Project description:The Iris series Chinenses in Korea comprises four species (I. minutoaurea, I. odaesanensis, I. koreana, and I. rossii), and the group includes some endangered species, owing to their high ornamental, economic, and conservation values. Among them, the putative allotetraploid, Iris koreana (2n = 4x = 50), is hypothesized to have originated from the hybridization of the diploids I. minutoaurea (2n = 2x = 22) and I. odaesanensis (2n = 2x = 28) based on morphological characters, chromosome numbers, and genome size additivity. Despite extensive morphological and molecular phylogenetical studies on the genus Iris, little is known about Korean irises in terms of their complete chloroplast (cp) genomes and molecular cytogenetics that involve rDNA loci evolution based on fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). This study reports comparative analyses of the karyotypes of the three Iris species (I. koreana, I. odaesanensis, and I. minutoaurea), with an emphasis on the 5S and 35S rDNA loci number and localization using FISH together with the genome size and chromosome number. Moreover, the cp genomes of the same individuals were sequenced and assembled for comparative analysis. The rDNA loci numbers, which were localized consistently at the same position in all species, and the chromosome numbers and genome size values of tetraploid Iris koreana (four 5S and 35S loci; 2n = 50; 1C = 7.35 pg) were additively compared to its putative diploid progenitors, I. minutoaurea (two 5S and 35S loci; 2n = 22; 1C = 3.71 pg) and I. odaesanensis (two 5S and 35S loci; 2n = 28; 1C = 3.68 pg). The chloroplast genomes were 152,259-155,145 bp in length, and exhibited a conserved quadripartite structure. The Iris cp genomes were highly conserved and similar to other Iridaceae cp genomes. Nucleotide diversity analysis indicated that all three species had similar levels of genetic variation, but the cp genomes of I. koreana and I. minutoaurea were more similar to each other than to I. odaesanensis. Positive selection was inferred for psbK and ycf2 genes of the three Iris species. Phylogenetic analyses consistently recovered I. odaesanensis as a sister to a clade containing I. koreana and I. minutoaurea. Although the phylogenetic relationship, rDNA loci number, and localization, together with the genome size and chromosome number of the three species, allowed for the inference of I. minutoaurea as a putative maternal taxon and I. odaesanensis as a paternal taxon, further analyses involving species-specific molecular cytogenetic markers and genomic in situ hybridization are required to interpret the mechanisms involved in the origin of the chromosomal variation in Iris series Chinenses. This study contributes towards the genomic and chromosomal evolution of the genus Iris.
Project description:Iris dabashanensis C.A.Wilson, sp. nov. and I. probstii C.A.Wilson, sp. nov. from China are described and illustrated. Both species occur on grassy slopes in mountainous regions of south-central China. The former is known from the Daba Mountains in rocky, calcareous soils associated with shrubs or mixed conifer and hardwood forests, while the latter is known from a region of karst terrain beside rice fields or under pine woods in Guizhou Province. Molecular data resolves both species in series Chinenses in a subclade that also includes I. odaesanensis, while morphologically they are similar to I. henryi. These newly described species are two of four members of series Chinenses that occur in south-central China.
Project description:Iris sect. Psammiris comprises rhizomatous perennials distributed in the north temperate zone of Eurasia. The systematics of the section are currently based on morphology, and the phylogenetic relationships within it still remain unclear. In the framework of Iris systematics, we conducted molecular and morphological analyses of the currently recognized I. sect. Psammiris species to elucidate the taxonomic composition and relationships within the section. The phylogenetic reconstructions based on sequence variation of four noncoding chloroplast DNA regions support the monophyly of I. sect. Psammiris, which includes I. tigridia, while I. potaninii var. ionantha belongs to I. sect. Pseudoregelia. The proposed novel classification of I. sect. Psammiris recognizes three series: an autonymic series with I. humilis, I. bloudowii, and I. vorobievii and two unispecific series (I. ser. Potaninia with I. potaninii and I. ser. Tigridiae with I. tigridia). In addition, the taxonomic statuses of I. arenaria, I. ivanovae, I. kamelinii, I. mandshurica, I. pineticola, I. psammocola, and I. schmakovii are clarified herein. We provide a revised taxonomic treatment for I. sect. Psammiris, including notes on the types; updated information on species synonymy, distributions, habitats, and chromosome numbers; and a new identification key to the species. Three lectotypes are designated here.
Project description:Chromosome numbers, karyotypes, and genome sizes of 14 Iris L. (Iridaceae Juss.) species in Korea and their closely related taxon, Sisyrinchium rosulatum, are presented and analyzed in a phylogenetic framework. To date, understanding the chromosomal evolution of Korean irises has been hampered by their high chromosome numbers. Here, we report analyses of chromosome numbers and karyotypes obtained via classic Feulgen staining and genome sizes measured using flow cytometry in Korean irises. More than a two-fold variation in chromosome numbers (2n = 22 to 2n = 50) and over a three-fold genome size variation (2.39 pg to 7.86 pg/1 C) suggest the putative polyploid and/or dysploid origin of some taxa. Our study demonstrates that the patterns of genome size variation and chromosome number changes in Korean irises do not correlate with the phylogenetic relationships and could have been affected by different evolutionary processes involving polyploidy or dysploidy. This study presents the first comprehensive chromosomal and genome size data for Korean Iris species. Further studies involving molecular cytogenetic and phylogenomic analyses are needed to interpret the mechanisms involved in the origin of chromosomal variation in the Iris.
Project description:We conducted a culture experiment by deeply submerging plants in swine wastewater in culturing Iris tectorum and co-culturing Iris tectorum and Dictyosphaerium sp., and found that the plants grew sub-normal in the plant-microalgae co-culture while the plants were dead after 21 days in the plant culture. We generated a comprehensive RNA-seq dataset from the submerged Iris tectorum leaves in both the plant culture and the plant-microalgae co-culture, aiming at providing information on the response mechanisms of the plants to waterlogging stress. Besides raw reads of the RNA-seq dataset, we used DEseq2 algorithms to detect the differently expressed genes in the plants between the different cultures. Additionally, we performed the plant disease resistance gene analysis for all the differentially expressed genes.
Project description:Transcriptome sequencing of non-model organisms is valuable resource of the genetic basis of ecological-meaningful traits. The Royal Irises, Iris section Oncocyclus (Iris: Iridaceae, order Asparagales), are a Middle-East group of species in the course of speciation. The species are characterized with extremely large flowers, a huge range of flower colors and a unique pollination system. The Royal Irises, which are a symbol of conservation in the Middle-east, serve as a model for evolutionary processes of speciation and plant ecology. However, there are not sufficient transcriptomic and genomic data for molecular characterization. Thus, it is necessary to generate massive transcript sequences for functional characterization and molecular marker development for the Royal Irises. The Iris transcriptome sequencing provides valuable resource for studying adaptation-associated traits in this non-model plant. Although intensive eco-evolutionary studies, this is the first reported transcriptome for the Royal Irises. The data available from this study will facilitate gene discovery, functional genomic studies and development of molecular markers in irises, and will provide genetic tools for their conservation.