Chloroplast phylogenomics and the taxonomy of Saxifraga section Ciliatae (Saxifragaceae)

Comprising ca. 200 species, Saxifraga sect. Ciliatae is the most species-rich section of Saxifraga s.str., whose center of diversity is in the Tibeto-Himalayan region. The infra-sectional classification of sect. Ciliatae is still in debate due to the high level of species richness, as well as remarkable variations of habitat, morphology, physiology and life cycles. Subdivisions of this section proposed in various taxonomic systems have not been adequately tested in previous phylogenetic studies, partly due to low taxonomic sampling density, but also to the use of few DNA markers. In order to achieve a more robust infra-sectional classification of sect. Ciliatae, complete chloroplast genomes of 94 taxa from this section were analyzed, of which 93 were newly sequenced, assembled and annotated. The length of the 94 plastomes of sect. Ciliatae taxa range from 143,479 to 159,938 bp, encoding 75 to 79 unique protein-coding genes (PCGs). Analyses of the 94 plastomes revealed high conservation in structural organization, gene arrangement, and gene content. Gene loss and changes of IR boundaries were detected but in extremely low frequency. The molecular phylogenetic tree from concatenated PCGs and complete chloroplast genome sequences exhibited high resolution and support values and confirms that sect. Ciliatae is monophyletic. Three well-supported clades were revealed within the section that agree relatively well with the subsectional taxonomy of Gornall (1987), but some minor modifications should be made. Firstly, the monotypic subsection Cinerascentes should be abandoned and its constituent species, S. cinerascens, assigned to subsect. Gemmiparae. Secondly, subsections Rosulares and Serpyllifoliae should be merged and become subsect. Rosulares. Section Ciliatae thus comprises: subsect. Hirculoideae Engl. & Irmsch.; subsect. Rosulares Gornall; subsect. Gemmiparae Engl. & Irmsch.; subsect. Flagellares (C. B. Clarke) Engl. & Irmsch. and subsect. Hemisphaericae (Engl. & Irmsch.) Gornall.     

Vochysia palmirana (Vochysiaceae), a new species from Goiás and Tocantins,Brazil

Vochysia palmirana is described and illustrated as a new species. It is a member of sect.Vochysiella subsect.Decorticantes. It grows in sandy Cerrados of the Central Brazilian Plateau and is similar toV. sessilifolia. A key to the species ofVochysia sect.Vochysiella subsect.Decorticantes is provided.     

A new species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Elaphoglossum</Emphasis> sect. <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lepidoglossa</Emphasis> subsect. <Emphasis Type="Italic">Muscosa</Emphasis> (Dryopteridacae) with cristate spores

A new species from the Bolivian highlands is described as Elaphoglossum cristatum. It is very similar to E. engelii but is characterized by a (for subsect. Muscosa unique) cristate perispore structure with irregular deposits (versus papillate spores), more densely ciliate petiole scales (50–80 versus 10–30 cilia per scale), somewhat thicker blade texture, denser scale cover, and paler, more reddish rhizome scales.     

Pollen morphology of six species of Bupleurum L. (Apiaceae) present in Sicily and taxonomic implications

Abstract

In this study, using light and scanning microscopes, the morphobiometric characters of pollen grains of Bupleurum fruticosum L., B. fontanesii Guss. ex Caruel, B. gerardi All., B. lancifolium Hornem., B. semicompositum L., B. tenuissimum L. have been analysed. The elaboration of qualitative and quantitative palynological data has allowed us to formulate a key of identification which characterizes six morphotypes. Pollen grains of B. fruticosum (a perennial species) have been distinguished from the grains of the other annual species examined by us on the basis of several morphobiometric characters, a condition which has confirmed the systematic arrangements suggested by several authors. The close palynological affinity between B. tenuissimum and B. semicompositum compared with B. gerardi has supported the placement of these three species in a distinct subsect. of the sect. Eubupleura Briq. or in a distinct subsect. of the sect. Isophyllum (Hoffm.) Dumort. Similarly, our palynological data on B. fontanesii have confirmed the systematic arrangement. However, these data differ from those reported by different authors who placed the three species in the sect. Aristata Godron subsect. Juncea Briq.     

基于3种基因序列对百合属Leucolirion组的系统发育与种间关系研究

中国拥有丰富的野生百合种质资源,但有关百合属的系统发育与进化关系研究相对较少。该研究基于ITS、cpDNA(trnV-ndhC、petL-psbE)及单拷贝核基因AKT等3个基因片段,选取特有分布于西南地区的百合属6个近缘类群共48份样本及GenBank获得的数据,对百合属Leucolirion组进行了系统发育与种间关系研究。结果表明:(1)ITS结果支持前人的处理,即将Leucolirion组细分为2个亚组,subsect.Leucolirion6a和subsect.Leucolirion6b。建议将湖北百合(L.henryi)和南川百合(L.rosthornii)归入到subsect.Leucolirion 6a,与泸定百合(L.sargentiae)、淡黄花百合(L.sulphureum)、宜昌百合(L.leucanthum)和岷江百合(L.regale)等4个种一起组成Leucolirion组;原本属于Archelirion组的野百合(L.brownii)与subsect.Leucolirion6b聚为一支,故将它与台湾百合(L.longiflorm)、麝香百合(L.formosanum)等组成一个新组,命名为百合组(sect.Lilium)。(2)组间关系上,Leucolirion组与百合组的系统发育关系较远,前者与分布于日本的Archelirion组形成姐妹类群,而后者与Sinomartagon组的亲缘关系更近。(3)基于叶绿体联合基因和单拷贝核基因AKT的6个近缘种的遗传距离显示,湖北百合与南川百合明显区别于Leucolirion组内拥有白色管状花的4个类群。叶绿体联合基因树和单拷贝核基因树结果表明,泸定百合、淡黄花百合、岷江百合和宜昌百合在遗传水平上表现出了极高的相似性,遗传关系十分相近,这可能与百合属植物特殊的繁育系统有关,影响了物种间遗传变异与分化。     

Needle Terpenes as Chemotaxonomic Markers in Pinus: Subsections Pinus and Pinaster

Chemical compositions of needle essential oils of 27 taxa from the section Pinus, including 20 and 7 taxa of the subsections Pinus and Pinaster, respectively, were compared in order to determine chemotaxonomic significance of terpenes at infrageneric level. According to analysis of variance, six out of 31 studied terpene characters were characterized by a high level of significance, indicating statistically significant difference between the examined subsections. Agglomerative hierarchical cluster analysis has shown separation of eight groups, where representatives of subsect. Pinaster were distributed within the first seven groups on the dendrogram together with P. nigra subsp. laricio and P. merkusii from the subsect. Pinus. On the other hand, the eighth group included the majority of the members of subsect. Pinus. Our findings, based on terpene characters, complement those obtained from morphological, biochemical, and molecular parameters studied over the past two decades. In addition, results presented in this article confirmed that terpenes are good markers at infrageneric level.     

Centaurea subsect. Phalolepis in Southern Italy: ongoing speciation or species overestimation? Genetic evidence based on SSRs analyses

In this paper, we investigated a set of narrow endemics of Centaurea subsect. Phalolepis from the mountains of South Italy (mainly Calabria and Salento), segregated from the widespread species Centaurea deusta, using microsatellite (SSR) markers. The goal was to analyse the genetic makeup (levels and structure) of C. deusta and the segregated species and verify whether genetic clusters were in agreement with current classification of the species. With C. deusta, we also carried out an ecological niche modelling (ENM) analysis to check its potential distribution under present climatic conditions and to project it to the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). As also found in former studies with subsect. Phalolepis in Greece and Turkey using the same set of SSRs, genetic diversity for the segregated Italian species was higher than expected for narrow endemics with small populations. Genetic clusters, however, were not correlated with the described species and did not support the segregation of the purported narrow endemics from a widely defined C. deusta. The results of the ENM indicate that the Adriatic Sea was a migration corridor for C. deusta at the LGM.     

Spatial distribution of ectomycorrhizal Basidiomycete Russula subsect. Foetentinae populations in a primary dipterocarp rainforest

The spatial distribution of basidiocarps of the ectomycorrhizal Basidiomycete Russula subsect. Foetentinae was assessed in a primary forest in the Western Ghats (India) dominated by the ectomycorrhizal tree species Vateria indica and Dipterocarpus indicus. Over a 7,700-m² sampling area, both trees and basidiocarps of Russula subsect. Foetentinae were mapped during the first month of the 2002 rainy season. First-order spatial analysis revealed that the distribution of the 45 collected carpophores was highly aggregated, with 60% of all basidiocarps located at a distance lower than 1 m from the nearest one. The genetic structure of the Russula subsect. Foetentinae population was studied by inter-simple sequence repeat polymorphism analysis using three primers. Eighteen of the 45 genotypes were represented by single basidiocarps. Twenty-seven basidiocarps were identified as belonging to 11 genets or separated ramets. Five genets were small, with diameters ranging from 0.5 to 5 m. The six others were large, with a diameter ranging from 31 m to a maximum measured distance of 70 m. In spite of the lack of data concerning the reproductive biology of this species, the presence of large genets suggests that mature stands may shelter well-spread underground mycelium, crucial for durable interaction with plant partner.     

Anatomical studies on selected species of Viola (Violaceae)

Cross‐sections of roots, stems, petioles and peduncles were investigated in 12 species of Viola distributed mainly in northern Iran: V. kitaibeliana, V. arvensis, V. occulta, V. tricolor (sect. Melanium), V. somchetica (sect. Plagiostigma), V. spathulata (sect. Spathulidium ined.), V. alba, V. odorata, V. sintenisii (sect. Viola subsect. Viola), V. caspia, V. reichenbachiana and V. rupestris (sect. Viola subsect. Rostratae). General anatomical features of Viola species are discussed. The following characters were found to be taxonomically informative: cross‐section shapes of the aerial stem, petiole and peduncle as well as the number of vascular bundles in the aerial stem. In taxa of sect. Melanium, stem cross‐sections are elliptic with two wings, but they are semi‐circular with two wings in taxa of sect. Viola subsect. Rostratae. Within the latter subsection, the number of vascular bundles in the stem can be used to delimit the species V. caspia, V. reichenbachiana and V. rupestris. Calcium oxalate crystals were observed in all vegetative organs of taxa belonging to sect. Viola. All examined taxa had a secondary structure with the exception of V. somchetica. Our results show that anatomical characters are useful for delimiting species, subsections, and sections within Viola.     

Systematic significance of pollen nucleus number in the genus Saxifraga (Saxifragaceae)

Pollen cell number was studied in 124 species of Saxifraga and six species of Micranthes. Binucleate pollen is present in all the six species of Micranthes studied and in 96 species of Saxifraga. Trinucleate pollen occurs in 28 species of Saxifraga and is confined to section Ciliatae subsection Hirculoideae, where it is a putative synapomorphy, and to two species of subsection Serpyllifoliae. Trinucleate pollen does not characterise the whole of section Ciliatae as has been thought. The state has probably evolved at least twice, and possibly three times, in the genus. One new nomenclatural combination is made in Micranthes.     

Molecular phylogeny and genetic variation in the genus Lilium native to China based on the internal transcribed spacer sequences of nuclear ribosomal DNA

We present a comprehensive phylogeny derived from nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrDNA) for 214 samples representing 98 species and five varieties, including 44 species and five varieties native to China. Our collection of 25 species and five varieties (44 samples) covering all five sections of the genus (Comber) distributed in China also were included in the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) database. This study incorporates previous research with an emphasis on Chinese species, including the controversial subsection, Sinomartagon 5c Comber. In the phylogenetic tree obtained by maximum parsimony (PAUP) and maximum likelihood (RAxML) analyses, the samples were divided into four major groups. Our results suggest that the subsection (subsect.) 5c Comber should be classified into the true subsect. 5c and the section (sect.) Lophophorum. And the latter was divided into three subsections (subsect. Lophophorum I, subsect. Lophophorum II, and subsect. Lophophorum III). Based on molecular phylogenetic analysis and fluorescence in situ hybridization, we report that L. henryi and L. rosthornii are closely related, and we propose their classification into subsect. Leucolirion 6a. Our results support Comber’s subdivision of sect. Leucolirion, which was primarily based on bulb color. Chinese species were divided into five sections: sect. Martagon, sect. Archelirion, sect. Leucolirion, sect. Sinomartagon, and sect. Lophophorum. These findings contribute to our understanding of the phylogeny, origin, and classification of Lilium.     

霍乱弧菌ToxS蛋白间的互作增强ToxR蛋白诱导毒力基因的表达

【目的】阐明霍乱弧菌ToxR蛋白功能调控的分子机制。【方法】利用巯基捕获(thiol-trapping)的方法分析DsbA蛋白对ToxR周质空间结构域半胱氨酸残基的氧化作用;采用定点突变的方法构建ToxR半胱氨酸突变株(ToxR_(C236/293S));利用荧光素酶基因作为报告基因分析ToxR野生型(ToxR_(wt))和半胱氨酸突变体(ToxR_(C236/293S))诱导下游基因表达的活性;通过细菌双杂交系统分析ToxR_(wt)和ToxR_(C236/293S)蛋白之间、ToxR与ToxS之间以及ToxS之间的相互作用。【结果】ToxR周质空间结构域半胱氨酸残基确实可以被DsbA蛋白氧化,且当ToxR与ToxS共表达时,ToxR诱导ctxAB转录表达的活性显著增强,且在dsbA基因缺失突变株中ToxR诱导ctxAB转录表达的活性更高;成功构建株霍乱弧菌ToxR半胱氨酸突变株(ToxR_(C236/293S)),在没有ToxS存在的条件下,ToxR_(C236/293S)诱导毒力基因表达的活性与ToxRwt相当;细菌双杂交系统分析发现当ToxR与ToxS共转录表达时,ToxS极大增强ToxR蛋白之间的互作;在dsbA基因缺失突变株中,ToxS之间的相互作用显著增强。【结论】ToxR蛋白本身的氧还状态对其诱导毒力基因表达的活性没有影响;ToxS通过增强ToxR形成二聚体的能力从而增强其诱导毒力基因的表达,而DsbA对ToxS蛋白之间的相互作用具有抑制作用,DsbA通过影响ToxS的蛋白互作从而影响ToxR蛋白的功能。本文为进一步阐明霍乱弧菌毒力基因表达调控的分子机制提供重要的理论依据。     

Ensifer alkalisoli YIC4027趋化受体基因的比较及相关蛋白序列分析

[目的] 田菁共生根瘤菌Ensifer alkalisoli YIC4027是从宿主植物田菁的根瘤中分离出来的一株新型高效的固氮菌。本研究对E.alkalisoli的趋化受体基因与其他研究透彻的物种进行比较以及相关蛋白分析。[方法] 利用NCBI的BLAST对E.alkalisoli趋化受体基因进行序列相似性搜索。以Pfam数据库为基础,用HMMR3对甲基化趋化受体蛋白（MCP）进行比较分析。[结果] E.alkalisoli有2个趋化基因簇,共有13个MCP,含有不同的信号传感结构。此外,这些MCPs的胞质结构域除了一个是由40个七肽重复序列组成,其余都是由36个七肽重复序列组成。[结论] 尽管E.alkalisoli的趋化受体与已被广泛研究的物种的趋化受体具有较高的相似性,但仍显示出其特性。通过基因的比对以及相关蛋白的分析,我们能够更好地理解E.alkalisoli是如何通过趋化系统来响应外界变化的。     

加查银莲花(毛茛科)的名实订正

通过标本检查, 发现毛茛科加查银莲花(Anemone jiachaensis W. T. Wang)与西藏银莲花(A. tibetica W. T. Wang)属于同一种植物, 故将前者处理为后者的异名。加查银莲花发表时被置于鹅掌草组[A. sect. Stolonifera (Ulbr.) Juz.], 但其花粉为三沟而非多沟, 与岩生银莲花亚组[A. subsect. Rupicolae (Tamura ex Chaudhary & Trifonova) Starod.]的岩生银莲花(A. rupicola Camb.)(西藏银莲花亦属于该亚组)的花粉类型一致, 而与鹅掌草组植物的多沟花粉明显不同, 从而进一步表明加查银莲花与西藏银莲花确为同一种植物而且应为岩生银莲花亚组的成员。     

Eine neueCampanula-Art aus dem ostafghanisch-westpakistanischen Grenzgebiet

Campanula schimaniana is a new species of sect.Campanula subsect.Rupestres, distributed in the westernmost mountains affected by monsoon.

Additamentum ad Floram Iranicam III. — Additamentum praecurrens in Candollea34, 279–305.     

Epiphytic cyanophytes Xenococcus kerneri and Chamaesiphon minutus on the freshwater red alga Paralemanea catenata (Rhodophyta)

Epiphytes of Paralemanea catenata (Kützing) Vis & Sheath (Rhodophyta) were studied on material from the River Dyje in National Park Podyjí. Longitudinal sections of the thalli were made with help of Cryo Cut Microtome techniques. The epiphytic cyanophytes Xenococcus kerneri Hansgirg and Chamaesiphon minutus (Rostafinski) Lemmermann were recognized on the cortex of the thalli. Our observations of the determined species are discussed.     

基于ITS序列的中国外来苋属植物系统关系分析

通过ITS序列对21种中国外来苋属植物进行系统进化关系研究。通过ITS序列种间、种内遗传距离分析,发现苋属种间变异为0~0.055 1,种内变异为0~0.009 2。使用TAXON DNA软件分析ITS序列种间、种内变异的分布图看出规律,结果表明苋属ITS序列的种间变异适中,种间变异明显大于种内变异。采用最大似然法(ML)构建的系统树将中国苋属分为5或6个进化支(根据自展支持率取值不同)。异株苋亚属长芒苋和苋亚属刺苋聚类在一起,西部苋和糙果苋单独成为一个进化支。苋亚属中苋组苋亚组反枝苋和绿穗苋亚组鲍氏苋有着更近的亲缘关系,苋组苋亚组尾穗苋和绿穗苋亚组绿穗苋、繁穗苋等亲缘关系更近。白苋亚属分为2或3个类群,根据自展支持率取值不同,合被苋可以和白苋、北美苋并为一支,也可以单独成为一支。综上所述,该文认为苋属经典分类体系中3亚属或2~3组的分类地位不成立,建议中国苋属采取5组2亚组或6组2亚组的分类体系。5组2亚组分别由长芒苋组、糙果苋组、苋组(苋亚组和绿穗苋亚组)、白苋组和凹头苋组组成。其中,合被苋也可从白苋组分出,单独构成1组,形成6组2亚组的分类体系。表明该序列对苋属大部分种类分类效果较好,对西部苋和糙果苋复合群,绿穗苋复合群以及白苋亚属的分类价值不高。     

杜鹃花属植物种间可交配性及其特点

该研究以杜鹃花属5亚属3组17亚组38种和共计91个可育组合及109个不育组合的杂交结果为依据,通过杂交可育指标频度分析,初步揭示该属植物种间可交配性的分布规律。结果表明:(1)根据育性等级频度的研究,可得到种间可交配性排序结果,即亚属级:常绿杜鹃亚属内杂交杜鹃亚属内杂交常绿杜鹃亚属×杜鹃亚属杜鹃亚属×映山红亚属常绿杜鹃亚属×映山红亚属常绿杜鹃亚属×羊踯躅亚属常绿杜鹃亚属×马银花亚属杜鹃亚属×羊踯躅亚属;亚组级:银叶杜鹃亚组×同亚属的其他亚组云锦杜鹃亚组内杂交云锦杜鹃亚组×银叶杜鹃亚组银叶杜鹃亚组×杜鹃亚属各组三花杜鹃亚组内杂交云锦杜鹃亚组×同亚属其他亚组云锦杜鹃亚组×杜鹃亚属各组常绿杜鹃亚属的其他亚组×杜鹃亚属各组。(2)种间可交配性与亲本间的亲缘关系及染色体倍性有明显的关联,与分类系统中所反映的类群亲缘关系契合,原始的杜鹃花属植物类群如常绿杜鹃亚属可能比较进化类群具有更广泛的可交配性。(3)坐果率、绿苗率、绿苗系数和单位可育种子数量及其等级频度能从不同的侧面反映杜鹃花属植物杂交可育性数量特征,但也分别存在某些局限性,建立综合评价方案和可育性等级频度指标十分重要。     

Biosystematic studies inTulipa sect.Eriostemones (Liliaceae)

Evolutionary relationships and infra- and interspecific variability within the species ofTulipa sect.Eriostemones Boissier were studied. Measurements of 35 morphological characters were used for principal component and canonical variate analyses. Crossing experiments and chromosome counts were carried out. Two axes of morphological variation were encountered within the principal component plot. Variation of subsect.Biflores was traced along one axis, the species of subsect.Australes as well asSaxatiles were found along the other axis. The nomenclature of names of subsect.Biflores was considered on the basis of their geography, specific morphological characteristics and polyploidy. Conspecificity of names of all species was tested based on both morphology and crossability.