Large Genomes Are Associated With Greater Cell Size and Ecological Shift Towards More Nitrogen-Rich and Higher-Latitude Environments in Microalgae of the Genus Synura.

The nuclear genome is essential for encoding most of the genes required for cellular processes, but its size alone can alter the characteristics of cells and organisms. Yet, genome size variation and its ecological and evolutionary impacts, particularly in microorganisms, are not well understood. We used flow cytometry to estimate genome size and GC content in 53 evolutionary lineages of the microalgal genus Synura (Chrysophyceae, Stramenopiles).

Natural Variation in Sexual Traits and Gene Expression between Selfing and Outcrossing Arabidopsis lyrata Suggests Sexual Selection at Work.

Flowering plants show significant diversity in sexual strategies, profoundly impacting the evolution of sexual traits and associated genes. Sexual selection is one of the primary evolutionary forces driving sexual trait variation, particularly evident during pollen-pistil interactions, where pollen grains compete for fertilization and females select mating partners. Multiple mating may intensify competition among pollen donors for siring, while in contrast, self-fertilization reduces sire-sire competition, relaxing the sexual selection pressure.

The Use of Flow Cytometry for Estimating Genome Sizes and DNA Ploidy Levels in Plants.

Flow cytometry has emerged as a uniquely flexible, accurate, and widely applicable technology for the analysis of plant cells. One of its most important applications centers on the measurement of nuclear DNA contents. This chapter describes the essential features of this measurement, outlining the overall methods and strategies, but going on to provide a wealth of technical details to ensure the most accurate and reproducible results.

Genomic basis and phenotypic manifestation of (non-)parallel serpentine adaptation in Arabidopsis arenosa.

Parallel evolution is common in nature and provides one of the most compelling examples of rapid environmental adaptation. In contrast to the recent burst of studies addressing genomic basis of parallel evolution, integrative studies linking genomic and phenotypic parallelism are scarce. Edaphic islands of toxic serpentine soils provide ideal systems for studying rapid parallel adaptation in plants, imposing strong, spatially replicated selection on recently diverged populations.

Plant material selection, collection, preservation, and storage for nuclear DNA content estimation.

In theory, any plant tissue providing intact nuclei in sufficient quantity is suitable for nuclear DNA content estimation using flow cytometry (FCM). While this certainly opens a wide variety of possible applications of FCM, especially when compared to classical karyological techniques restricted to tissues with active cell division, tissue selection and quality may directly affect the precision (and sometimes even reliability) of FCM measurements. It is usually convenient to first consider the goals of the study to either aim for the highest possible accuracy of estimates (e.

Repeat proliferation and partial endoreplication jointly shape the patterns of genome size evolution in orchids.

Although the evolutionary drivers of genome size change are known, the general patterns and mechanisms of plant genome size evolution are yet to be established. Here we aim to assess the relative importance of proliferation of repetitive DNA, chromosomal variation (including polyploidy), and the type of endoreplication for genome size evolution of the Pleurothallidinae, the most species-rich orchid lineage. Phylogenetic relationships between 341 Pleurothallidinae representatives were refined using a target enrichment hybrid capture combined with high-throughput sequencing approach.

Flow cytometric analysis of pollen and spores: An overview of applications and methodology.

Pollen grains are the male gametophytes in a seed-plant life cycle. Their small, particulate nature and crucial role in plant reproduction have made them an attractive object of study using flow cytometry (FCM), with a wide range of applications existing in the literature. While methodological considerations for many of these overlap with those for other tissue types (e.

Why is reproductive isolation between intraspecific cytotypes so important? A commentary on: 'Strong post-pollination interactions govern cytotype isolation in a tetraploid-octoploid contact zone'.

This article comments on: Mariana Castro1, João Loureiro, Brian C. Husband and Sílvia Castro, The role of multiple reproductive barriers: strong post-pollination interactions govern cytotype isolation in a tetraploid–octoploid contact zone, Annals of Botany, Volume 126, Issue 6, 2 November 2020, Pages 991–1003, https://doi.org/10.

Niche similarity in diploid-autotetraploid contact zones of Arabidopsis arenosa across spatial scales.

Premise: Whole genome duplication is a major evolutionary event, but its role in ecological divergence remains equivocal. When populations of different ploidy (cytotypes) overlap in space, "contact zones" are formed, allowing the study of evolutionary mechanisms contributing toward ploidy divergence. Multiple contact zones per species' range are often described but rarely leveraged as natural replicates.

Diversity in genome size and GC content shows adaptive potential in orchids and is closely linked to partial endoreplication, plant life-history traits and climatic conditions.

In angiosperms, genome size and nucleobase composition (GC content) exhibit pronounced variation with possible adaptive consequences. The hyperdiverse orchid family possessing the unique phenomenon of partial endoreplication (PE) provides a great opportunity to search for interactions of both genomic traits with the evolutionary history of the family. Using flow cytometry, we report values of both genomic traits and the type of endoreplication for 149 orchid species and compare these with a suite of life-history traits and climatic niche data using phylogeny-based statistics.

Molecular phylogeny and evolution of phenotype in silica-scaled chrysophyte genus Mallomonas.

The evolution of phenotypes is highly understudied in protists, due to the dearth of morphological characters, missing fossil record, and/or unresolved phylogeny in the majority of taxa. The chrysophyte genus Mallomonas (Stramenopiles) forms species-specific silica scales with extraordinary diversity of their ornamentation. In this paper, we molecularly characterized three additional species to provide an updated phylogeny of 43 species, and combined this with evaluations of 24 morphological traits.

Widespread co-occurrence of multiple ploidy levels in fragile ferns (Cystopteris fragilis complex; Cystopteridaceae) probably stems from similar ecology of cytotypes, their efficient dispersal and inter-ploidy hybridization.

Background And Aims: Polyploidy has played an important role in the evolution of ferns. However, the dearth of data on cytotype diversity, cytotype distribution patterns and ecology in ferns is striking in comparison with angiosperms and prevents an assessment of whether cytotype coexistence and its mechanisms show similar patterns in both plant groups. Here, an attempt to fill this gap was made using the ploidy-variable and widely distributed Cystopteris fragilis complex.

Ploidy-altered phenotype interacts with local environment and may enhance polyploid establishment in Knautia serpentinicola (Caprifoliaceae).

Whole genome duplication is a key process in plant evolution and has direct phenotypic consequences. However, it remains unclear whether ploidy-related phenotypic changes can significantly alter the fitness of polyploids in nature and thus contribute to establishment of new polyploid mutants in diploid populations. We addressed this question using a unique natural system encompassing a diploid and its sympatric locally established autotetraploid derivative.

Mixed-Ploidy Species: Progress and Opportunities in Polyploid Research.

Mixed-ploidy species harbor a unique form of genomic and phenotypic variation that influences ecological interactions, facilitates genetic divergence, and offers insights into the mechanisms of polyploid evolution. However, there have been few attempts to synthesize this literature. We review here research on the cytotype distribution, diversity, and dynamics of intensively studied mixed-ploidy species and consider the implications for understanding mechanisms of polyploidization such as cytotype formation, establishment, coexistence, and post-polyploid divergence.

Evolutionary dynamics of mixed-ploidy populations in an annual herb: dispersal, local persistence and recurrent origins of polyploids.

Background And Aims: Despite the recent wealth of studies targeted at contact zones of cytotypes in various species, some aspects of polyploid evolution are still poorly understood. This is especially the case for the frequency and success rate of spontaneous neopolyploidization or the temporal dynamics of ploidy coexistence, requiring massive ploidy screening and repeated observations, respectively. To fill this gap, an extensive study of spatio-temporal patterns of ploidy coexistence was initiated in the widespread annual weed Tripleurospermum inodorum (Asteraceae).

Does hybridization with a widespread congener threaten the long-term persistence of the Eastern Alpine rare local endemic Knautia carinthiaca?

Interspecific hybridization, especially when regularly followed by backcrossing (i.e., introgressive hybridization), conveys a substantial risk for many endangered organisms.