On the Origin of Tetraploid Vernal Grasses (Anthoxanthum) in Europe

Abstract

Polyploidy has played a crucial role in the evolution of many plant taxa, namely in higher latitudinal zones. Surprisingly, after several decades of an intensive research on polyploids, there are still common polyploid species whose evolutionary history is virtually unknown. Here, we addressed the origin of sweet vernal grass (Anthoxanthum odoratum) using flow cytometry, DNA sequencing, and in situ hybridization-based cytogenetic techniques. An allotetraploid and polytopic origin of the species has been verified. The chromosome study reveals an extensive variation between the European populations. In contrast, an autopolyploid origin of the rarer tetraploid vernal grass species, A. alpinum, has been corroborated. Diploid A. alpinum played an essential role in the polyploidization of both European tetraploids studied.

Oat chromosome and genome evolution defined by widespread terminal intergenomic translocations in polyploids

“…The exchange of segments of non-homologous chromosomes occurred soon after allopolyploid formation, shape their genomes giving them an adaptive and evolutionary advantage ( Tomaszewska, 2021 ). In some allopolyploid species, intergenomic translocations seem to be common, as in Nicotiana ( Kenton et al., 1993 ), Festulolium species ( Kopecký et al., 2006 ), Solanum tuberosum and S. caripense ( Braz et al., 2018 ), Anthoxanthum ( Chumová et al., 2021 ), Hordeum secalinum ( Bustos et al., 1996 ) and H. capense ( Taketa et al., 1999 ) or wild wheats ( Jiang and Gill, 1994 ; Badaeva et al., 1995 ), contrary to wheat cultivars ( Badaeva et al., 2007 ) or Secale ( Kubaláková et al., 2003 ) where intragenomic translocations located at pericentromeric regions of chromosomes, rarely interstitially, are the most common. In Musaceae, there are many translocations at any place in the chromosome arm ( Wang et al., 2022 ).…”

Oat chromosome and genome evolution defined by widespread terminal intergenomic translocations in polyploids

“…The exchange of segments of non-homologous chromosomes occurred soon after allopolyploid formation, shape their genomes giving them an adaptive and evolutionary advantage (Tomaszewska, 2021). In some allopolyploid species, intergenomic translocations seem to be common, as in Nicotiana (Kenton et al, 1993), Solanum tuberosum and S. caripense (Braz et al, 2018), Anthoxanthum (Chumová et al, 2021), Hordeum secalinum (Bustos et al, 1996) and H. capense (Taketa et al, 1999) or wild wheats (Jiang and Gill, 1994; Badaeva et al, 1995), contrary to wheat cultivars (Badaeva et al, 2007) or Secale (Kubaláková et al, 2003) where intragenomic translocations located at pericentromeric regions of chromosomes, rarely interstitially, are the most common. In Musaceae, there are many translocations at any place in the chromosome arm (Wang et al, 2022).…”

Investigations on Nuclear DNA Content and DNA Synthesis in Plants and Fungi Using Flow Cytometry and Fluorescence Microscopy

“…Analysis of genome size is also often used in research on plant evolution. In order to reveal the evolutionary history of sweet vernal grass ( Anthoxanthum odoratum ), Chumová et al [ 3 ] combined FCM, molecular analyses of chloroplast and nuclear DNA, and fluorescence and genomic in situ hybridization. They established the nuclear DNA content of 103 populations of A. odoratum and eight populations of A. alpinum located throughout Europe and found large intraspecific variations in A. odoratum , which correlate with latitude and altitude.…”