Dataset Information

Evolution of Asian Interior Arid-Zone Biota: Evidence from the Diversification of Asian Zygophyllum (Zygophyllaceae).

ABSTRACT: The Asian interior arid zone is the largest desert landform system in the Northern Hemisphere, and has high biodiversity. Little is currently known about the evolutionary history of its biota. In this study, we used Zygophyllum, an important and characteristic component of the Asian interior arid zone, to provide new insights into the evolution of this biota. By greatly enlarged taxon sampling, we present the phylogenetic analysis of Asian Zygophyllum based on two plastid and one nuclear markers. Our phylogenetic analyses indicate that Asian Zygophyllum and Sarcozygium form a clade and Sarcozygium is further embedded within the shrub subclade. An integration of phylogenetic, biogeographic, and molecular dating methods indicates that Zygophyllum successfully colonized the Asian interior from Africa in the early Oligocene, and Asian Zygophyllum became differentiated in the early Miocene and underwent a burst of diversification in the late Miocene associated with the expansion of Asian interior arid lands due to orogenetic and climatic changes. Combining diversification patterns of other important components of the Asian interior arid zone, we propose a multi-stage evolution model for this biota: the late Eocene-early Oligocene origin, the early Miocene expansion, and the middle-late Miocene rapid expansion to the whole Asian interior arid zone. This study also demonstrates that, for Zygophyllum and perhaps other arid-adapted organisms, arid biomes are evolutionary cradles of diversity.

SUBMITTER: Wu SD

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4579068 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Evolution of Asian Interior Arid-Zone Biota: Evidence from the Diversification of Asian Zygophyllum (Zygophyllaceae).

Wu Sheng-Dan SD Lin Li L Li Hong-Lei HL Yu Sheng-Xiang SX Zhang Lin-Jing LJ Wang Wei W

PloS one 20150922 9

The Asian interior arid zone is the largest desert landform system in the Northern Hemisphere, and has high biodiversity. Little is currently known about the evolutionary history of its biota. In this study, we used Zygophyllum, an important and characteristic component of the Asian interior arid zone, to provide new insights into the evolution of this biota. By greatly enlarged taxon sampling, we present the phylogenetic analysis of Asian Zygophyllum based on two plastid and one nuclear markers ...[more]

PMID: 26393796

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Project description:The genus Zygophyllum comprises over 150 species within the plant family Zygophyllaceae. These species predominantly grow in arid and semiarid areas, and about 20 occur in northwestern China. In this study, we sampled 24 individuals of Zygophyllum representing 15 species and sequenced their complete chloroplast (cp) genomes. For comparison, we also sequenced cp genomes of two species of Peganum from China representing the closely allied family, Nitrariaceae. The 24 cp genomes of Zygophyllum were smaller and ranged in size from 104,221 to 106,286 bp, each containing a large single-copy (LSC) region (79,245-80,439 bp), a small single-copy (SSC) region (16,285-17,146 bp), and a pair of inverted repeat (IR) regions (3,792-4,466 bp). These cp genomes contained 111-112 genes each, including 74-75 protein-coding genes (PCGs), four ribosomal RNA genes, and 33 transfer RNA genes, and all cp genomes showed similar gene order, content, and structure. The cp genomes of Zygophyllum appeared to lose some genes such as ndh genes and rRNA genes, of which four rRNA genes were in the SSC region, not in the IR regions. However, the SC and IR regions had greater similarity within Zygophyllum than between the genus and Peganum. We detected nine highly variable intergenic spacers: matK-trnQ, psaC-rps15, psbZ-trnG, rps7-trnL, rps15-trnN, trnE-trnT, trnL-rpl32, trnQ-psbK, and trnS-trnG. Additionally, we identified 156 simple sequence repeat (cpSSR) markers shared among the genomes of the 24 Zygophyllum samples and seven cpSSRs that were unique to the species of Zygophyllum. These markers may be useful in future studies on genetic diversity and relationships of Zygophyllum and closely related taxa. Using the sequenced cp genomes, we reconstructed a phylogeny that strongly supported the division of Chinese Zygophyllum into herbaceous and shrubby clades. We utilized our phylogenetic results along with prior morphological studies to address several remaining taxonomic questions within Zygophyllum. Specifically, we found that Zygophyllum kaschgaricum is included within Zygophyllum xanthoxylon supporting the present treatment of the former genus Sarcozygium as a subgenus within Zygophyllum. Our results provide a foundation for future research on the genetic resources of Zygophyllum.

Dataset Information

Evolution of Asian Interior Arid-Zone Biota: Evidence from the Diversification of Asian Zygophyllum (Zygophyllaceae).

Publications

Evolution of Asian Interior Arid-Zone Biota: Evidence from the Diversification of Asian Zygophyllum (Zygophyllaceae).

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