Variability and structure of natural populations of Elymus caninus (L.) L. and their possible relationship with Hordelymus europaeus (L.) Jess. ex Harz as revealed by AFLP analysis

The AFLP method was used to study the inter-population variability of eight populations of Elymus caninus (L.) L. as well as three populations of Hordelymus europaeus (L.) Jess. ex Harz. In these studies a clear distinction was found between two phenotypes of E. caninus collected in the same locality. It also appeared that two populations of E. caninus representing the “pauciflorum” morphotype were clustered together, similarly as two populations of E. caninus exhibiting morphotype “caninus”. Additionally, the populations of the “pauciflorum” type were clustered together with all samples of H. europaeus. Furthermore, the same approach was applied to analyze the intra-population variability of E. caninus. The populations ranged from nearly uniform to as diverse as the samples collected from different localities. In some populations of this species the presence of off-type plants was revealed. Our data indicate the predominantly self-pollinating character of E. caninus and the possible genetic relationship between of E. caninus and H. europaeus. It is the second paper from the series: Biodiversity of wild Triticeae (Poaceae) in Poland, the first is: Mizianty M. 2005. Variability and structure of natural populations of Elymus caninus (l.) L. based on morphology. Pl. Syst. Evol. 251: 199–216.     

Variability and structure of natural populations of Hordeum murinum L. based on morphology

Based on a detailed statistical analysis of 19 quantitative and four qualitative characters of 31 samples of Hordeum murinum from Poland, it was stated that the small variability of these characters does not permit to distinguish any intra-specific units. Only a slight geographical differentiation of populations was found. Based on the differences discovered, the populations have been divided into two groups: one with the centre of distribution in the North-East (group E) and the second in South-West Poland (group W). This differentiation might result from the different routes of migration of this species into Poland. The chromosome number (2n = 28) confirms earlier reports from Poland. New data concerning the distribution of H. murinum in north-eastern Poland are also presented. A detailed study on the distribution of H. murinum in Poland is under way. It is the fourth paper from the series: Biodiversity of wild Triticeae (Poaceae) in Poland. The first is: Mizianty M. (2005). Variability and structure of natural populations of Elymus caninus (L.) L. based on morphology. Pl. Syst. Evol 251: 199–216, the second: Mizianty M. et al. (2006). Variability and structure of natural populations of Elymus caninus (L.) L. and their possible relationship with Hordelymus europaeus (L.) Jess. ex Harz as revealed by AFLP analysis. Pl. Syst. Evol. 256: 193–200, the third: Mizianty M. and Szklarczyk M. (2005). Systematic significance of Elymus caninus morphological characters revealed by AFLP analysis. In: Frey L. (red.) Biology of grasses. W. Szafer Institute of Botany, Polish Academy of Sciences. Kraków, pp. 9-21.     

Allozyme variation within and between populations inLolium (Poaceae)

Isozyme analysis was used to determine genetic variation within and between populations of sevenLolium species. All populations from the inbreeding species (L. temulentum, L. remotum, L. loliaceum, andL. persicum) were completely fixed for all enzymes scored. They also contained, for four of the five enzyme systems studied, exactly the same allelic variant. The three cross-breeding species showed large within-population variation and much less between-population variation. The great similarity of the allozymic variants found in all species, made the division of the genusLolium into species on basis of allozymic data difficult. It was not possible to separate the different inbreeding species from each other. Within the cross-breeding groupL. multiflorum andL. rigidum could be distinguished fromL. perenne. L. multiflorum, andL. rigidum could, with more difficulty, also be separated from each other. Allelic variation could have more relation with the provenance of the populations than with taxonomic classification.Genetic variation inLolium spp. II. For first part see Pl. Syst. Evol. 188: 87–99.     

Intergeneric hybridization and C-banding patterns inHordelymus (Triticeae,Poaceae)

Crosses ofHordelymus europaeus (2n = 4x = 28) with four genera in theTriticeae were attempted. Adult hybrids were obtained in combinations withHordeum bogdanii (2x),Hordeum depressum (4x), andSecale cereale (2x). The meiotic pairing was very low in the hybrids withH. bogdanii andSecale cereale (0.12 and 0.30 chiasmata/cell, respectively), whereas high pairing (9.90 chiasmata/cell) was found in hybrids withH. depressum due to autosyndetic pairing ofH. depressum chromosomes. The chromosome complement ofHordelymus europaeus comprised 16 metacentrics, 8 submetacentrics, and 4 SAT-chromosomes. The Giemsa C-banding patterns of the chromosomes were characterized by small to minute bands at no preferential positions. It is hypothesized thatHordelymus europaeus may genomically be closest related toTaeniatherum andPsathyrostachys spp.     

Gathering and processing of lyme-grass (Elymus arenarius L.) in Iceland: an ethnohistorical account

Lyme-grass (Elymus arenarius L.) was harvested and processed for human consumption along the southern coast of Iceland until the beginning of this century. The origin of this exploitation is not known, but lyme-grass may have been gathered for this purpose already in the Viking Age. The system of processing lyme-grass is complex, and special implements and facilities are needed. The method is similar to traditional processing methods for cereals. Extensive research on Icelandic ethnographic observations was undertaken to establish the exact methods and sequence of operations that was involved. On the basis of this, a set of archaeological experiments was performed to test the viability of the processing techniques outlined in the written records. A model describing the harvesting and processing of lyme-grass is presented.     

Six new species ofGagea (Liliaceae) from the Flora Iranica area

Six new species are described:Gagea anonyma, G. Staintonii, G. siphonantha, G. Grey-Wilsonii, G. chloroneura. All belong to subgen.Platyspermum (Boiss.)Miscz. Florae Iranicae praecursores63–68. — Praecursores praecurrentes: Pl. Syst. Evol.151, 281–293 (1986).     

Even more new taxa from South and East Anatolia II

10 new Turkish taxa are described:Arenaria eliasiana, A. sivasica, A. monscragus, A. angustifolioides; Campanula lycica; Scutellaria orientalis subsp.tortumensis; Stachys choruhensis, S. tundjeliensis; Calamintha caroli-henricana; Aristolochia rechingeriana, the latter two species named in honour ofKarl Heinz Rechinger;Allium vuralii. Dedicated to Prof. DrKarl Heinz Rechinger on the occasion of his 80th birthday. For part I see Pl. Syst. Evol.154, 111–128.     

Chemical and physical-chemical characteristics of dietary fibres from Ulva lactuca (L.) Thuret and Enteromorpha compressa (L.) Grev.

Dietary fibres from Ulva lactuca (L.) Thuret (sea lettuce) and Enteromorpha compressa (L.) Grev. (A.O. nori) were measured according to a ‘standard’ method and a ‘physiological’ protocol simulating the gastric and intestinal environments. U. lactuca contained 15.8–8.0% soluble and 24.2–32.6% insoluble fibres according to the ‘standard’ and ‘physiological’ methods, respectively. For E. compressa, these values were 14.9–15.9 and 21.6–28.7%, respectively. For both algae, the composition suggests that the soluble fibres were xylorhamnoglycuronans sulphates and insoluble fibres were essentially composed of glucans. No marked chemical compositional variation was observed between soluble fractions extracted under the simulated gastric and intestinal conditions. Fibres in both algae are hydrophilic but the water holding capacities were higher after extraction of soluble fibres (5.5–9.5 g g⁻¹ for the dry algae; 14.0–16.0 g g⁻¹ for the standard insoluble fibres). Water soluble fibres demonstrated low intrinsic viscosities at 37 °C in buffers, particularly those from E. compressa (36.0–36.5 ml g⁻¹), and was affected by pH for those of U. lactuca (147.5 ml g⁻¹ at pH 3.0 and 175.0 ml g⁻¹ at pH 7.3).     

Twenty four new microsatellite markers in two invasive pavement ants, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Tetramorium</Emphasis> sp.E and <Emphasis Type="Italic">T. tsushimae</Emphasis> (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Invasive species trigger biodiversity losses and alter ecosystem functioning, with life history shaping invasiveness (Sakai et al., Annu Rev Ecol Syst 32:305–332, 2001). However, pinpointing the relation of a specific life history to invasion success is difficult. One approach may be comparing congeners. The two Palearctic pavement ants, Tetramorium sp.E (widely known as T. caespitum, Schlick-Steiner et al., Mol Phylogenet Evol 40:259–273, 2006) and T. tsushimae have invaded North America (Steiner et al., Biol Invasions 8:117–123, 2006). Their life histories differ in that T. sp.E has separate single-queened colonies but T. tsushimae multi-queened colonies scattered over large areas (Sanada-Morimura et al., Insect Soc 53:141–148, 2006; Schlick-Steiner et al., Mol Phylogenet Evol 40:259–273, 2006; Steiner et al., Biol Invasions 8:117–123, 2006). Comparison of the genetic diversity in the entire native and non-native ranges will elucidate the invasion histories. Here, we present 13 and 11 microsatellites, developed for T. sp.E and T. tsushimae, respectively, and characterize all for both species. Florian M. Steiner, Wolfgang Arthofer and Birgit C. Schlick-Steiner contributed equally to this work.     

Zwei neue Arten der GattungSaponaria (Caryophyllaceae) aus Afghanistan und Pakistan

Saponaria stenopetala sp.n. in Eastern Afghanistan is close toS. pachyphylla Rech. f. andS. subrosularis Rech. f.—The nearest allies ofS. makranica sp.n. from Western Pakistan and Southeastern Iran areS. kermanensis Bornm. andS. floribunda (Kar. & Kir.)Boiss.

Flora Iranicae praecursores 36–37. — Praecursores praecurrentes in Pl. Syst. Evol.139, 313–317 (1982).     

Inheritance of polymorphic markers generated by DNA amplification fingerprinting and their use as genetic markers in soybean

DNA amplification fingerprinting (DAF) using a high primer-to-template ratio and single, very short arbitrary primers, was used to generate amplified fragment length polymorphic markers (AFLP) in soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.). The inheritance of AFLPs was studied using a cross between the ancestral Glycine soja PI468.397 and Glycine max (L.) Merr. line nts382, F1 and F2 progeny. The amplification reaction was carried out with soybean genomic DNA and 8 base long oligounucleotide primers. Silver-stained 5% polyacrylamide gels containing 7 M urea detected from 11 to 28 DAF products with primers of varying GC content (ranging from 50 to 100% GC). Depending on their intensity, AFLPs were classified into three classes. DAF profiles were reproducible for different DNA extractions and gels. Forty AFLPs were detected by 26 primers when comparing G. soja and G. max. Most AFLPs were inherited as dominant Mendelian markers in F1 and F2 populations. However, abnormal inheritance occured with about 25% of polymorphisms. One marker was inherited as a maternal marker, presumably originating from organelle DNA while another showed apparent paternal inheritance. To confirm the nuclear origin and utility of dominant Mendelian markers, three DAF polymorphisms were mapped using a F11 mapping population of recombinant inbred lines from soybean cultivars Minsoy × Noir 1. The study showed that DAF-generated polymorphic markers occur frequently and reliably, that they are inherited as Mendelian dominant loci and that they can be used in genome mapping.     

C-banding patterns in the AustralianBulbine (Liliaceae): The annual group,B. semibarbata s. lato

Chromosome C-band patterns have been studied in 34 populations of the Australian annualBulbine group, which comprises 4x (2n = 26, 28), 8x (2n = 52, 54) and 12x (2n = 78) populations. The 2n = 26B. semibarbata populations have a simple, low heterochromatin pattern with very minor polytypic variation. The 2n = 28 populations, corresponding morphologically to a group given separate status asB. alata, are similar in pattern but exhibit pronounced enhancement of telomeric and, more particularly, centromeric dot bands. NOR heterochromatin and satellites are difficult to identify inB. alata but appear to occur in different positions from the 26-chromosome karyotype. Eastern Australian 8 x patterns are consistent with a proposed hybrid ancestry,B. semibarbata ×B. alata. Annual and perennial C-band profiles in the AustralianBulbine are discussed briefly in relation to the additive and transformation models of heterochromatin evolution and to the possible adaptive significance of variation in heterochromatin content.Cytoevolution in the AustralianBulbine 2; for part 1 see Pl. Syst. Evol.157, 201–217.     

Genetic differentiation of metallicolous and non-metallicolous Armeria maritima (Mill.) Willd. taxa (Plumbaginaceae) in Central Europe

This study investigates the genetic differentiation within the Central European Armeria maritima (Mill.) Willd. complex with special reference to the metallicolous populations using AFLP markers. Our sampling comprised all metallicolous (ssp. halleri, hornburgensis, bottendorfensis, eifeliaca, calaminaria), and non-metallicolous taxa (ssp. maritima, elongata, alpina). Geographical and genetic distances between populations were moderately positively correlated. Genetic variability of metallicolous and non-metallicolous populations was not significantly different. Lowland populations were clearly differentiated from the alpine populations. Within the lowland group metallicolous and non-metallicolous populations were not genetically differentiated. All lowland populations show a regional differentiation and close relationships to ssp. elongata. Thus, the metallicolous taxa should not be maintained as subspecies. Likewise, their treatment as varieties of a ssp. halleri s.l. is critical because this taxon cannot be consistently characterized throughout its geographical range and may be an artefact itself. If a taxonomical recognition should be considered necessary it is advisable to treat the microendemics as varieties of ssp. elongata.     

NeueSilene-Arten (Caryophyllaceae) aus dem Gebiet der Flora Iranica

15 new species are described: Sect.Sclerocalycinae:S. farsistanica, S. stapfii. — Sect.Spergulifoliae:S. paktiensis. — Sect.Auriculatae:S. caroli-henrici, S. daënensis, S. gertraudiae, S. nizvana, S. oligophylla, S. persepolitana, S. pseudaucheriana, S. pseudonurensis, S. renzii, S. salangensis, S. sojakii. — Sect.Brachypodae:S. rasvandica. — All the new species are from Iran with exception ofS. paktiensis andS. parvanica which are from Afghanistan.

Florae Iranicae praecursores 46–60. — Praecursores praecurrentes in Pl. Syst. Evol.142: 239–246 (1983).     

Genetic variability of Fusarium wilt pathogen isolates of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) assessed by molecular markers

Genetic variability among 43 isolates of Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. ciceri, the chickpea wilt pathogen, collected from nine states of India including the four well-characterized races of the pathogen were assessed using the molecular markers, RAPDs and AFLP. Principal coordinate analysis of the similarity index data generated from the molecular marker studies mostly gave three different clusters: Of these two clusters represented race-1 and race-2, and the third cluster consisted of race-3 and race-4 pathogen isolates. In RAPDs a fourth cluster was seen which did not go with any of the four races of the pathogen. The molecular markers established the distinctness of race-1 and race-2 pathogen isolates and the close similarity of pathogen isolates of race-3 with that of race-4. AFLP was found to be more informative as it differentiated more number of the pathogen isolates with the known races with minimum of outliers. The high levels of DNA polymorphism observed with the molecular markers suggest the rapid evolution of new recombinants of the pathogen in the chickpea growing fields. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Sensitivity of Asellus aquaticus (L.) and Proasellus coxalis Dollf. (Crustacea,Isopoda) to Copper

The effects of Copper on the life-cycle of two crustacean isopods, Asellus aquaticus (L.) and Proasellus coxalis Dollf., are studied. ST₅₀ indicates that females and males are differently sensitive in comparison with juveniles. The two species do not show differences in sensitivity in the range of 0.01–15 mg·1^-1 between adults and juveniles. The effect of 0.005 mg·1^-1 Copper sulphate was strongest on embryonic and larval stages. Ecological implications are discussed.     

Meiosis,SC-formation,and karyotype structure in diploidPaeonia tenuifolia and tetraploidP. officinalis

The meiosis of the diploidPaeonia tenuifola and the allotetraploidP. officinalis was studied after conventional methanol/acetic acid-fixation and synaptonemal complex (SC) spreading. Meiosis inP. tenuifolia (2n = 10) is normal with five bivalents in metaphase I, and the SCs in pachytene show regular features. InP. officinalis (2n = 4x = 20) univalents, bivalents and multivalents are found in metaphase I. The SCs reveal several abnormalities: a high number of unpaired lateral elements, partner exchanges between three and four lateral elements, loops and lateral element thickenings. These characteristics are compared with the situations found in other polyploid and hybrid species. It is noteworthy that the abnormalities in meiosis ofP. officinalis are not reflected in its somatic karyotype. Its features were analysed after silver staining and fluorescent staining with chromomycin and compared with those ofP. tenuifolia. Synaptonemal Complex Spreading in Plants2; for part1 see Pl. Syst. Evol.154, 129–136 (1986).     

Optimized nonradioisotopic amplified fragment length polymorphism method for European beech (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Fagus sylvatica</Emphasis> L.)

The amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) technique has increasingly been used for the study of forest tree species. A nonradioisotopic AFLP method was optimized for European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) and found reproducible. However, type ofTaq DNA polymerase and choice of primers must be considered for a consistent AFLP pattern.     

AFLP analysis of the diversity and phylogeny of Lens and its comparison with RAPD analysis

AFLP and RAPD marker techniques have been used to evaluate and study the diversity and phylogeny of 54 lentil accessions representing six populations of cultivated lentil and its wild relatives. Four AFLP primer combinations revealed 23, 25, 52 and 48 AFLPs respectively, which were used to partition variation within and among Lens taxa. The results of AFLP analysis is compared to previous RAPD analysis of the same material. The two methods provide similar conclusions as far as the phylogeny of Lens is concerned. The AFLP technique detected a much higher level of polymorphyism than the RAPD analysis. The use of 148 AFLPs arising from four primer combinations was able to discriminate between genotypes which could not be distinguished using 88 RAPDs. The level of variation detected within the cultivated lentil with AFLP analysis indicates that it may be a more efficient marker technology than RAPD analysis for the construction of genetic linkage maps between carefully chosen cultivated lentil accessions.     

An improved protocol for Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.)

An improved protocol for efficient Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of grapevine (Vitis sp.) was developed through modification of cocultivation and subsequent washing procedures. It was determined that Agrobacterium-infected somatic embryos (SE) cocultivated on filter paper exhibited less browning and significantly higher transient GFP and GUS expression than those cultured on agar-solidified medium. Furthermore, such SE, when subjected to a prolonged washing period in liquid medium containing cefotaxime and carbenicillin, followed by another wash in similar medium with kanamycin added, exhibited significantly higher rates of stable transformation compared to previously-described procedures. Transgenic plant recovery was increased 3.5–6 Xs by careful excision of leafy cotyledons from SE that had been induced to germinate on MS medium containing 1 μM of BA. Southern blot analysis revealed the low copy number integration of transgenes in transgenic plants recovered using the improved protocol. These improved cocultivation and plant recovery procedures have been demonstrated to facilitate production of large populations of transgenic plants from V. vinifera ‘Merlot’, ‘Shiraz’ and ‘Thompson Seedless’ as well as Vitis hybrid ‘Seyval Blanc’.