An unexpected recent ancestor of unisexual Ambystoma

Previous research has shown that members of the unisexual hybrid complex of the genus Ambystoma possess a mitochondrial genome that is unrelated to their nuclear parental species, but the origin of this mitochondrion has remained unclear. We used a 744-bp fragment of the mitochondrial gene cytochrome b within a comparative phylogenetic framework to infer the maternal ancestor of this unisexual lineage. By examining a broader range of species than has previously been compared, we were able to uncover a recent maternal ancestor to this complex. Unexpectedly, Ambystoma barbouri, a species whose nuclear DNA has not been identified in the unisexuals, was found to be the recent maternal ancestor of the individuals examined through the discovery of a shared mtDNA haplotype between the unisexuals and A. barbouri. Based on a combination of sequence data and glacial patterning, we estimate that the unisexual lineage probably originated less than 25 000 years ago. In addition, all unisexuals examined showed extremely similar mtDNA sequences and the resultant phylogeny was consistent with a single origin for this lineage. These results confirm previous suggestions that the unisexual Ambystoma complex was formed from a hybridization event in which the nuclear DNA of the original maternal species was subsequently lost.     

Unique genomic configuration revealed by microsatellite DNA in polyploid dogroses, Rosa sect. Caninae

An allopolyploid complex with high genomic integrity has been studied. Dogroses transmit only seven chromosomes (from seven bivalents) through the pollen, whereas 21, 28 or 35 chromosomes (from seven bivalents and 14, 21 or 28 univalents) come from the egg cells. Seedlings derived from two interspecific crosses were analysed with flow cytometry and molecular markers to determine ploidy level, mode of reproduction and genomic constitution. Evidence was obtained for the formation of unreduced male and female gametes, which can take part in fertilization (producing seedlings with higher ploidy than the parental plants) or in apomictic reproduction. Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and microsatellite analyses indicated that three seedlings (5%) were derived through apomixis, whereas the other 49 were hybrids. Bivalent formation appears to involve chromosomes that consistently share the same microsatellite alleles. Allele-sharing between the maternally transmitted and highly conserved univalent-forming chromosomes reflected the taxonomic distance between different genotypes. The frequently recombining bivalent-forming chromosomes were taxonomically less informative.     

原生质体电融合酵母多倍体生理特性的研究

对原生质体电融合技术获得的11株酵母多倍体融合株,进行了一系列生理特性的分析比较．结果发现,在电融合过程中,融合株的细胞体积及DNA含量并不随着核倍性呈线性递增．而是有其特殊的变化规律。当糖化酵母sta1、sta2和sta3在细胞核中各自纯合时,明显表现出表达的剂量效应。其中sta1、sta2纯合的融合株．在YEPS培养中,GA分泌可被淀粉大量诱导,表现出一定的二次生长特性。从分析结果推测,在亲株5301-14D及HU-TY—1A中可能有对GA分泌不利的因素。     

Ecological factors influencing tetraploid speciation in snow buttercups (Ranunculus Adoneus): niche differentiation and tetraploid establishment

Chromosome doubling plays an important role in generating new species of flowering plants. However, reproductive incompatibilities between newly formed tetraploid plants and their diploid progenitors are expected to create a significant barrier to the persistence and establishment of neopolyploid populations. Ecological differentiation can reduce this barrier via prezygotic isolation arising from spatial separation. Alternatively, superior viability or fecundity of neotetraploid plants might compensate for the reproductive cost of incompatible pollen from diploid neighbors. The performance of plants of both cytotypes can be assessed in their respective habitats through reciprocal transplants, although such experiments have not been used previously in the study of tetraploid speciation. We used a series of seed and seedling transplant experiments to assess ecological differentiation and competitive ability during early establishment phases for tetraploid and diploid forms of the snow buttercup (Ranunculus adoneus). At two sites, seeds from diploids and tetraploids had similar germination probabilities. Tetraploid snow buttercup seedlings had a significant growth advantage in a controlled environment chamber experiment. However, in the field diploid and tetraploid buttercup seedlings did not differ consistently in survival or growth, nor did the two cytotypes show reciprocal advantages in performance, as expected if ecological differentiation has occurred. At the seed and seedling stages, neither niche differentiation nor tetraploid competitive superiority appears sufficient to explain neotetraploid success in the presence of their diploid progenitors.     

猕猴桃品种果实性状特征和主成分分析研究

为深入了解猕猴桃不同品种(系)的果实性状与其倍性的相关性,本研究对国家猕猴桃种质资源圃保存的44个栽培品种(系)进行了果实性状分析,结果表明,44个栽培品种(系)的果实性状具有丰富的遗传多样性并且果实重量、果面毛被、果肉颜色和质地、果实维生素C含量、果实后熟天数和软熟果硬度、果实成熟期等与品种(系)倍性呈显著相关。对相关性状采用主成分分析表明,果实成熟时间、果肉质地、果面毛被和果实后熟天数、果肉颜色是区分品种(系)的主要特征。由于品种(系)的倍性与主要性状特征关联,品种(系)按倍性相对聚类,且二倍体品种(系)群和六倍体品种(系)群间无重叠,而四倍体品种(系)群与相邻的二倍体和六倍体品种(系)群均有一定重叠。     

Simultaneous formation of haploid, diploid and triploid eggs in diploid–triploid mosaic loaches

In the loach Misgurnus anguillicaudatus , very few diploid–triploid mosaic individuals, which are generated by accidental incorporation of the sperm nucleus into diploid eggs produced by clonal diploid loach, occur in nature. Ploidy examination of gynogenetic progeny induced by activation with ultraviolet-irradiated goldfish sperm indicated that diploid–triploid mosaic females laid haploid, diploid and triploid eggs, simultaneously. In addition, triploid eggs exhibited larger egg sizes. Microsatellite genotyping of diploid–triploid mosaics revealed that triploid genotypes of mosaic mothers possessed two alleles specific to the clonal diploid and one allele from normal diploid male. Diploid eggs from a mosaic mother had genotypes absolutely identical to the diploid clone. Most genotypes of triploid eggs were identical to the mosaic mother, and one of the three alleles of the mosaic mother was transmitted to haploid eggs. These results suggested that diploid germ cells, which had a clonal genome, were differentiated into clonal diploid eggs, and triploid and haploid eggs were produced from triploid germ cells in the same ovary of mosaic individuals.     

加拿大一枝黄花入侵的细胞学机制

对入侵植物加拿大一枝黄花(Solidago canadensis L.)和同属土著种一枝黄花(Solidago decurrens Lour.)的染色体计数,并对核型进行了分析.实验结果:加拿大一枝黄花染色体数目为2n=54,核型公式为k(2n)=6x=54＝46m 8sm(0-6SAT),核型类型为2A型;一枝黄花染色体数目为2n=18,核型公式为k(2n)=2x=18=16m 2sm(0-2SAT),核型类型为1A型.通过对一枝黄花属(Solidago L.)植物染色体数目的统计分析,判断该属的染色体基数为9.通过对多倍体基因表达导致植物适应进化的讨论得出:多倍体是入侵植物特征,可能是植物入侵的内在机制.     

Polyploidy and DNA methylation: new tools available

Most plant species are recent or ancient polyploids (displaying at least one round of genome duplication in their history). Cultivated species (e.g. wheat, cotton, canola, sugarcane, coffee) and invasive species are often relatively recent polyploids, and frequently of hybrid origin (i.e. allopolyploids). Despite the genetic bottleneck occurring during the allopolyploid speciation process, the formation of such species from two divergent lineages leads to fixed heterozygosity decisive to their success. New phenotypes and new niche occupation are usually associated with this mode of speciation, as a result of both genomic rearrangements and gene expression changes of different magnitudes depending on the different polyploid species investigated. These gene expression changes affecting newly formed polyploid species may result from various, interconnected mechanisms, including (i) functional interactions between the homoeologous copies and between their products, that are reunited in the same nucleus and cell; (ii) the fate of duplicated copies, selective pressure on one of the parental copy being released which could lead to gene loss, pseudogenization, or alternatively, to subfunctionalization or neofunctionalization; and (iii) epigenetic landscape changes that in turn affect gene expression. As one of the interrelated processes leading to epigenetic regulation of gene expression, the DNA methylation status of newly formed species appears to be consistently affected following both hybridization and genome doubling. In this issue, Verhoeven et al. have investigated the fate of DNA methylation patterns that could affect naturally occurring new asexual triploid lineages of dandelions. As a result of such a ploidy level change, the authors demonstrate stably transmitted DNA methylation changes leading to unique DNA methylation patterns in each newly formed lineage. Most studies published to date on plant DNA methylation polymorphism were performed using restriction enzymes sensitive to methylation. Recently, new high‐throughput methods were made available, thanks to the development of ‘next‐generation sequencing’ techniques. The combination of these methods offers powerful and promising tools to investigate epigenetic variation in both model and non‐model systems.     

THE BIOLOGY OF SPECIATION

Since Darwin published the “Origin,” great progress has been made in our understanding of speciation mechanisms. The early investigations by Mayr and Dobzhansky linked Darwin's view of speciation by adaptive divergence to the evolution of reproductive isolation, and thus provided a framework for studying the origin of species. However, major controversies and questions remain, including: When is speciation nonecological? Under what conditions does geographic isolation constitute a reproductive isolating barrier? and How do we estimate the “importance” of different isolating barriers? Here, we address these questions, providing historical background and offering some new perspectives. A topic of great recent interest is the role of ecology in speciation. “Ecological speciation” is defined as the case in which divergent selection leads to reproductive isolation, with speciation under uniform selection, polyploid speciation, and speciation by genetic drift defined as “nonecological.” We review these proposed cases of nonecological speciation and conclude that speciation by uniform selection and polyploidy normally involve ecological processes. Furthermore, because selection can impart reproductive isolation both directly through traits under selection and indirectly through pleiotropy and linkage, it is much more effective in producing isolation than genetic drift. We thus argue that natural selection is a ubiquitous part of speciation, and given the many ways in which stochastic and deterministic factors may interact during divergence, we question whether the ecological speciation concept is useful. We also suggest that geographic isolation caused by adaptation to different habitats plays a major, and largely neglected, role in speciation. We thus provide a framework for incorporating geographic isolation into the biological species concept (BSC) by separating ecological from historical processes that govern species distributions, allowing for an estimate of geographic isolation based upon genetic differences between taxa. Finally, we suggest that the individual and relative contributions of all potential barriers be estimated for species pairs that have recently achieved species status under the criteria of the BSC. Only in this way will it be possible to distinguish those barriers that have actually contributed to speciation from those that have accumulated after speciation is complete. We conclude that ecological adaptation is the major driver of reproductive isolation, and that the term “biology of speciation,” as proposed by Mayr, remains an accurate and useful characterization of the diversity of speciation mechanisms.