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Chroho M, Bailly C, Bouissane L. Ethnobotanical Uses and Pharmacological Activities of Moroccan Ephedra Species. PLANTA MEDICA 2024; 90:336-352. [PMID: 38423032 DOI: 10.1055/a-2269-2113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Ephedra species are among the most popular herbs used in traditional medicine for a long time. The ancient Chinese medical book "Treatise on Febrile Diseases" refers to the classic traditional Chinese medicine prescription Ge Gen decoction, which consists of seven herbs, including an Ephedra species. Ephedra species are utilized all over the world to treat symptoms of the common cold and coughs, and to combat major human diseases, such as asthma, cancers, diabetes, cardiovascular and digestive disorders, and microbial infections. This study aimed at identifying specific Ephedra species used traditionally in Morocco for therapeutic purposes. The plant parts, their preparation process, and the treated pathologies were identified and analyzed. The results revealed five ethnobotanically important species of Ephedra: Ephedra alata Decne, Ephedra altissima Desf., Ephedra distachya L., Ephedra fragilis Desf., and Ephedra nebrodensis Tineo. These species are used traditionally in Morocco for treating people with diabetes, cancer, rheumatism, cold and asthma, hypertension, influenza virus infection, and respiratory ailments. In addition, they are occasionally used as calefacient agents, to regulate weight, or for capillary care. Few studies have underlined the antibacterial and antioxidant activities of some of these Moroccan Ephedra species, but little information is available regarding the natural products at the origin of the bioactivities. Further phytochemical investigations and clinical data are encouraged to better support the use of these plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mounia Chroho
- Molecular Chemistry, Materials and Catalysis Laboratory, Faculty of Sciences and Technologies, Sultan Moulay Slimane University, Beni-Mellal, Morocco
| | - Christian Bailly
- OncoWitan, Scientific Consulting Office, Lille, France
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry Albert Lespagnol, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lille, France
| | - Latifa Bouissane
- Molecular Chemistry, Materials and Catalysis Laboratory, Faculty of Sciences and Technologies, Sultan Moulay Slimane University, Beni-Mellal, Morocco
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Yu Q, Yang FS, Chen YX, Wu H, Ickert-Bond SM, Wang XQ. Diploid species phylogeny and evolutionary reticulation indicate early radiation of Ephedra in the Tethys coast. JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE PLANT BIOLOGY 2023; 65:2619-2630. [PMID: 37837251 DOI: 10.1111/jipb.13573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023]
Abstract
Reconstructing a robust species phylogeny and disentangling the evolutionary and biogeographic history of the gymnosperm genus Ephedra, which has a large genome and rich polyploids, remain a big challenge. Here we reconstructed a transcriptome-based phylogeny of 19 diploid Ephedra species, and explored evolutionary reticulations in this genus represented by 50 diploid and polyploid species, using four low-copy nuclear and nine plastid genes. The diploid species phylogeny indicates that the Mediterranean species diverged first, and the remaining species split into three clades, including the American species (Clade A), E. rhytidosperma, and all other Asian species (Clade B). The single-gene trees placed E. rhytidosperma sister to Clade A, Clade B, or Clades A + B in similar proportions, suggesting that radiation and gene flow likely occurred in the early evolution of Ephedra. In addition, reticulate evolution occurred not only among the deep nodes, but also in the recently evolved South American species, which further caused difficulty in phylogenetic reconstruction. Moreover, we found that allopolyploid speciation was pervasive in Ephedra. Our study also suggests that Ephedra very likely originated in the Tethys coast during the late Cretaceous, and the South American Ephedra species have a single origin by dispersal from Mexico or North America.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiong Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, Institute of Botany, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
- China National Botanical Garden, Beijing, 100093, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Fu-Sheng Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, Institute of Botany, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
- China National Botanical Garden, Beijing, 100093, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Ya-Xing Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, Institute of Botany, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Hui Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, Institute of Botany, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
- China National Botanical Garden, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Stefanie M Ickert-Bond
- Department of Biology and Wildlife & UA Museum of the North, University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF), Fairbanks, AK, 99775, USA
| | - Xiao-Quan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, Institute of Botany, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
- China National Botanical Garden, Beijing, 100093, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
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Yang Y, Yang Z, Lin L, Wang Y, Ferguson DK. A New Gnetalean Macrofossil from the Mid-Jurassic Daohugou Formation. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:plants12091749. [PMID: 37176807 PMCID: PMC10181303 DOI: 10.3390/plants12091749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Revised: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Macrofossil evidence has demonstrated a first radiation of gnetophytes in the Early Cretaceous. However, the origin of the diversity of gnetophytes remains ambiguous because gnetalean macrofossils have rarely been reported from pre-Cretaceous strata. Here, we report a new putative gnetalean macrofossil reproductive shoot which possesses opposite phyllotaxy, long linear leaves more or less decurrent and having a prominent midvein and pedicled ovoid-ellipsoid and longitudinally striated chlamydosperms. Our new fossil is different from other known gnetalean macrofossils in the linear-lanceolate leaves with a midvein and pedicled chlamydosperms. As a result, we describe this new macrofossil reproductive shoot as new to science, i.e., Daohugoucladus sinensis gen. et sp. nov. Our new macrofossil displays additional morphological characters distinct from other known Mesozoic and modern gnetalean species and provides additional evidence of the origin and early evolution of female reproductive organs of gnetophytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Yang
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, 159 Longpan Road, Nanjing 210037, China
| | - Zhi Yang
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, 159 Longpan Road, Nanjing 210037, China
| | - Longbiao Lin
- Independent Researcher, 69 Fuxing Road, Beijing 100039, China
| | - Yingwei Wang
- National Botanical Garden, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 20 Nanxincun, Xiangshan, Beijing 100093, China
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Conti F, Oberprieler C, Dorfner M, Schabel E, Nicoară R, Bartolucci F. Adonis fucensis ( A. sect. Adonanthe, Ranunculaceae), a New Species from the Central Apennines (Italy). BIOLOGY 2023; 12:biology12010118. [PMID: 36671810 PMCID: PMC9855803 DOI: 10.3390/biology12010118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Adonis fucensis is herein described as a new species based on morphological and molecular analyses. It is endemic to one locality of the Central Apennines between Amplero and Fucino plains within the NATURA 2000 network in the SAC IT7110205 (Central Italy). The only discovered population is composed of 65 individuals and is at risk of extinction. The conservation status assessment according to IUCN categories and criteria is proposed and discussed. The new species belongs to A. sect. Adonanthe and is morphologically similar to A. volgensis (incl. A. transsilvanica), a species distributed in Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and Turkey as well as eastward to SW Siberia and Central Asia. Adonis fucensis can be distinguished from A. volgensis by larger cauline leaves, pentagonal with lobes lanceolate, larger stipules with more lobes and teeth, and larger flowers. Finally, an analytical key to Adonis species belonging to sect. Adonanthe distributed in Europe is presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabio Conti
- Floristic Research Center of the Apennine, University of Camerino—Gran Sasso Laga National Park, San Colombo, 67021 Barisciano, Italy
| | - Christoph Oberprieler
- Evolutionary and Systematic Botany Group, Institute of Plant Biology, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstr. 31, D-93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Marco Dorfner
- Evolutionary and Systematic Botany Group, Institute of Plant Biology, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstr. 31, D-93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Erik Schabel
- Evolutionary and Systematic Botany Group, Institute of Plant Biology, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstr. 31, D-93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Roxana Nicoară
- Department of Taxonomy, Ecology and Nature Conservation, Institute of Biology Bucharest—Romanian Academy, Splaiul Independenței 296, District 6, 060031 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Fabrizio Bartolucci
- Floristic Research Center of the Apennine, University of Camerino—Gran Sasso Laga National Park, San Colombo, 67021 Barisciano, Italy
- Correspondence:
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El Atfy H, Coiffard C, El Beialy SY, Uhl D. Vegetation and climate change at the southern margin of the Neo-Tethys during the Cenomanian (Late Cretaceous): Evidence from Egypt. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0281008. [PMID: 36716334 PMCID: PMC9886267 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0281008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Changes in terrestrial vegetation during the mid-Cretaceous and their link to climate and environmental change are poorly understood. In this study, we use plant macrofossils and analysis of fossil pollen and spores from the Western Desert, Egypt, to assess temporal changes in plant communities during the Cenomanian. The investigated strata have relatively diverse sporomorph assemblages, which reflect the nature of parent vegetation. Specifically, the palynofloras represent ferns, conifers, monosulcate pollen producers, Gnetales, and a diverse group of angiosperms. Comparisons of both, dispersed palynoflora and plant macrofossils reveal different characteristics of the palaeoflora owing to a plethora of taphonomical and ecological biases including the depositional environment, production levels, and discrepancies between different plant organs. A combination of detailed records of sporomorphs, leaves, and charcoal from the studied successions provide new understandings of the palaeoclimate and palaeogeography during the Cenomanian and Albian-Cenomanian transition in Egypt. The mixed composition of the palynofloral assemblages reflects the presence of different depositional situations with a weak marine influence, as evidenced by a minor dinoflagellate cysts component. The local vegetation comprised various categories including herbaceous groups including ferns and eudicots, fluvial, open environments, and xeric arboreal communities dominated by Cheirolepidiaceae and perhaps including drought- and/or salt-tolerating ferns (Anemiaceae) and other gymnosperms (Araucariaceae, Ginkgoales, Cycadales, and Gnetales) as well as angiosperms. The presence of riparian and freshwater wetland communities favouring aquatic and/or hygrophilous ferns (of Salviniaceae and Marsileaceae), is noted. The wide variation of depositional settings derived from the palynological data may be attributed to a prevalent occurrence of producers in local vegetation during the early Cenomanian of Egypt. For the purpose of this work on the studied Bahariya Formation and its equivalent rock units, where iconic dinosaurs and other fossil fauna roamed, we attempt to improve the understanding of Egypt's Cenomanian climate, which is reconstructed as generally warm and humid punctuated by phases of considerably drier conditions of varying duration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haytham El Atfy
- Department of Geosciences, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Faculty of Science, Geology Department, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
- * E-mail:
| | - Clément Coiffard
- Institute of Biology, Structural and Functional Plant Diversity Group, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Salah Y. El Beialy
- Faculty of Science, Geology Department, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Dieter Uhl
- Senckenberg Forschungsinstitut und Naturmuseum Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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Al-Radadi NS. Ephedra mediated green synthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and evaluation of its antioxidant, antipyretic, anti-asthmatic, and antimicrobial properties. ARAB J CHEM 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.arabjc.2022.104353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
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The Welwitschia genome reveals a unique biology underpinning extreme longevity in deserts. Nat Commun 2021; 12:4247. [PMID: 34253727 PMCID: PMC8275611 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24528-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The gymnosperm Welwitschia mirabilis belongs to the ancient, enigmatic gnetophyte lineage. It is a unique desert plant with extreme longevity and two ever-elongating leaves. We present a chromosome-level assembly of its genome (6.8 Gb/1 C) together with methylome and transcriptome data to explore its astonishing biology. We also present a refined, high-quality assembly of Gnetum montanum to enhance our understanding of gnetophyte genome evolution. The Welwitschia genome has been shaped by a lineage-specific ancient, whole genome duplication (~86 million years ago) and more recently (1-2 million years) by bursts of retrotransposon activity. High levels of cytosine methylation (particularly at CHH motifs) are associated with retrotransposons, whilst long-term deamination has resulted in an exceptionally GC-poor genome. Changes in copy number and/or expression of gene families and transcription factors (e.g. R2R3MYB, SAUR) controlling cell growth, differentiation and metabolism underpin the plant's longevity and tolerance to temperature, nutrient and water stress.
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Ghanizadeh H, Li F, He L, Harrington KC. Characterization of clopyralid resistance in lawn burweed (Soliva sessilis). PLoS One 2021; 16:e0253934. [PMID: 34191837 PMCID: PMC8244908 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0253934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Soliva sessilis is a troublesome annual weed species in New Zealand turfgrass. This weed has been controlled selectively in New Zealand turfgrass for many years using pyridine herbicides such as clopyralid. However, in some golf courses, the continuous application of pyridine herbicides has resulted in the selection of S. sessilis populations that are resistant to these herbicides. This study focuses on a clopyralid-resistant population of S. sessilis collected from a golf course with a long history of clopyralid applications. The resistant phenotype of S. sessilis was highly resistant to clopyralid (over 225-fold). It was also cross-resistant to dicamba, MCPA and picloram but not mecoprop. The level of resistance to dicamba was high (7-14-fold) but much lower (2-3-fold) for both MCPA and picloram. The phenotype was morphologically distinct from its susceptible counterpart. Individuals of the clopyralid-resistant phenotype had fewer lobes on their leaves and were slightly larger compared to the susceptible phenotype. Resistant individuals also had a larger leaf area and greater root dry weight than the susceptible plants. An evaluation of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions confirmed that clopyralid-resistant phenotypes are conspecific with S. sessilis. In summary, the cross-resistance to several auxinic herbicides in this S. sessilis phenotype greatly reduces chemical options for controlling it; thus, other integrated management practices may be needed such as using turfgrass competition to reduce weed germination. However, the morphological differences between resistant and susceptible plants make it easy to see, which will help with its management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hossein Ghanizadeh
- School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
- * E-mail:
| | - Fengshuo Li
- College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
| | - Lulu He
- School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | - Kerry C. Harrington
- School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
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Rather ZA, Ahmad R, Dar AR, Dar TUH, Khuroo AA. Predicting shifts in distribution range and niche breadth of plant species in contrasting arid environments under climate change. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2021; 193:427. [PMID: 34143311 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-021-09160-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Arid environments face extreme risk from contemporary climate change; therefore, predicting the shifts in species distribution range and niche breadth in these environments assumes urgent research priority. Here we report the potential distribution and predict future distribution range of two model plant species typically representing contrasting environments across Asia and Africa: hot-arid Ephedra foliata and cold-arid E. gerardiana. We adopted a comparative modelling approach and used occurrence points from extensive field surveys, supplemented with herbaria records and publicly available distribution data. Our study reveals that currently an area of 8.797334 × 106 km2 (8.8%) is potentially suitable for E. foliata and nearly half 4.759326 × 106 km2 (4.8%) for E. gerardiana. Under future climate change scenarios, distribution range of E. foliata is predicted to expand but contract in E. gerardiana. Similarly, E. foliata showed broader niche breadth which is predicted to increase under B1 (0.097-0.125) and B2 (0.878-0.930) climatic change scenarios. In contrast, E. gerardiana had narrower niche breadth and expected to further decrease under B1 (0.081-0.078) and B2 (0.878-0.854). The most influential bioclimatic variable governing the potential distribution and niche breadth of E. foliata was the precipitation of warmest quarter, whereas that of E. gerardiana was temperature seasonality. The results from our study can help in developing potential indicator plant species for assessment and monitoring of distribution range shifts in response to changing climate in the arid environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zubair Ahmad Rather
- Centre for Biodiversity and Taxonomy, Department of Botany, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, 190006, India.
| | - Rameez Ahmad
- Centre for Biodiversity and Taxonomy, Department of Botany, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, 190006, India
| | - Abdul Rashid Dar
- Department of Botany, Govt, Degree College (Boys), Kupwara, Jammu and Kashmir, India
| | | | - Anzar Ahmad Khuroo
- Centre for Biodiversity and Taxonomy, Department of Botany, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, 190006, India
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Climate Differently Impacts the Growth of Coexisting Trees and Shrubs under Semi-Arid Mediterranean Conditions. FORESTS 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/f12030381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Background and Objectives—Coexisting tree and shrub species will have to withstand more arid conditions as temperatures keep rising in the Mediterranean Basin. However, we still lack reliable assessments on how climate and drought affect the radial growth of tree and shrub species at intra- and interannual time scales under semi-arid Mediterranean conditions. Materials and Methods—We investigated the growth responses to climate of four co-occurring gymnosperms inhabiting semi-arid Mediterranean sites in northeastern Spain: two tree species (Aleppo pine, Pinus halepensis Mill.; Spanish juniper, Juniperus thurifera L.) and two shrubs (Phoenicean juniper, Juniperus phoenicea L.; Ephedra nebrodensis Tineo ex Guss.). First, we quantified the intra-annual radial-growth rates of the four species by periodically sampling wood samples during one growing season. Second, we quantified the climate–growth relationships at an interannual scale at two sites with different soil water availability by using dendrochronology. Third, we simulated growth responses to temperature and soil moisture using the forward, process-based Vaganov‒Shashkin (VS-Lite) growth model to disentangle the main climatic drivers of growth. Results—The growth of all species peaked in spring to early summer (May–June). The pine and junipers grew after the dry summer, i.e., they showed a bimodal growth pattern. Prior wet winter conditions leading to high soil moisture before cambium reactivation in spring enhanced the growth of P. halepensis at dry sites, whereas the growth of both junipers and Ephedra depended more on high spring–summer soil moisture. The VS-Lite model identified these different influences of soil moisture on growth in tree and shrub species. Conclusions—Our approach (i) revealed contrasting growth dynamics of co-existing tree and shrub species under semi-arid Mediterranean conditions and (ii) provided novel insights on different responses as a function of growth habits in similar drought-prone regions.
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A Review of the Ephedra genus: Distribution, Ecology, Ethnobotany, Phytochemistry and Pharmacological Properties. Molecules 2020; 25:molecules25143283. [PMID: 32698308 PMCID: PMC7397145 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25143283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2020] [Revised: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Ephedra is one of the largest genera of the Ephedraceae family, which is distributed in arid and semiarid regions of the world. In the traditional medicine from several countries some species from the genus are commonly used to treat asthma, cold, flu, chills, fever, headache, nasal congestion, and cough. The chemical constituents of Ephedra species have been of research interest for decades due to their contents of ephedrine-type alkaloids and its pharmacological properties. Other chemical constituents such as phenolic and amino acid derivatives also have resulted attractive and have provided evidence-based supporting of the ethnomedical uses of the Ephedra species. In recent years, research has been expanded to explore the endophytic fungal diversity associated to Ephedra species, as well as, the chemical constituents derived from these fungi and their pharmacological bioprospecting. Two additional aspects that illustrate the chemical diversity of Ephedra genus are the chemotaxonomy approaches and the use of ephedrine-type alkaloids as building blocks in organic synthesis. American Ephedra species, especially those that exist in Mexico, are considered to lack ephedrine type alkaloids. In this sense, the phytochemical study of Mexican Ephedra species is a promising area of research to corroborate their ephedrine-type alkaloids content and, in turn, discover new chemical compounds with potential biological activity. Therefore, the present review represents a key compilation of all the relevant information for the Ephedra genus, in particular the American species, the species distribution, their ecological interactions, its ethnobotany, its phytochemistry and their pharmacological activities and toxicities, in order to promote clear directions for future research.
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A Review on Worldwide Ephedra History and Story: From Fossils to Natural Products Mass Spectroscopy Characterization and Biopharmacotherapy Potential. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2020; 2020:1540638. [PMID: 32419789 PMCID: PMC7210547 DOI: 10.1155/2020/1540638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Revised: 04/08/2020] [Accepted: 04/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Growing worldwide, the genus Ephedra (family Ephedraceae) had a medicinal, ecological, and economic value. The extraordinary morphological diversity suggests that Ephedra was survivor of an ancient group, and its antiquity is also supported by fossil data. It has recently been suggested that Ephedra appeared 8–32 million years ago, and a few megafossils document its presence in the Early Cretaceous. Recently, the high analytical power provided by the new mass spectrometry (MS) instruments is making the characterization of Ephedra metabolites more feasible, such as ephedrine series. In this regard, the chemical compounds isolated from crude extracts, fractions, and few isolated compounds of Ephedra species were characterized by MS-based techniques (LC-MS, LC-ESI-MS, HPLC-PDA-ESI/MS, LC-DAD-ESI/MSn, LC/Orbitrap MS, etc.). Moreover, we carry out an exhaustive review of the scientific literature on biomedicine and pharmacotherapy (anticancer, antiproliferative, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antihyperlipidemic, antiarthritic, and anti-influenza activities; proapoptotic and cytotoxic potential; and so on). Equally, antimicrobial and antioxidant activities were discussed. This review is focused on all these topics, along with current studies published in the last 5 years (2015–2019) providing in-depth information for readers.
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Taming the Red Bastards: Hybridisation and species delimitation in the Rhodanthemum arundanum-group (Compositae, Anthemideae). Mol Phylogenet Evol 2019; 144:106702. [PMID: 31812569 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2019.106702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2019] [Revised: 12/04/2019] [Accepted: 12/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Delineating species boundaries in a group of recently diverged lineages is challenging due to minor morphological differences, low genetic differentiation and the occurrence of gene flow among taxa. Here, we employ traditional Sanger sequencing and restriction-site associated DNA (RAD) sequencing, to investigate species delimitation in the close-knit Moroccan daisy group around Rhodanthemum arundanum B.H.Wilcox & al. that diverged recently during the Quaternary. After evaluation of genotyping errors and parameter optimisation in the course of de-novo assembly of RADseq reads in Ipyrad, we assess hybridisation patterns in the study group based on different data assemblies and methods (Neighbor-Net networks, FastStructure and ABBA-BABA tests). RADseq data and Sanger sequences are subsequently used for delimitation of species, using both, multi-species coalescent methods (Stacey and Snapp) and a novel approach based on consensus k-means clustering. In addition to the unveiling of two novel subspecies in the R. arundanum-group, our study provides insights into the performance of different species delimitation methods in the presence of hybridisation and varying quantities of data.
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Wang W, Wan T, Becher H, Kuderova A, Leitch IJ, Garcia S, Leitch AR, Kovařík A. Remarkable variation of ribosomal DNA organization and copy number in gnetophytes, a distinct lineage of gymnosperms. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2019; 123:767-781. [PMID: 30265284 PMCID: PMC6526317 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcy172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2018] [Accepted: 09/04/2018] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Gnetophytes, comprising the genera Ephedra, Gnetum and Welwitschia, are an understudied, enigmatic lineage of gymnosperms with a controversial phylogenetic relationship to other seed plants. Here we examined the organization of ribosomal DNA (rDNA) across representative species. METHODS We applied high-throughput sequencing approaches to isolate and reconstruct rDNA units and to determine their intragenomic homogeneity. In addition, fluorescent in situ hybridization and Southern blot hybridization techniques were used to reveal the chromosome and genomic organization of rDNA. KEY RESULTS The 5S and 35S rRNA genes were separate (S-type) in Gnetum montanum, Gnetum gnemon and Welwitschia mirabilis and linked (L-type) in Ephedra altissima. There was considerable variability in 5S rDNA abundance, ranging from as few as ~4000 (W. mirabilis) to >100 000 (G. montanum) copies. A similar large variation was also observed in 5S rDNA locus numbers (two to 16 sites per diploid cell). 5S rRNA pseudogenes were interspersed between functional genes forming a single unit in E. altissima and G. montanum. Their copy number was comparable or even higher than that of functional 5S rRNA genes. In E. altissima internal transcribed spacers of 35S rDNA were long and intrinsically repetitive while in G. montanum and W. mirabilis they were short without the subrepeats. CONCLUSIONS Gnetophytes are distinct from other gymnosperms and angiosperms as they display surprisingly large variability in rDNA organization and rDNA copy and locus numbers between genera, with no relationship between copy numbers and genome sizes apparent. Concerted evolution of 5S rDNA units seems to have led to the amplification of 5S pseudogenes in both G. montanum and E. altissima. Evolutionary patterns of rDNA show both gymnosperm and angiosperm features underlining the diversity of the group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wencai Wang
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Tao Wan
- Key Laboratory of Southern Subtropical Plant Diversity, Fairy Lake Botanical Garden, Shenzhen and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzen, PR China
- Sino-Africa Joint Research Center, Chinese Academy of Science, Wuhan, PR China
| | - Hannes Becher
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Alena Kuderova
- Institute of Biophysics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Ilia J Leitch
- Jodrell Laboratory, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, UK
| | - Sònia Garcia
- Institut Botànic de Barcelona (IBB-CSIC-ICUB), Passeig del Migdia s/n, Parc de Montjuïc, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Andrew R Leitch
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Aleš Kovařík
- Institute of Biophysics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Brno, Czech Republic
- For correspondence. E-mail
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15
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Puebla GG, Iglesias A, Gómez MA, Prámparo MB. Fossil record of Ephedra in the Lower Cretaceous (Aptian), Argentina. JOURNAL OF PLANT RESEARCH 2017; 130:975-988. [PMID: 28528483 DOI: 10.1007/s10265-017-0953-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2017] [Accepted: 04/21/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Fossil plants from the Lower Cretaceous (upper Aptian) of the La Cantera Formation, Argentina, are described. The fossils studied represent a leafy shooting system with several orders of articulated and striated axes and attached leaves with unequivocal ephedroid affinity. We also found associated remains of ovulate cones with four whorls of sterile bracts, which contain two female reproductive units (FRU). Ovulate cone characters fit well within the genus Ephedra. Special characters in the ovulate cones including an outer seed envelope with two types of trichomes, allowed us to consider our remains as a new Ephedra species. Abundant dispersed ephedroid pollen obtained from the macrofossil-bearing strata also confirms the abundance of Ephedraceae in the basin. The co-occurrence of abundant fossil of Ephedra (adapted to dry habitats) associated with thermophilic cheirolepideacean conifer pollen (Classopollis) in the unit would suggest marked seasonality at the locality during the Early Cretaceous. Furthermore, the floristic association is linked to dry sensitive rocks in the entire section. The macro- and microflora from San Luis Basin are similar in composition to several Early Cretaceous floras from the Northern Gondwana floristic province, but it may represent one of the southernmost records of an arid biome in South America.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela G Puebla
- Unidad de Paleopalinología, Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales Centro Científico Tecnológico, UNCuyo-CONICET, Av. Adrián Ruiz Leal s/n-C.C.131, 5500, Mendoza, Argentina.
| | - Ari Iglesias
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente UNCO-CONICET, Quintral 1250, 8400, San Carlos de Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina
| | - María A Gómez
- Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia, Universidad Nacional de San Luis CONICET, Chacabuco 913, 5700, San Luis, Argentina
| | - Mercedes B Prámparo
- Unidad de Paleopalinología, Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales Centro Científico Tecnológico, UNCuyo-CONICET, Av. Adrián Ruiz Leal s/n-C.C.131, 5500, Mendoza, Argentina
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16
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Leslie AB, Beaulieu JM, Mathews S. Variation in seed size is structured by dispersal syndrome and cone morphology in conifers and other nonflowering seed plants. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2017; 216:429-437. [PMID: 28185279 DOI: 10.1111/nph.14456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2016] [Accepted: 12/23/2016] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Seed size varies tremendously in plants and its evolution is influenced by multiple ecological and biological factors that are difficult to disentangle. In this study, we focus on understanding the role of seed dispersal by animals in the evolution of seed size in conifers, the most diverse extant nonflowering seed plant group. Relationships among seed size, dispersal syndrome, climate and cone morphology were analyzed across conifers using quantitative models of character evolution and phylogenetic regression techniques. Dispersal syndrome is a more consistent predictor of seed size within major extant conifer clades than climate. Seeds are generally larger in animal-dispersed than wind-dispersed species, and particular cone morphologies are consistently associated with specific ranges in seed size. Seed size and cone morphology evolve in a correlated manner in many animal-dispersed conifers, following a trade-off that minimizes the total size of the dispersal unit. These relationships are also present in other nonflowering seed plant groups, and have been important in the evolution of seeds and cones at least over the Cenozoic and perhaps over much of the later Mesozoic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew B Leslie
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Brown University, Box G-W, 80 Waterman Street, Providence, RI, 02912, USA
| | - Jeremy M Beaulieu
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Science and Engineering Room 601, Fayetteville, AR, 72701, USA
| | - Sarah Mathews
- CSIRO National Research Collections Australia, Australian National Herbarium, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
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17
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Roodt D, Lohaus R, Sterck L, Swanepoel RL, Van de Peer Y, Mizrachi E. Evidence for an ancient whole genome duplication in the cycad lineage. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0184454. [PMID: 28886111 PMCID: PMC5590961 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0184454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2017] [Accepted: 08/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Contrary to the many whole genome duplication events recorded for angiosperms (flowering plants), whole genome duplications in gymnosperms (non-flowering seed plants) seem to be much rarer. Although ancient whole genome duplications have been reported for most gymnosperm lineages as well, some are still contested and need to be confirmed. For instance, data for ginkgo, but particularly cycads have remained inconclusive so far, likely due to the quality of the data available and flaws in the analysis. We extracted and sequenced RNA from both the cycad Encephalartos natalensis and Ginkgo biloba. This was followed by transcriptome assembly, after which these data were used to build paralog age distributions. Based on these distributions, we identified remnants of an ancient whole genome duplication in both cycads and ginkgo. The most parsimonious explanation would be that this whole genome duplication event was shared between both species and had occurred prior to their divergence, about 300 million years ago.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle Roodt
- Department of Genetics, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria, Private bag X20, Pretoria, South Africa
- Centre for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Genomics Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Private bag X20, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Rolf Lohaus
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Gent, Belgium
- Bioinformatics Institute Ghent, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Lieven Sterck
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Gent, Belgium
- Bioinformatics Institute Ghent, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Riaan L. Swanepoel
- Department of Genetics, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria, Private bag X20, Pretoria, South Africa
- Centre for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Genomics Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Private bag X20, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Yves Van de Peer
- Centre for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Genomics Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Private bag X20, Pretoria, South Africa
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Gent, Belgium
- Bioinformatics Institute Ghent, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Eshchar Mizrachi
- Department of Genetics, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria, Private bag X20, Pretoria, South Africa
- Centre for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Genomics Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Private bag X20, Pretoria, South Africa
- * E-mail:
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18
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Veromann-Jürgenson LL, Tosens T, Laanisto L, Niinemets Ü. Extremely thick cell walls and low mesophyll conductance: welcome to the world of ancient living! JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2017; 68:1639-1653. [PMID: 28419340 PMCID: PMC5441924 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erx045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Mesophyll conductance is thought to be an important photosynthetic limitation in gymnosperms, but they currently constitute the most understudied plant group in regard to the extent to which photosynthesis and intrinsic water use efficiency are limited by mesophyll conductance. A comprehensive analysis of leaf gas exchange, photosynthetic limitations, mesophyll conductance (calculated by three methods previously used for across-species comparisons), and the underlying ultra-anatomical, morphological and chemical traits in 11 gymnosperm species varying in evolutionary history was performed to gain insight into the evolution of structural and physiological controls on photosynthesis at the lower return end of the leaf economics spectrum. Two primitive herbaceous species were included in order to provide greater evolutionary context. Low mesophyll conductance was the main limiting factor of photosynthesis in the majority of species. The strongest sources of limitation were extremely thick mesophyll cell walls, high chloroplast thickness and variation in chloroplast shape and size, and the low exposed surface area of chloroplasts per unit leaf area. In gymnosperms, the negative relationship between net assimilation per mass and leaf mass per area reflected an increased mesophyll cell wall thickness, whereas the easy-to-measure integrative trait of leaf mass per area failed to predict the underlying ultrastructural traits limiting mesophyll conductance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda-Liisa Veromann-Jürgenson
- Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 1, Tartu 51014, Estonia
| | - Tiina Tosens
- Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 1, Tartu 51014, Estonia
| | - Lauri Laanisto
- Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 1, Tartu 51014, Estonia
| | - Ülo Niinemets
- Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 1, Tartu 51014, Estonia
- Estonian Academy of Sciences, Kohtu 6, 10130 Tallinn, Estonia
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Okada T, Takahashi H, Suzuki Y, Sugano S, Noji M, Kenmoku H, Toyota M, Kanaya S, Kawahara N, Asakawa Y, Sekita S. Comparative analysis of transcriptomes in aerial stems and roots of Ephedra sinica based on high-throughput mRNA sequencing. GENOMICS DATA 2016; 10:4-11. [PMID: 27625990 PMCID: PMC5011178 DOI: 10.1016/j.gdata.2016.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2016] [Revised: 08/02/2016] [Accepted: 08/02/2016] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Ephedra plants are taxonomically classified as gymnosperms, and are medicinally important as the botanical origin of crude drugs and as bioresources that contain pharmacologically active chemicals. Here we show a comparative analysis of the transcriptomes of aerial stems and roots of Ephedra sinica based on high-throughput mRNA sequencing by RNA-Seq. De novo assembly of short cDNA sequence reads generated 23,358, 13,373, and 28,579 contigs longer than 200 bases from aerial stems, roots, or both aerial stems and roots, respectively. The presumed functions encoded by these contig sequences were annotated by BLAST (blastx). Subsequently, these contigs were classified based on gene ontology slims, Enzyme Commission numbers, and the InterPro database. Furthermore, comparative gene expression analysis was performed between aerial stems and roots. These transcriptome analyses revealed differences and similarities between the transcriptomes of aerial stems and roots in E. sinica. Deep transcriptome sequencing of Ephedra should open the door to molecular biological studies based on the entire transcriptome, tissue- or organ-specific transcriptomes, or targeted genes of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taketo Okada
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Kagawa Campus, Tokushima Bunri University, Sanuki, Kagawa 769-2193, Japan
| | - Hironobu Takahashi
- Institute of Pharmacognosy, Tokushima Bunri University, Tokushima 770-8514, Japan
| | - Yutaka Suzuki
- Department of Medical Genome Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, the University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8562, Japan
| | - Sumio Sugano
- Department of Medical Genome Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, the University of Tokyo, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan
| | - Masaaki Noji
- Institute of Pharmacognosy, Tokushima Bunri University, Tokushima 770-8514, Japan
| | - Hiromichi Kenmoku
- Institute of Pharmacognosy, Tokushima Bunri University, Tokushima 770-8514, Japan
| | - Masao Toyota
- Institute of Pharmacognosy, Tokushima Bunri University, Tokushima 770-8514, Japan
| | - Shigehiko Kanaya
- Graduate School of Information Science, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Ikoma, Nara 630-0192, Japan
| | - Nobuo Kawahara
- Tsukuba Division, Research Center for Medicinal Plant Resources, National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0843, Japan
| | - Yoshinori Asakawa
- Institute of Pharmacognosy, Tokushima Bunri University, Tokushima 770-8514, Japan
| | - Setsuko Sekita
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Kagawa Campus, Tokushima Bunri University, Sanuki, Kagawa 769-2193, Japan
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20
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Hizume M, Tominaga K. Fluorescent band pattern of chromosomes in Ephedra americana var. andina, Ephedraceae. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016. [DOI: 10.3199/iscb.11.27] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Masahiro Hizume
- Faculty of Education, Ehime University, Matsuyama 790-8577, Japan
| | - Kazuo Tominaga
- Faculty of Education, Ehime University, Matsuyama 790-8577, Japan
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21
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22
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Rydin C, Bolinder K. Moonlight pollination in the gymnosperm Ephedra (Gnetales). Biol Lett 2015; 11:20140993. [PMID: 25832814 PMCID: PMC4424609 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2014.0993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2014] [Accepted: 03/10/2015] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Most gymnosperms are wind-pollinated, but some are insect-pollinated, and in Ephedra (Gnetales), both wind pollination and insect pollination occur. Little is, however, known about mechanisms and evolution of pollination syndromes in gymnosperms. Based on four seasons of field studies, we show an unexpected correlation between pollination and the phases of the moon in one of our studied species, Ephedra foeminea. It is pollinated by dipterans and lepidopterans, most of them nocturnal, and its pollination coincides with the full moon of July. This may be adaptive in two ways. Many nocturnal insects navigate using the moon. Further, the spectacular reflection of the full-moonlight in the pollination drops is the only apparent means of nocturnal attraction of insects in these plants. In the sympatric but wind-pollinated Ephedra distachya, pollination is not correlated to the full moon but occurs at approximately the same dates every year. The lunar correlation has probably been lost in most species of Ephedra subsequent an evolutionary shift to wind pollination in the clade. When the services of insects are no longer needed for successful pollination, the adaptive value of correlating pollination with the full moon is lost, and conceivably also the trait.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catarina Rydin
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm 106 91, Sweden
| | - Kristina Bolinder
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm 106 91, Sweden
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23
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Bolinder K, Niklas KJ, Rydin C. Aerodynamics and pollen ultrastructure in Ephedra. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2015; 102:457-70. [PMID: 25784479 DOI: 10.3732/ajb.1400517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED • PREMISE OF THE STUDY Pollen dispersal is affected by the terminal settling velocity (Ut) of the grains, which is determined by their size, bulk density, and by atmospheric conditions. The likelihood that wind-dispersed pollen is captured by ovulate organs is influenced by the aerodynamic environment created around and by ovulate organs. We investigated pollen ultrastructure and Ut of Ephedra foeminea (purported to be entomophilous), and simulated the capture efficiency of its ovules. Results were compared with those from previously studied anemophilous Ephedra species.• METHODS Ut was determined using stroboscopic photography of pollen in free fall. The acceleration field around an "average" ovule was calculated, and inflight behavior of pollen grains was predicted using computer simulations. Pollen morphology and ultrastructure were investigated using SEM and STEM.• KEY RESULTS Pollen wall ultrastructure was correlated with Ut in Ephedra. The relative proportion and amount of granules in the infratectum determine pollen bulk densities, and (together with overall size) determine Ut and thus dispersal capability. Computer simulations failed to reveal any functional traits favoring anemophilous pollen capture in E. foeminea.• CONCLUSION The fast Ut and dense ultrastructure of E. foeminea pollen are consistent with functional traits that distinguish entomophilous species from anemophilous species. In anemophilous Ephedra species, ovulate organs create an aerodynamic microenvironment that directs airborne pollen to the pollination drops. In E. foeminea, no such microenvironment is created. Ephedroid palynomorphs from the Cretaceous share the ultrastructural characteristics of E. foeminea, and at least some may, therefore, have been produced by insect-pollinated plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina Bolinder
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, SE-106 91, Sweden
| | - Karl J Niklas
- Section of Plant Biology, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853 USA
| | - Catarina Rydin
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, SE-106 91, Sweden
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24
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Tomasello S, Álvarez I, Vargas P, Oberprieler C. Is the extremely rare Iberian endemic plant species Castrilanthemum debeauxii (Compositae, Anthemideae) a ‘living fossil’? Evidence from a multi-locus species tree reconstruction. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2015; 82 Pt A:118-30. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2014.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2014] [Revised: 06/20/2014] [Accepted: 09/09/2014] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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25
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Hedenäs L, Bisang I. Infraspecific diversity in a spore-dispersed species with limited distribution range. SYST BIODIVERS 2014. [DOI: 10.1080/14772000.2014.968234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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26
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Vivas CV, Moraes RCS, Alves-Araújo A, Alves M, Mariano-Neto E, van den Berg C, Gaiotto FA. DNA barcoding in Atlantic Forest plants: What is the best marker for Sapotaceae species identification? Genet Mol Biol 2014; 37:662-70. [PMID: 25505841 PMCID: PMC4261966 DOI: 10.1590/s1415-47572014005000019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2014] [Accepted: 07/15/2014] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The Atlantic Forest is a phytogeographic domain with a high rate of endemism and large species diversity. The Sapotaceae is a botanical family for which species identification in the Atlantic Forest is difficult. An approach that facilitates species identification in the Sapotaceae is urgently needed because this family includes threatened species and valuable timber species. In this context, DNA barcoding could provide an important tool for identifying species in the Atlantic Forest. In this work, we evaluated four plant barcode markers (matK, rbcL, trnH-psbA and the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer region - ITS) in 80 samples from 26 species of Sapotaceae that occur in the Atlantic Forest. ITS yielded the highest average interspecific distance (0.122), followed by trnH-psbA (0.019), matK (0.008) and rbcL (0.002). For species discrimination, ITS provided the best results, followed by matK, trnH-psbA and rbcL. Furthermore, the combined analysis of two, three or four markers did not result in higher rates of discrimination than obtained with ITS alone. These results indicate that the ITS region is the best option for molecular identification of Sapotaceae species from the Atlantic Forest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caio Vinicius Vivas
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas,
Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz,
Ilhéus,
BA,
Brazil
| | | | - Anderson Alves-Araújo
- Departamento de Ciências Agrárias e Biológicas,
Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo,
São Mateus,
ES,
Brazil
| | - Marccus Alves
- Departamento de Botânica,
Universidade Federal de Pernambuco,
Recife,
PE,
Brazil
| | | | - Cássio van den Berg
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas,
Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana,
Feira de Santana,
BA,
Brazil
| | - Fernanda Amato Gaiotto
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas,
Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz,
Ilhéus,
BA,
Brazil
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27
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Ota H, Akishita M, Tani H, Tatefuji T, Ogawa S, Iijima K, Eto M, Shirasawa T, Ouchi Y. trans-Resveratrol in Gnetum gnemon protects against oxidative-stress-induced endothelial senescence. JOURNAL OF NATURAL PRODUCTS 2013; 76:1242-1247. [PMID: 23859249 DOI: 10.1021/np300841v] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Gnetum gnemon is an arboreal dioecious plant that is cultivated in Indonesia. The seeds of this species mainly contain dimeric stilbenoid compounds [gnetin C (1), gnemonoside A (2), and gnemonoside D (3)] along with trans-resveratrol (4). trans-Resveratrol has been reported to have antiaging, anticancer, and antidiabetic effects, as well as being a calorie restriction mimetic. SIRT1 exerts a protective effect against vascular senescence. In this study, the effects of these four main stilbenoid derivatives of a G. gnemon seed endosperm ethanolic extract on endothelial senescence were investigated. In streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice, administration of the G. gnemon ethanolic extract increased SIRT1 and decreased endothelial senescence. The concentration of 1 in blood plasma was 6-fold higher than 4 in these mice. Next, the in vitro effects of the four main stilbenoid derivatives of G. gnemon seeds were investigated. Senescent human umbilical vein endothelial cells were induced by hydrogen peroxide. Endothelial senescence was inhibited by 4, which increased the expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase and SIRT1, whereas 1-3 had no effect. These results indicated that the ethanolic extract of G. gnemon seeds inhibits endothelial senescence, suggesting that 4 plays a critical role in the prevention of endothelial senescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hidetaka Ota
- Department of Geriatric Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo , 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan
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Nylinder S, Cronholm B, de Lange PJ, Walsh N, Anderberg AA. Species tree phylogeny and character evolution in the genus Centipeda (Asteraceae): evidence from DNA sequences from coding and non-coding loci from the plastid and nuclear genomes. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2013; 68:239-50. [PMID: 23558159 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2013.03.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2012] [Revised: 03/16/2013] [Accepted: 03/23/2013] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
A species tree phylogeny of the Australian/New Zealand genus Centipeda (Asteraceae) is estimated based on nucleotide sequence data. We analysed sequences of nuclear ribosomal DNA (ETS, ITS) and three plasmid loci (ndhF, psbA-trnH, and trnL-F) using the multi-species coalescent module in BEAST. A total of 129 individuals from all 10 recognised species of Centipeda were sampled throughout the species distribution ranges, including two subspecies. We conclude that the inferred species tree topology largely conform previous assumptions on species relationships. Centipeda racemosa (Snuffweed) is the sister to remaining species, which is also the only consistently perennial representative in the genus. Centipeda pleiocephala (Tall Sneezeweed) and C. nidiformis (Cotton Sneezeweed) constitute a species pair, as does C. borealis and C. minima (Spreading Sneezeweed), all sharing the symplesiomorphic characters of spherical capitulum and convex receptacle with C. racemosa. Another species group comprising C. thespidioides (Desert Sneezeweed), C. cunninghamii (Old man weed, or Common sneeze-weed), C. crateriformis is well-supported but then include the morphologically aberrant C. aotearoana, all sharing the character of having capitula that mature more slowly relative the subtending shoot. Centipeda elatinoides takes on a weakly supported intermediate position between the two mentioned groups, and is difficult to relate to any of the former groups based on morphological characters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephan Nylinder
- Department of Phanerogamic Botany, Swedish Museum of Natural History, P.O. Box 50007, SE-104 05 Stockholm, Sweden
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Yang Y, Lin L, Wang Q. Chengia laxispicata gen. et sp. nov., a new ephedroid plant from the Early Cretaceous Yixian Formation of western Liaoning, Northeast China: evolutionary, taxonomic, and biogeographic implications. BMC Evol Biol 2013; 13:72. [PMID: 23530702 PMCID: PMC3626868 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2148-13-72] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2012] [Accepted: 03/20/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The extant Gnetales include three monotypic families, namely, Ephedraceae (Ephedra), Gnetaceae (Gnetum), and Welwitschiaceae (Welwitschia), all of which possess compound female cones that comprise a main axis and 1 to multiple pairs/whorls of bracts subtending a female reproductive unit or having lower pairs/whorls of bracts sterile. However, the evolutionary origin of such a reproductive architecture in Gnetales is controversial in the light of the competing anthophyte versus gnetifer hypotheses of seed plant relationships. Hence, macrofossils demonstrating the structure of compound female cones of the Gnetales should be important to decipher the early evolution of the order. Results A new ephedroid plant Chengia laxispicata gen. et sp. nov. is described from the Early Cretaceous Yixian Formation of western Liaoning, Northeast China. The fossil represents a part of a leafy shooting system with reproductive organs attached. The main shoot bears internodes and swollen nodes, from which lateral branches arise oppositely. Reproductive organs consist of female spikes terminal to twigs or axillary to linear leaves. Spikes are loosely arranged, having prominent nodes and internodes. Bracts of the spikes are decussately opposite and comprise 4—8 pairs of bracts. Each bract subtends an ellipsoid seed. Seeds are sessile, with a thin outer envelope and a distal micropylar tube. Conclusions Chengia laxispicata gen. et sp. nov. provides a missing link between archetypal fertile organs in the crown lineage of the Gnetales and compound female cones of the extant Ephedraceae. Combined with a wealth of Ephedra and ephedroid macrofossils from the Early Cretaceous, we propose a reduction and sterilization hypothesis that the female cone of the extant Ephedraceae may have stemmed from archetypal fertile organs in the crown lineage of the Gnetales. These have undergone sequentially intermediate links similar to female cones of Cretaceous Siphonospermum, Chengia, and Liaoxia by reduction and sterilization of the lower fertile bracts, shortenings of internodes and peduncles as well as loss of reproductive units in all inferior bracts. The basal family Ephedraceae including Ephedra of the extant Gnetales was demonstrated to have considerable diversity by the Early Cretaceous, so an emended familial diagnosis is given here. The Jehol Biota in Northeast China and adjacent areas contains a plethora of well-preserved macrofossils of Ephedra and ephedroids that show different evolutionary stages including primitive and derived characters of Ephedraceae, so Northeast China and adjacent areas may represent either the centre of origination or one of the centres for early diversification of the family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 20 Nanxincun, Xiangshan, Beijing 100093, China
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Qin AL, Wang MM, Cun YZ, Yang FS, Wang SS, Ran JH, Wang XQ. Phylogeographic evidence for a link of species divergence of Ephedra in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and adjacent regions to the Miocene Asian aridification. PLoS One 2013; 8:e56243. [PMID: 23418542 PMCID: PMC3571962 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0056243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2012] [Accepted: 01/07/2013] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) has become one of the hotspots for phylogeographical studies due to its high species diversity. However, most previous studies have focused on the effects of the Quaternary glaciations on phylogeographical structures and the locations of glacial refugia, and little is known about the effects of the aridization of interior Asia on plant population structure and speciation. Here the chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) trnT-trnF and trnS-trnfM sequences were used to investigate the differentiation and phylogeographical history of 14 Ephedra species from the QTP and northern China, based on a sampling of 107 populations. The phylogeographical analysis, together with phylogenetic reconstruction based on combined four cpDNA fragments (rbcL, rpl16, rps4, and trnS-trnfM), supports three main lineages (eastern QTP, southern QTP, and northern China) of these Ephedra species. Divergence of each lineage could be dated to the Middle or Late Miocene, and was very likely linked to the uplift of the QTP and the Asian aridification, given the high drought and/or cold tolerance of Ephedra. Most of the Ephedra species had low intraspecific variation and lacked a strong phylogeographical structure, which could be partially attributed to clonal reproduction and a relatively recent origin. In addition, ten of the detected 25 cpDNA haplotypes are shared among species, suggesting that a wide sampling of species is helpful to investigate the origin of observed haplotypes and make reliable phylogeographical inference. Moreover, the systematic positions of some Ephedra species are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ai-Li Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Ming-Ming Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Yu-Zhi Cun
- State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Fu-Sheng Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Shan-Shan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Jin-Hua Ran
- State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiao-Quan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
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Yang Y, Wang Q. The earliest fleshy cone of Ephedra from the early cretaceous Yixian Formation of northeast China. PLoS One 2013; 8:e53652. [PMID: 23341964 PMCID: PMC3544918 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0053652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2012] [Accepted: 12/03/2012] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Bracts of female cones of extant gymnosperm Ephedra (Joint fir) are either colorful and fleshy (section Ephedra), or dry-winged and membranous (section Alatae), or dry and coriaceous (section Asarca), which have played a crucial role in long-distance seed dispersal that is responsible for a wide distribution of the genus in semiarid and arid areas of Eurasia, North Africa, North America, and South America. Recent molecular systematic studies on Ephedra have suggested that the fleshy bracts in character evolution may be plesiomorphic relative to the dry, membranous and coriaceous bracts. However, little is known about when the fleshy bracts of Ephedra have made their debut in the geological past. Herein, we describe a novel, fleshy bract-bearing female cone macrofossil from the Early Cretaceous (ca. 120—125 Ma) Yixian Formation in Liaoning, northeastern China. This cone bears three ellipsoid seeds subtended by only one whorl of fleshy bracts. Each seed has a thin outer envelope and an inner integument that extends upward and passes through the opening of the outer envelope, forming a thin and straight micropylar tube. Such a syndrome shows the closest similarity to an extant triovulate species Ephedra intermedia in the section Ephedra, but the latter bears a whorl of terminal fertile bracts and more than one whorl of inferior sterile bracts, and a thick outer envelope. Hence, we establish a new fossil species Ephedra carnosa. Our discovery provides the first direct macrofossil evidence for the previous molecular systematics of Ephedra, implying that the origin of fleshy bracts in Ephedra should not have been later than that of the membranous and coriaceous bracts by at least the Early Cretaceous.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, P. R. China
| | - Qi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, P. R. China
- * E-mail:
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Loera I, Sosa V, Ickert-Bond SM. Diversification in North American arid lands: niche conservatism, divergence and expansion of habitat explain speciation in the genus Ephedra. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2012; 65:437-50. [PMID: 22776548 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2012.06.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2011] [Revised: 06/28/2012] [Accepted: 06/29/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
A lineage of 12 arid land shrubby species in the gymnosperm genus Ephedra (Gnetales) from North America is used to evaluate the influence of climate on speciation. With a long evolutionary history, and a well documented fossil record this lineage is an ideal model for understanding the process of speciation under a niche conservatism scenario. Using seven DNA molecular markers, Bayesian inference is carried out to uncover sister species and to estimate time of divergence of the lineages. Ecological niche models are generated for four parapatric and sympatric sister species and two analyses of niche evolution are performed, one based on ecological niche models and another using raw data and multivariate analysis. As previous analyses suggest, the diversification of North America Ephedra species may be the result of a recent secondary radiation. Both parapatric and sympatric species diverged mostly in a scenario of climatic niche conservatism. However, we also found strong evidence for niche divergence for one of the sister species pairs (E. californica-E. trifurca). Moreover, the multivariate analysis found environmental differences for some variables between sister species. The estimated divergence time of three pairs of sister species distributed in southwestern North America (E. cutleri-E. aspera, E. californica-E. trifurca and E. torreyana-E. viridis) is inferred to have occurred in the Late Miocene to Pliocene and for the sister species pair E. antisyphilitica-E. coryi distributed in the southern United States and northeastern Mexico, it was inferred from the Pliocene to Pleistocene. The orogenetic and climatic changes documented for these regions related to expansion of arid lands, may have contributed to the diversification in North American Ephedra, rather than adaptations to new climatic conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Israel Loera
- Biología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología A.C., Apartado Postal 63, 91000 Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
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Crisp MD, Cook LG. Cenozoic extinctions account for the low diversity of extant gymnosperms compared with angiosperms. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2011; 192:997-1009. [PMID: 21895664 DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2011.03862.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 119] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
We test the widely held notion that living gymnosperms are 'ancient' and 'living fossils' by comparing them with their sister group, the angiosperms. This perception derives partly from the lack of gross morphological differences between some Mesozoic gymnosperm fossils and their living relatives (e.g. Ginkgo, cycads and dawn redwood), suggesting that the rate of evolution of gymnosperms has been slow. We estimated the ages and diversification rates of gymnosperm lineages using Bayesian relaxed molecular clock dating calibrated with 21 fossils, based on the phylogenetic analysis of alignments of matK chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) and 26S nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrDNA) sequences, and compared these with published estimates for angiosperms. Gymnosperm crown groups of Cenozoic age are significantly younger than their angiosperm counterparts (median age: 32 Ma vs 50 Ma) and have long unbranched stems, indicating major extinctions in the Cenozoic, in contrast with angiosperms. Surviving gymnosperm genera have diversified more slowly than angiosperms during the Neogene as a result of their higher extinction rate. Compared with angiosperms, living gymnosperm groups are not ancient. The fossil record also indicates that gymnosperms suffered major extinctions when climate changed in the Oligocene and Miocene. Extant gymnosperm groups occupy diverse habitats and some probably survived after making adaptive shifts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael D Crisp
- Division of Evolution, Ecology and Genetics, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia
| | - Lyn G Cook
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld 4072, Australia
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Siswoyo TA, Mardiana E, Lee KO, Hoshokawa K. Isolation and characterization of antioxidant protein fractions from melinjo (Gnetum gnemon) seeds. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2011; 59:5648-5656. [PMID: 21486028 DOI: 10.1021/jf2000647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
The protein from the seeds of melinjo ( Gnetum gnemon ) was purified using a precipitation method and ion exchange chromatographic techniques to identify the potent antioxidant and free radical scavenging activities. Two antioxidant protein fractions were isolated from G. gnemon seed with molecular weights of approximately 30 kDa (Gg-AOPI) and 12 kDa (Gg-AOPII) by SDS-PAGE. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of Gg-AOPII is Gly-Asn-Gly-Lys-Ala-Thr-Val-Ala-Ile-Leu-Val-Lys-Glu-Lys-Val-Glu-Tyr-Gly-Glu-Glu, and the result of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) analysis showed that they were distinct from each other; no protein in database matching was found to both Gg-AOPI and Gg-AOPII. The antioxidant or free radical scavenging activities of Gg-AOPs were investigated by employing in vitro assay systems including the inhibition of linoleic acid autoxidation, scavenging effect on α,α-diphenyl-β-picrylhydrazyl free radical (DPPH), 2,2'-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), reducing power, chelating abilities of metal ions Cu(2+) and Fe(2+), and protections against hydroxyl radical-mediated DNA damages. The result showed that two protein fractions exhibited significant (p < 0.05) antioxidant activities against free radicals such as DPPH, ABTS, and superoxide anion and showed activities similar to those of glutathione (G-SH) and BHT in a linoleic acid emulsion assay system. Moreover, Gg-AOPI and Gg-AOPII also exhibited notable reducing power and strong chelating effect on Fe(2+) and protected hydroxyl radical induced oxidative DNA damage. The data obtained by the in vitro systems obviously established the antioxidant potency of Gg-AOPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tri Agus Siswoyo
- Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Jember, Jember, Indonesia.
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36
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Hedenäs L. Phylogeography and origin of EuropeanSanionia uncinata(Amblystegiaceae, Bryophyta). SYST BIODIVERS 2010. [DOI: 10.1080/14772001003767600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Rydin C, Friis EM. A new early Cretaceous relative of Gnetales: Siphonospermum simplex gen. et sp. nov. from the Yixian formation of northeast China. BMC Evol Biol 2010; 10:183. [PMID: 20565755 PMCID: PMC2900273 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2148-10-183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2009] [Accepted: 06/17/2010] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Knowledge on fossil and evolutionary history of the Gnetales has expanded rapidly; Ephedra and ephedroids as well as the Gnetum-Welwitschia clade are now well documented in the Early Cretaceous. However, hypotheses on evolutionary relationships among living and fossil species are hampered by restricted knowledge of morphological variation in living groups and recent studies indicate that gnetalean diversity and character evolution may be more complex than previously assumed and involve additional extinct groups (Bennettitales, Erdtmanithecales and unassigned fossil taxa). RESULTS Here we describe a new fossil related to Gnetales, Siphonospermum simplex from the Early Cretaceous Yixian Formation, an impression/compression of a reproductive shoot. The slender main axis bears one pair of opposite and linear leaves with primary parallel venation. The reproductive units are ovoid, without supporting bracts and borne on one median and two lateral branches. The most conspicuous feature of the fossil is the long, thread-like micropylar tube formed by the integument. Each ovule is surrounded by two different layers representing one or two seed envelopes; an inner sclerenchymatous layer and an outer probably parenchymatous layer. CONCLUSIONS The vegetative and reproductive features of Siphonospermum simplex exclude a relationship to any other group than the Gnetales. A combination of opposite phyllotaxis, linear leaves and ovules surrounded by seed envelope(s) and with a long exposed micropylar tube are known only for extant and extinct Gnetales. Siphonospermum simplex constitutes a new lineage within the Gnetales. Its morphology cannot be directly linked to any previously known plant, but the organization of the reproductive units indicates that it belongs to the Gnetum-Welwitschia clade. Based on the absence of cone bracts and the inferred histology of the seed envelope(s) it could be related to Gnetum, however, there are also affinities with the ephedran lineage, some of which are likely plesiomorphic features, others perhaps not. Phylogeny and character evolution in the Bennettitales, Erdtmanithecales and Gnetales are currently only partly understood and under debate; the exact systematic position of Siphonospermum simplex, i.e., its position within the Gnetales, cannot be resolved with certainty.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catarina Rydin
- University of Zürich, Institute of Systematic Botany, Zollikerstrasse 107, CH-8008 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Else Marie Friis
- Swedish Museum of Natural History, Department of Palaeobotany, Box 50007, SE-104 05 Stockholm, Sweden
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38
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Whole fossil plants of Ephedra and their implications on the morphology, ecology and evolution of Ephedraceae (Gnetales). ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010. [DOI: 10.1007/s11434-010-3069-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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39
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Rydin C, Khodabandeh A, Endress PK. The female reproductive unit of ephedra (Gnetales): comparative morphology and evolutionary perspectives. BOTANICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY. LINNEAN SOCIETY OF LONDON 2010; 163:387-430. [PMID: 20799438 DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8339.2010.01066.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Morphological variation in Ephedra (Gnetales) is limited and confusing from an evolutionary perspective, with parallelisms and intraspecific variation. However, recent analyses of molecular data provide a phylogenetic framework for investigations of morphological traits, albeit with few informative characters in the investigated gene regions. We document morphological, anatomical and histological variation patterns in the female reproductive unit and test the hypothesis that some Early Cretaceous fossils, which share synapomorphies with Ephedra, are members of the extant clade. Results indicate that some morphological features are evolutionarily informative although intraspecific variation is evident. Histology and anatomy of cone bracts and seed envelopes show clade-specific variation patterns. There is little evidence for an inclusion of the Cretaceous fossils in the extant clade. Rather, a hypothesized general pattern of reduction of the vasculature in the ephedran seed envelope, probably from four vascular bundles in the fossils, to ancestrally three in the living clade, and later to two, is consistent with phylogenetic and temporal analyses, which indicate that extant diversity evolved after the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary. Notwithstanding striking similarities between living and Cretaceous Ephedra, available data indicate that the Mesozoic diversity went almost entirely extinct in the late Cretaceous causing a bottleneck effect in Ephedra, still reflected today by an extraordinarily low level of genetic and structural diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catarina Rydin
- Institute of Systematic Botany, University of Zurich, Switzerland
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40
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Phylogenetic relationships and divergence times of the family Araucariaceae based on the DNA sequences of eight genes. Sci Bull (Beijing) 2009. [DOI: 10.1007/s11434-009-0373-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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41
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Englund M, Pornpongrungrueng P, Gustafsson MHG, Anderberg AA. Phylogenetic relationships and generic delimitation in Inuleae subtribe Inulinae (Asteraceae) based on ITS and cpDNA sequence data. Cladistics 2009; 25:319-352. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1096-0031.2009.00256.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
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43
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Swenson U, Richardson JE, Bartish IV. Multi-gene phylogeny of the pantropical subfamily Chrysophylloideae (Sapotaceae): evidence of generic polyphyly and extensive morphological homoplasy. Cladistics 2008; 24:1006-1031. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1096-0031.2008.00235.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
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Williams JH. Novelties of the flowering plant pollen tube underlie diversification of a key life history stage. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2008; 105:11259-63. [PMID: 18678915 PMCID: PMC2516219 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0800036105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2008] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The origin and rapid diversification of flowering plants has puzzled evolutionary biologists, dating back to Charles Darwin. Since that time a number of key life history and morphological traits have been proposed as developmental correlates of the extraordinary diversity and ecological success of angiosperms. Here, I identify several innovations that were fundamental to the evolutionary lability of angiosperm reproduction, and hence to their diversification. In gymnosperms pollen reception must be near the egg largely because sperm swim or are transported by pollen tubes that grow at very slow rates (< approximately 20 microm/h). In contrast, pollen tube growth rates of taxa in ancient angiosperm lineages (Amborella, Nuphar, and Austrobaileya) range from approximately 80 to 600 microm/h. Comparative analyses point to accelerated pollen tube growth rate as a critical innovation that preceded the origin of the true closed carpel, long styles, multiseeded ovaries, and, in monocots and eudicots, much faster pollen tube growth rates. Ancient angiosperm pollen tubes all have callosic walls and callose plugs (in contrast, no gymnosperms have these features). The early association of the callose-walled growth pattern with accelerated pollen tube growth rate underlies a striking repeated pattern of faster and longer-distance pollen tube growth often within solid pathways in phylogenetically derived angiosperms. Pollen tube innovations are a key component of the spectacular diversification of carpel (flower and fruit) form and reproductive cycles in flowering plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph H Williams
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA.
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45
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Manns U, Anderberg AA. Relationships of Anagallis foemina and A. arvensis (Myrsinaceae): new insights inferred from DNA sequence data. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2007; 45:971-80. [PMID: 17869544 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2007.07.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2007] [Revised: 07/12/2007] [Accepted: 07/30/2007] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
We investigated the relationship between Anagallis arvensis and A. foemina using nuclear and plastid molecular data. Information from the nuclear rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and four different chloroplast loci; ndhF, trnL-F, rpl16, and rps16 was analysed using both parsimony and Bayesian inference. Anagallis foemina was found to be most closely related to the perennial A. monelli, and not to A. arvensis. The existence of two different cpDNA haplotypes was revealed; one shared by Anagallis foemina, A. monelli, A. platyphylla, and one A. arvensis individual, while all other investigated A. arvensis individuals shared the second haplotype. Ancestral cpDNA polymorphism within Anagallis arvensis or hybridization are possible explanations, however, information in ITS data is too scarce to falsify any of these hypotheses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrika Manns
- Department of Botany, Stockholm University, S-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden.
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47
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Identification of host plants and description of sclerotia of the truffle Mattirolomyces terfezioides. Mycol Prog 2007. [DOI: 10.1007/s11557-006-0520-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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48
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Won H, Renner SS. Dating dispersal and radiation in the gymnosperm Gnetum (Gnetales)--clock calibration when outgroup relationships are uncertain. Syst Biol 2006; 55:610-22. [PMID: 16969937 DOI: 10.1080/10635150600812619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Most implementations of molecular clocks require resolved topologies. However, one of the Bayesian relaxed clock approaches accepts input topologies that include polytomies. We explored the effects of resolved and polytomous input topologies in a rate-heterogeneous sequence data set for Gnetum, a member of the seed plant lineage Gnetales. Gnetum has 10 species in South America, 1 in tropical West Africa, and 20 to 25 in tropical Asia, and explanations for the ages of these disjunctions involve long-distance dispersal and/or the breakup of Gondwana. To resolve relationships within Gnetum, we sequenced most of its species for six loci from the chloroplast (rbcL, matK, and the trnT-trnF region), the nucleus (rITS/5.8S and the LEAFY gene second intron), and the mitochondrion (nad1 gene second intron). Because Gnetum has no fossil record, we relied on fossils from other Gnetales and from the seed plant lineages conifers, Ginkgo, cycads, and angiosperms to constrain a molecular clock and obtain absolute times for within-Gnetum divergence events. Relationships among Gnetales and the other seed plant lineages are still unresolved, and we therefore used differently resolved topologies, including one that contained a basal polytomy among gymnosperms. For a small set of Gnetales exemplars (n = 13) in which rbcL and matK satisfied the clock assumption, we also obtained time estimates from a strict clock, calibrated with one outgroup fossil. The changing hierarchical relationships among seed plants (and accordingly changing placements of distant fossils) resulted in small changes of within-Gnetum estimates because topologically closest constraints overrode more distant constraints. Regardless of the seed plant topology assumed, relaxed clock estimates suggest that the extant clades of Gnetum began diverging from each other during the Upper Oligocene. Strict clock estimates imply a mid-Miocene divergence. These estimates, together with the phylogeny for Gnetum from the six combined data sets, imply that the single African species of Gnetum is not a remnant of a once Gondwanan distribution. Miocene and Pliocene range expansions are inferred for the Asian subclades of Gnetum, which stem from an ancestor that arrived from Africa. These findings fit with seed dispersal by water in several species of Gnetum, morphological similarities among apparently young species, and incomplete concerted evolution in the nuclear ITS region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyosig Won
- Department of Biology, University of Missouri-St. Louis, 8001 Natural Bridge Road, St. Louis, Missouri 63121, USA.
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Draper I, Hedenäs L, Grimm GW. Molecular and morphological incongruence in European species of Isothecium (Bryophyta). Mol Phylogenet Evol 2006; 42:700-16. [PMID: 17101281 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2006.09.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2005] [Revised: 09/26/2006] [Accepted: 09/28/2006] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
During the identification of Moroccan samples a plant belonging to Isothecium with characteristics of I. alopecuroides (Dubois) Isov. and, to a smaller degree, I. algarvicum W.E. Nicholson and Dixon was found. Problems with attributing the plant to any of the European Isothecium species and the known large morphological variation in I. alopecuroides suggested that molecular studies were needed to evaluate patterns of relationships in this complex. We investigated one nuclear and one chloroplast marker from 66 samples (gametophytes) of Isothecium alopecuroides and from 18 samples of other Isothecium species. Parsimony and likelihood (via Bayesian analysis) were used as optimality criteria to compute phylogenetic trees. Bootstrapping and posterior probabilities were used, not only to quantify support, but also to evaluate competing phylogenetic alternatives in consensus networks. Finally, split decomposition and neighbour net analysis were used to compute distance based split networks, in order to avoid systematic error. The observed discrepancy among morphological and molecular data suggests that none of the European species Isothecium alopecuroides, I. holtii and I. myosuroides are monophyletic as defined by traditional morphological characters. Convergent morphological evolution cannot explain the discrepancy in this particular case; instead exchange of genetic material among Isothecium species is considered a potential explanation for the molecular diversity within morphospecies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Draper
- Department of Cryptogamic Botany, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden.
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Conway Morris S. Darwin's dilemma: the realities of the Cambrian 'explosion'. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2006; 361:1069-83. [PMID: 16754615 PMCID: PMC1578734 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2006.1846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 135] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The Cambrian 'explosion' is widely regarded as one of the fulcrum points in the history of life, yet its origins and causes remain deeply controversial. New data from the fossil record, especially of Burgess Shale-type Lagerstätten, indicate, however, that the assembly of bodyplans is not only largely a Cambrian phenomenon, but can already be documented in fair detail. This speaks against a much more ancient origin of the metazoans, and current work is doing much to reconcile the apparent discrepancies between the fossil record, including the Ediacaran assemblages of latest Neoproterozoic age and molecular 'clocks'. Hypotheses to explain the Cambrian 'explosion' continue to be generated, but the recurrent confusion of cause and effect suggests that the wrong sort of question is being asked. Here I propose that despite its step-like function this evolutionary event is the inevitable consequence of Earth and biospheric change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Conway Morris
- University of Cambridge, Department of Earth Sciences, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EQ, UK.
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