Species delimitation of tea plants (Camellia sect. Thea) based on super-barcodes
Abstract Background The era of high throughput sequencing offers new paths to identifying species boundaries that are complementary to traditional morphology-based delimitations. De novo species delimitation using traditional or DNA super-barcodes serve as efficient approaches to recognizing putativ...
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| Format: | Article |
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BMC
2024-03-01
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| Series: | BMC Plant Biology |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-024-04882-3 |
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| author | Yinzi Jiang Junbo Yang Ryan A. Folk Jianli Zhao Jie Liu Zhengshan He Hua Peng Shixiong Yang Chunlei Xiang Xiangqin Yu |
| author_facet | Yinzi Jiang Junbo Yang Ryan A. Folk Jianli Zhao Jie Liu Zhengshan He Hua Peng Shixiong Yang Chunlei Xiang Xiangqin Yu |
| author_sort | Yinzi Jiang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background The era of high throughput sequencing offers new paths to identifying species boundaries that are complementary to traditional morphology-based delimitations. De novo species delimitation using traditional or DNA super-barcodes serve as efficient approaches to recognizing putative species (molecular operational taxonomic units, MOTUs). Tea plants (Camellia sect. Thea) form a group of morphologically similar species with significant economic value, providing the raw material for tea, which is the most popular nonalcoholic caffeine-containing beverage in the world. Taxonomic challenges have arisen from vague species boundaries in this group. Results Based on the most comprehensive sampling of C. sect. Thea by far (165 individuals of 39 morphospecies), we applied three de novo species delimitation methods (ASAP, PTP, and mPTP) using plastome data to provide an independent evaluation of morphology-based species boundaries in tea plants. Comparing MOTU partitions with morphospecies, we particularly tested the congruence of MOTUs resulting from different methods. We recognized 28 consensus MOTUs within C. sect. Thea, while tentatively suggesting that 11 morphospecies be discarded. Ten of the 28 consensus MOTUs were uncovered as morphospecies complexes in need of further study integrating other evidence. Our results also showed a strong imbalance among the analyzed MOTUs in terms of the number of molecular diagnostic characters. Conclusion This study serves as a solid step forward for recognizing the underlying species boundaries of tea plants, providing a needed evidence-based framework for the utilization and conservation of this economically important plant group. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T23:09:54Z |
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| id | doaj.art-fb4a7eb6d9b44362b2b5dd1b1e379b62 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-2229 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T23:09:54Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Plant Biology |
| spelling | doaj.art-fb4a7eb6d9b44362b2b5dd1b1e379b622024-03-17T12:20:37ZengBMCBMC Plant Biology1471-22292024-03-0124111210.1186/s12870-024-04882-3Species delimitation of tea plants (Camellia sect. Thea) based on super-barcodesYinzi Jiang0Junbo Yang1Ryan A. Folk2Jianli Zhao3Jie Liu4Zhengshan He5Hua Peng6Shixiong Yang7Chunlei Xiang8Xiangqin Yu9CAS Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of SciencesGermplasm Bank of Wild Species, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of SciencesDepartment of Biological Sciences, Mississippi State UniversityYunnan Key Laboratory of Plant Reproductive Adaptation and Evolutionary Ecology, Laboratory of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Yunnan UniversityCAS Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of SciencesGermplasm Bank of Wild Species, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of SciencesCAS Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of SciencesCAS Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of SciencesCAS Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of SciencesCAS Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of SciencesAbstract Background The era of high throughput sequencing offers new paths to identifying species boundaries that are complementary to traditional morphology-based delimitations. De novo species delimitation using traditional or DNA super-barcodes serve as efficient approaches to recognizing putative species (molecular operational taxonomic units, MOTUs). Tea plants (Camellia sect. Thea) form a group of morphologically similar species with significant economic value, providing the raw material for tea, which is the most popular nonalcoholic caffeine-containing beverage in the world. Taxonomic challenges have arisen from vague species boundaries in this group. Results Based on the most comprehensive sampling of C. sect. Thea by far (165 individuals of 39 morphospecies), we applied three de novo species delimitation methods (ASAP, PTP, and mPTP) using plastome data to provide an independent evaluation of morphology-based species boundaries in tea plants. Comparing MOTU partitions with morphospecies, we particularly tested the congruence of MOTUs resulting from different methods. We recognized 28 consensus MOTUs within C. sect. Thea, while tentatively suggesting that 11 morphospecies be discarded. Ten of the 28 consensus MOTUs were uncovered as morphospecies complexes in need of further study integrating other evidence. Our results also showed a strong imbalance among the analyzed MOTUs in terms of the number of molecular diagnostic characters. Conclusion This study serves as a solid step forward for recognizing the underlying species boundaries of tea plants, providing a needed evidence-based framework for the utilization and conservation of this economically important plant group.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-024-04882-3Tea plantsPlastomeSuper-barcodeDe novo species delimitation |
| spellingShingle | Yinzi Jiang Junbo Yang Ryan A. Folk Jianli Zhao Jie Liu Zhengshan He Hua Peng Shixiong Yang Chunlei Xiang Xiangqin Yu Species delimitation of tea plants (Camellia sect. Thea) based on super-barcodes BMC Plant Biology Tea plants Plastome Super-barcode De novo species delimitation |
| title | Species delimitation of tea plants (Camellia sect. Thea) based on super-barcodes |
| title_full | Species delimitation of tea plants (Camellia sect. Thea) based on super-barcodes |
| title_fullStr | Species delimitation of tea plants (Camellia sect. Thea) based on super-barcodes |
| title_full_unstemmed | Species delimitation of tea plants (Camellia sect. Thea) based on super-barcodes |
| title_short | Species delimitation of tea plants (Camellia sect. Thea) based on super-barcodes |
| title_sort | species delimitation of tea plants camellia sect thea based on super barcodes |
| topic | Tea plants Plastome Super-barcode De novo species delimitation |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-024-04882-3 |
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