Larches of Kuzhanovo Have a Unique Mutation in the Intergenic Spacer.

The larches of Kuzhanovo ( Ledeb.) are protected trees with a round crown growing in the Southern Urals. In 2020 vandals sawed the sapwood of these trees, which exposed the problem of insufficient conservation measures. Their origin and genetic characteristics have been of particular interest to breeders and scientists. The larches of Kuzhanovo were screened for polymorphisms using SSR and ISSR analyses and the sequencing of genetic markers and genes and , associated with wider crown shape. A unique mutation was discovered in the intergenic spacer of all protected trees, but it was absent in some of their descendants and larches with similar crown shape. Mutations were discovered in the and genes of all samples. Flow cytometry did not reveal any changes in genome size. Our results suggest that the unique phenotype arose from point mutations in , but they are yet to be found in the nuclear genome. The concurrent mutations in the and genes may indicate that the round crown shape originates from the Southern Urals. The and genetic markers are not common in studies of sp., but their wider use could help to establish the origin of these endangered plants. The discovery of the unique mutation also allows for stronger conservation and crime detection efforts.