggers for this broadly synchronous change, long after the evolutionary origin of the C4 pathway in grasses. To date, these hypotheses have suffered from a lack of direct evidence for floral composition and structure during this important transition. This study aimed to remedy the problem by providing the first direct, relatively continuous record of vegetation change for the Great Plains of North America for the critical interval (ca. 12–2 Ma) using plant silica (phytolith) assemblages.Phytoliths were extracted from late Miocene-Pliocene paleosols in Nebraska and Kansas. Quantitative phytolith analysis of the 14 best-preserved assemblages indicates that habitats varied substantially in openness during the middle to late Miocene but became more uniformly open, corresponding to relatively open grassland or savanna, during the late Miocene and early Pliocene. Phytolith data also point to a marked increase of grass short cells typical of chloridoid and other potentially C4 grasses of the PACMAD clade between 8 and 5 Ma; these data suggest that the proportion of these grasses reached up to ∼50–60% of grasses, resulting in mixed C3-C4 and highly heterogeneous grassland communities by 5.5 Ma. This scenario is consistent with interpretations of isotopic records from paleosol carbonates and ungulate tooth enamel. The rise in abundance of chloridoids, which were present in the central Great Plains since the early Miocene, demonstrates that the “globally” observed lag between C4 grass evolution/taxonomic diversification and ecological expansion occurred at the regional scale. These patterns of vegetation alteration imply that environmental change during the late Miocene-Pliocene played a major role in the C3-C4 shift in the Great Plains. Specifically, the importance of chloridoids as well as a decline in the relative abundance of forest indicator taxa, including palms, point to climatic drying as a key trigger for C4 dominance.



2014 ◽  
Vol 102 (6) ◽  
pp. 1374-1385 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zak Ratajczak ◽  
Jesse B. Nippert ◽  
John M. Briggs ◽  
John M. Blair


2019 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-93 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J. Brewer ◽  
Frank B. Peairs ◽  
Norman C. Elliott

Aphid invasions of North American cereal crops generally have started with colonization of a new region or crop, followed by range expansion and outbreaks that vary in frequency and scale owing to geographically variable influences. To improve understanding of this process and management, we compare the invasion ecology of and management response to three cereal aphids: sugarcane aphid, Russian wheat aphid, and greenbug. The region exploited is determined primarily by climate and host plant availability. Once an area is permanently or annually colonized, outbreak intensity is also affected by natural enemies and managed inputs, such as aphid-resistant cultivars and insecticides. Over time, increases in natural enemy abundance and diversity, improved compatibility among management tactics, and limited threshold-based insecticide use have likely increased resilience of aphid regulation. Application of pest management foundational practices followed by a focus on compatible strategies are relevant worldwide. Area-wide pest management is most appropriate to large-scale cereal production systems, as exemplified in the Great Plains of North America.



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