Polyploidy origin of wheatgrass Douglasdeweya wangii (Triticeae, Poaceae): evidence from nuclear ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer and chloroplast trnL-F sequences

Genome constitution and evolution of Elytrigia lolioides inferred from Acc1, EF-G, ITS, TrnL-F sequences and GISH

BACKGROUND

Elytrigia lolioides (Kar. et Kir.) Nevski, which is a perennial, cross-pollinating wheatgrass that is distributed in Russia and Kazakhstan, is classified into Elytrigia, Elymus, and Lophopyrum genera by taxonomists on the basis of different taxonomic classification systems. However, the genomic constitution of E. lolioides is still unknown. To identify the genome constitution and evolution of E. lolioides, we used single-copy nuclear genes acetyl-CoA carboxylase (Acc1) and elongation factor G (EF-G), multi-copy nuclear gene internal transcribed space (ITS), chloroplast gene trnL-F together with fluorescence and genomic in situ hybridization.

RESULTS

Despite the widespread homogenization of ITS sequences, two distinct lineages (genera Pseudoroegneria and Hordeum) were identified. Acc1 and EF-G sequences suggested that in addition to Pseudoroegneria and Hordeum, unknown genome was the third potential donor of E. lolioides. Data from chloroplast DNA showed that Pseudoroegneria is the maternal donor of E. lolioides. Data from specific FISH marker for St genome indicated that E. lolioides has two sets of St genomes. Both genomic in situ hybridization (GISH) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) results confirmed the presence of Hordeum genome in this species. When E genome was used as the probe, no signal was found in 42 chromosomes. The E-like copy of Acc1 sequences was detected in E. lolioides possibly due to the introgression from E genome species. One of the H chromosomes in the accession W6-26586 from Kazakhstan did not hybridize H genome signals but had St genome signals on the pericentromeric regions in the two-color GISH.

CONCLUSIONS

Phylogenetic and in situ hybridization indicated the presence of two sets of Pseudoroegneria and one set of Hordeum genome in E. lolioides. The genome formula of E. lolioides was designed as StStStStHH. E. lolioides may have originated through the hybridization between tetraploid Elymus (StH) and diploid Pseudoroegneria species. E and unknown genomes may participate in the speciation of E. lolioides through introgression. According to the genome classification system, E. lolioides should be transferred into Elymus L. and renamed as Elymus lolioidus (Kar. er Kir.) Meld.

Evolution of the polyploid north-west Iberian Leucanthemum pluriflorum clan (Compositae, Anthemideae) based on plastid DNA sequence variation and AFLP fingerprinting

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

The genus Leucanthemum is a species-rich polyploid complex from southern and central Europe, comprising 41 species with ploidy ranging from 2x to 22x. The present contribution aims at reconstructing the evolutionary history of a geographically isolated species group (the L. pluriflorum clan) from the north-west Iberian Peninsula comprising the diploid L. pluriflorum, the tetraploids L. ircutianum subsp. pseudosylvaticum and L. × corunnense (a putative hybrid taxon based on crossing between L. pluriflorum and L. merinoi), and the hexaploids L. sylvaticum and L. merinoi.

METHODS

Chromosome number variation (determined flow cytometrically) and sequence variation were analysed for two intergenic spacer regions on the plastid genome (psbA-trnH and trnC-petN) for individuals from 54 populations in combination with amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) fingerprinting of 246 representative individuals from these populations.

KEY RESULTS

Plastid sequence data revealed that all surveyed members of the L. pluriflorum clan possess plastid haplotypes that are closely related to each other and distinctly separated from other Leucanthemum species. AFLP fingerprinting resulted in allopolyploid fragment patterns for most of the polyploid populations, except for the tetraploid L. × corunnense and a further tetraploid population in northern Galicia, which cluster with the diploids rather than with the other polyploids. In silico modelling of (auto)tetraploid AFLP genotypes further corroborates the allopolyploid nature of L. ircutianum subsp. pseudosylvaticum, L. sylvaticum and L. merinoi.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study provides evidence for recognizing one diploid (L. pluriflorum), one autotetraploid (L. corunnense), one allotetraploid (L. pseudosylvaticum) and one allohexaploid (L. sylvaticum with the two geographically and ecologically differentiated subspecies subsp. sylvaticum and subsp. merinoi) in the L. pluriflorum clan. It also has implications for the understanding of biogeographical patterns in the Iberian Peninsula.