Dissecting Taxonomic Variants within <i>Ulmus</i> spp. Complex in Natural Forests with the Aid of Microsatellite and Morphometric Markers
Spontaneous hybrids between the native elms (genus <i>Ulmus</i> L.) have been observed in the forests of Europe. Gene conservation raises questions regarding the genetic background for the complex morphology and taxonomy of elms. Our objective was to dissect morphological and genetic var...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2021-05-01
|
| Series: | Forests |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/12/6/653 |
| _version_ | 1797533243093811200 |
|---|---|
| author | Sigitas Tamošaitis Girmantė Jurkšienė Raimundas Petrokas Jurata Buchovska Ilona Kavaliauskienė Darius Danusevičius Virgilijus Baliuckas |
| author_facet | Sigitas Tamošaitis Girmantė Jurkšienė Raimundas Petrokas Jurata Buchovska Ilona Kavaliauskienė Darius Danusevičius Virgilijus Baliuckas |
| author_sort | Sigitas Tamošaitis |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Spontaneous hybrids between the native elms (genus <i>Ulmus</i> L.) have been observed in the forests of Europe. Gene conservation raises questions regarding the genetic background for the complex morphology and taxonomy of elms. Our objective was to dissect morphological and genetic variation in the natural swamps of <i>Ulmus</i> species groups in Lithuanian forests with the aid of leaf morphology and microsatellite (SSR) markers. We sampled leaves from 189 elms at 26 locations to grasp the phenotypic diversity in variable natural habitats in Lithuanian forests. We assigned the elms into six taxonomic and genetics groups based on 31 leaf morphology parameters and tested the genetic differentiation between these six groups at six nuclear SSR loci by using Bayesian and genetic distance-based clustering. The genetic and leaf morphometric analyses of putative elm hybrid swamps indicated a low genetic exchange between <i>U. laevis</i> Pall. and the other <i>Ulmus</i> groups. The genetic and morphometric data supported the differentiation of <i>U. glabra</i> Huds. and <i>U. glabra</i> (female) × <i>U. minor</i> Mill. (male) spontaneous hybrids. In addition, the results of the genetic analysis also confirmed the high level of genome sharing among <i>U. minor</i> and <i>U. minor</i> subsp. <i>minor</i> Richens., where leaf morphology failed to differentiate genetically discrete groups. For gene conservation, we would suggest considering separate gene conservation units selected based on leaf and stem morphology for <i>U. laevis</i>, <i>U. glabra</i>, <i>U. glabra</i> × <i>minor</i>, and the <i>U. minor</i> species complex. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T11:11:46Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e97e577333ca42639511aaadfe7c4152 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4907 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T11:11:46Z |
| publishDate | 2021-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Forests |
| spelling | doaj.art-e97e577333ca42639511aaadfe7c41522023-11-21T20:45:56ZengMDPI AGForests1999-49072021-05-0112665310.3390/f12060653Dissecting Taxonomic Variants within <i>Ulmus</i> spp. Complex in Natural Forests with the Aid of Microsatellite and Morphometric MarkersSigitas Tamošaitis0Girmantė Jurkšienė1Raimundas Petrokas2Jurata Buchovska3Ilona Kavaliauskienė4Darius Danusevičius5Virgilijus Baliuckas6Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, Liepu Str. 1 Girionys, LT-53101 Kaunas Distr., LithuaniaLithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, Liepu Str. 1 Girionys, LT-53101 Kaunas Distr., LithuaniaLithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, Liepu Str. 1 Girionys, LT-53101 Kaunas Distr., LithuaniaLithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, Liepu Str. 1 Girionys, LT-53101 Kaunas Distr., LithuaniaIndependent Researcher, LT-44248 Kaunas, LithuaniaAgriculture Academy, Faculty of Forest Sciences and Ecology, Vytautas Magnus University, K. Donelaičio g. 58, LT-44248 Kaunas, LithuaniaLithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, Liepu Str. 1 Girionys, LT-53101 Kaunas Distr., LithuaniaSpontaneous hybrids between the native elms (genus <i>Ulmus</i> L.) have been observed in the forests of Europe. Gene conservation raises questions regarding the genetic background for the complex morphology and taxonomy of elms. Our objective was to dissect morphological and genetic variation in the natural swamps of <i>Ulmus</i> species groups in Lithuanian forests with the aid of leaf morphology and microsatellite (SSR) markers. We sampled leaves from 189 elms at 26 locations to grasp the phenotypic diversity in variable natural habitats in Lithuanian forests. We assigned the elms into six taxonomic and genetics groups based on 31 leaf morphology parameters and tested the genetic differentiation between these six groups at six nuclear SSR loci by using Bayesian and genetic distance-based clustering. The genetic and leaf morphometric analyses of putative elm hybrid swamps indicated a low genetic exchange between <i>U. laevis</i> Pall. and the other <i>Ulmus</i> groups. The genetic and morphometric data supported the differentiation of <i>U. glabra</i> Huds. and <i>U. glabra</i> (female) × <i>U. minor</i> Mill. (male) spontaneous hybrids. In addition, the results of the genetic analysis also confirmed the high level of genome sharing among <i>U. minor</i> and <i>U. minor</i> subsp. <i>minor</i> Richens., where leaf morphology failed to differentiate genetically discrete groups. For gene conservation, we would suggest considering separate gene conservation units selected based on leaf and stem morphology for <i>U. laevis</i>, <i>U. glabra</i>, <i>U. glabra</i> × <i>minor</i>, and the <i>U. minor</i> species complex.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/12/6/653<i>Ulmus glabra</i><i>U. laevis</i><i>U. minor</i>interspecific hybridsleaf morphological traits |
| spellingShingle | Sigitas Tamošaitis Girmantė Jurkšienė Raimundas Petrokas Jurata Buchovska Ilona Kavaliauskienė Darius Danusevičius Virgilijus Baliuckas Dissecting Taxonomic Variants within <i>Ulmus</i> spp. Complex in Natural Forests with the Aid of Microsatellite and Morphometric Markers Forests <i>Ulmus glabra</i> <i>U. laevis</i> <i>U. minor</i> interspecific hybrids leaf morphological traits |
| title | Dissecting Taxonomic Variants within <i>Ulmus</i> spp. Complex in Natural Forests with the Aid of Microsatellite and Morphometric Markers |
| title_full | Dissecting Taxonomic Variants within <i>Ulmus</i> spp. Complex in Natural Forests with the Aid of Microsatellite and Morphometric Markers |
| title_fullStr | Dissecting Taxonomic Variants within <i>Ulmus</i> spp. Complex in Natural Forests with the Aid of Microsatellite and Morphometric Markers |
| title_full_unstemmed | Dissecting Taxonomic Variants within <i>Ulmus</i> spp. Complex in Natural Forests with the Aid of Microsatellite and Morphometric Markers |
| title_short | Dissecting Taxonomic Variants within <i>Ulmus</i> spp. Complex in Natural Forests with the Aid of Microsatellite and Morphometric Markers |
| title_sort | dissecting taxonomic variants within i ulmus i spp complex in natural forests with the aid of microsatellite and morphometric markers |
| topic | <i>Ulmus glabra</i> <i>U. laevis</i> <i>U. minor</i> interspecific hybrids leaf morphological traits |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/12/6/653 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT sigitastamosaitis dissectingtaxonomicvariantswithiniulmusisppcomplexinnaturalforestswiththeaidofmicrosatelliteandmorphometricmarkers AT girmantejurksiene dissectingtaxonomicvariantswithiniulmusisppcomplexinnaturalforestswiththeaidofmicrosatelliteandmorphometricmarkers AT raimundaspetrokas dissectingtaxonomicvariantswithiniulmusisppcomplexinnaturalforestswiththeaidofmicrosatelliteandmorphometricmarkers AT juratabuchovska dissectingtaxonomicvariantswithiniulmusisppcomplexinnaturalforestswiththeaidofmicrosatelliteandmorphometricmarkers AT ilonakavaliauskiene dissectingtaxonomicvariantswithiniulmusisppcomplexinnaturalforestswiththeaidofmicrosatelliteandmorphometricmarkers AT dariusdanusevicius dissectingtaxonomicvariantswithiniulmusisppcomplexinnaturalforestswiththeaidofmicrosatelliteandmorphometricmarkers AT virgilijusbaliuckas dissectingtaxonomicvariantswithiniulmusisppcomplexinnaturalforestswiththeaidofmicrosatelliteandmorphometricmarkers |