Intra- and interspecific diversity analyses in the genus Eremurus in Iran using genotyping-by-sequencing reveal geographic population structure

Abstract

Eremurus species, better known as 'Foxtail Lily' or 'Desert Candle', are important worldwide in landscaping and the cutflower industry. One of the centers of highest diversity of the genus Eremurus is Iran, which has seven species. However, little is known about the genetic diversity within the genus Eremurus. With the advent of genotyping-bysequencing (GBS), it is possible to develop and employ single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers in a costefficient manner in any species, regardless of its ploidy level, genome size or availability of a reference genome. Population structure and phylogeographic analyses of the genus Eremurus in Iran using a minimum of 3002 SNP markers identified either at the genus level or at the species level from GBS data showed longitudinal geographic structuring at the country scale for the genus and for the species E. spectabilis and E. luteus, and at the regional scale for E. olgae. Our analyses furthermore showed a close genetic relatedness between E. olgae and E. stenophyllus to the extent that they should be considered subspecies within an E. olgae/stenophyllus species complex. Their close genetic relatedness may explain why crosses between these two (sub)species have been found in the wild and are exploited extensively as ornamentals. Last, current species identification, while robust, relies on flower morphology. A subset of seven SNPs with species-specific (private) alleles were selected that differentiate the seven Eremurus species. The markers will be especially useful for cultivar protection and in hybrid production, where true hybrids could be identified at the seedling stage.

In Vitro Culture of Eremurus spectabilis (Liliaceae), a Rare Ornamental and Medicinal Plant, through Root Explants

“…The fleshy roots of E. spectabilis Clade II [24] were collected from its natural habitat (Figure 1), i.e., Golestan National Park, Golestan province, Iran (UTM zone: 37 • 32 49.8 (37.5472 • ) N and 56 • 23 22.4 (56.3896 • ) E), during the start of the dormant season. The Foxtail lily has tuberous roots.…”

The Effects of Homologous and Heterologous Grafting on the Growth of Gleditsia sinensis Scions

“…This study aimed to evaluate the impact of using different Gleditsia rootstocks on the scion growth and development of Gleditsia plants, including (i) graft compatibility and the extent of compatibility among different Gleditsia species, (ii) the effects of different rootstocks on the morphology, physiology, and hormone levels of Gleditsia plants, and (iii) the differences between homograft and heterograft combinations. GBS is a cost-effective method for developing SNP markers without the need to consider the genome size, ploidy level, or the presence of background genomic sequences; this method allows for the genotyping of all markers derived from a population [40,41]. ISSR markers have the advantages of having rich polymorphism, a low cost, simple operation, high stability, and co-dominance, and they have been widely used in studies of plant germplasm selection, interspecific differentiation, and population diversity.…”

Incidence and frequency of desynapsis in Eremurus persicus (Jaub. & Spach) Boiss.(Asphodelaceae) – A native and important medicinal plant species of Western Himalaya

“…Bagged inflorescences do not produce seeds in all the selected populations.Also The present study revealed that Eremurus persicus is diploid with chromosome number of 2n = 2x = 14. The karyotype analysis revealed that various species of the genus Eremurus have 2n chromosome counts of 14 and 28 (Hadizadeh et al, 2020). Somatic chromosome analysis of eight species of Aloe (Asphodelaceae) showed diploid chromosome number of 2n = 14 (Sánchez-Get al 2018).…”