Dataset Information

Retrotransposon-based genetic variation of Poa annua populations from contrasting climate conditions.

ABSTRACT: Background:Poa annua L. is an example of a plant characterized by abundant, worldwide distribution from polar to equatorial regions. Due to its high plasticity and extraordinary expansiveness, P. annua is considered an invasive species capable of occupying and surviving in a wide range of habitats including pioneer zones, areas intensively transformed by human activities, remote subarctic meadows and even the Antarctic Peninsula region. Methods:In the present study, we evaluated the utility of inter-primer binding site (iPBS) markers for assessing the genetic variation of P. annua populations representing contrasting environments from the worldwide range of this species. The electrophoretic patterns of polymerase chain reaction products obtained for each individual were used to estimate the genetic diversity and differentiation between populations. Results:iPBS genotyping revealed a pattern of genetic variation differentiating the six studied P. annua populations characterized by their different climatic conditions. According to the analysis of molecular variance, the greatest genetic variation was recorded among populations, whereas 41.75% was observed between individuals within populations. The results of principal coordinates analysis (PCoA) and model-based clustering analysis showed a clear subdivision of analyzed populations. According to PCoA, populations from Siberia and the Kola Peninsula were the most different from each other and showed the lowest genetic variability. The application of STRUCTURE software confirmed the unique character of the population from the Kola Peninsula. Discussion:The lowest variability of the Siberia population suggested that it was subjected to genetic drift. However, although demographic expansion was indicated by negative values of Fu's FS statistic and analysis of mismatch distribution, it was not followed by significant traces of a bottleneck or a founder effect. For the Antarctic population, the observed level of genetic variation was surprisingly high, despite the observed significant traces of bottleneck/founder effect following demographic expansion, and was similar to that observed in populations from Poland and the Balkans. For the Antarctic population, the multiple introduction events from different sources are considered to be responsible for such an observation. Moreover, the results of STRUCTURE and PCoA showed that the P. annua from Antarctica has the highest genetic similarity to populations from Europe. Conclusions:The observed polymorphism should be considered as a consequence of the joint influence of external abiotic stress and the selection process. Environmental changes, due to their ability to induce transposon activation, lead to the acceleration of evolutionary processes through the production of genetic variability.

SUBMITTER: Androsiuk P

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6525586 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Retrotransposon-based genetic variation of <i>Poa annua</i> populations from contrasting climate conditions.

Androsiuk Piotr P Koc Justyna J Chwedorzewska Katarzyna Joanna KJ Górecki Ryszard R Giełwanowska Irena I

PeerJ 20190515

<h4>Background</h4><i>Poa annua</i> L. is an example of a plant characterized by abundant, worldwide distribution from polar to equatorial regions. Due to its high plasticity and extraordinary expansiveness, <i>P. annua</i> is considered an invasive species capable of occupying and surviving in a wide range of habitats including pioneer zones, areas intensively transformed by human activities, remote subarctic meadows and even the Antarctic Peninsula region.<h4>Methods</h4>In the present study, ...[more]

PMID: 31143535

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Project description:BackgroundClimate change is affecting many physical and biological processes worldwide. Anticipating its effects at the level of populations and species is imperative, especially for organisms of conservation or management concern. Previous studies have focused on estimating future species distributions and extinction probabilities directly from current climatic conditions within their geographical ranges. However, relationships between climate and population parameters may be so complex that to make these high-level predictions we need first to understand the underlying biological processes driving population size, as well as their individual response to climatic alterations. Therefore, the objective of this study is to investigate the influence that climate change may have on species population dynamics through altering breeding season.Methodology/principal findingsWe used a mechanistic model based on drivers of rabbit reproductive physiology together with demographic simulations to show how future climate-driven changes in breeding season result in contrasting rabbit population trends across Europe. In the Iberian Peninsula, where rabbits are a native species of high ecological and economic value, breeding seasons will shorten and become more variable leading to population declines, higher extinction risk, and lower resilience to perturbations. Whereas towards north-eastern countries, rabbit numbers are expected to increase through longer and more stable reproductive periods, which augment the probability of new rabbit invasions in those areas.Conclusions/significanceOur study reveals the type of mechanisms through which climate will cause alterations at the species level and emphasizes the need to focus on them in order to better foresee large-scale complex population trends. This is especially important in species like the European rabbit whose future responses may aggravate even further its dual keystone/pest problematic. Moreover, this approach allows us to predict not only distribution shifts but also future population status and growth, and to identify the demographic parameters on which to focus to mitigate global change effects.

Dataset Information

Retrotransposon-based genetic variation of Poa annua populations from contrasting climate conditions.

Publications

Retrotransposon-based genetic variation of <i>Poa annua</i> populations from contrasting climate conditions.

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