Inter- and intraspecific hypervariability in interstitial telomeric-like repeats (TTTAGGG)n in Anacyclus (Asteraceae).

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Interstitial telomeric repeat (ITR) sites, consisting of tandem repeats of telomeric motifs localized at intrachromosomal sites, have been reported in a few unrelated organisms including plants. However, the causes for the occurrence of ITRs outside of the chromosomal termini are not fully understood. One possible explanation are the chromosomal rearrangements involving telomeric sites, which could also affect the location of other structural genome elements, such as the 45S rDNA. Taking advantage of the high dynamism in 45S rDNA loci previously found in Anacyclus (Asteraceae, Anthemideae), the occurrence and patterns of variation of ITRs were explored in this genus wit…

High and uneven levels of 45S rDNA site-number variation across wild populations of a diploid plant genus (Anacyclus, Asteraceae)

The nuclear genome harbours hundreds to several thousand copies of ribosomal DNA. Despite their essential role in cellular ribogenesis few studies have addressed intrapopulation, interpopulation and interspecific levels of rDNA variability in wild plants. Some studies have assessed the extent of rDNA variation at the sequence and copy-number level with large sampling in several species. However, comparable studies on rDNA site number variation in plants, assessed with extensive hierarchical sampling at several levels (individuals, populations, species) are lacking. In exploring the possible causes for ribosomal loci dynamism, we have used the diploid genus Anacyclus (Asteraceae) as a suitab…

Concerted Evolution of Multigene Families and Homoeologous Recombination

The dynamism of genomes is one of the most thoroughly documented paradigms in the genomic era, envisaged by the cytogenetic school during middle decades of the twentieth century. Such dynamism refers not just to the evolutionary changes that take place across deep time but also to the myriad changes at different levels (from SNPs to large structural rearrangements) that shape and adjust genomes over a smaller time scale. This chapter reviews two of the many forces that provide genome dynamism in plants. These two forces, concerted evolution of multigene families and homoeologous recombination of hybridized genomes, in principle contribute to shape the plant genomes through opposite effects …

Can Extensive Reticulation and Concerted Evolution Result in a Cladistically Structured Molecular Data Set?

Hierarchy is the main criterion for informativeness in a data set, even if no explicit reference to evolution as a causal process is provided. Sequence data (nuclear ribosomal DNA ITS) from Armeria (Plumbaginaceae) contains a certain amount of hierarchical structure as suggested by data decisiveness (DD) and distribution of tree lengths (DTL). However, ancillary evidence suggests that extensive gene flow and biased concerted evolution in these multi-copy regions have significantly shaped the ITS data set. This argument is discussed using parsimony analysis of four data sets, constructed by combining wild sequences with those from different generations of artificial hybrids (wild + F1, F2, a…

Sobre la presencia de Armeria aff. pungens en los sistemas dunares de la Región de Murcia

Better the devil you know? Guidelines for insightful utilization of nrDNA ITS in species-level evolutionary studies in plants.

The internal transcribed spacers (ITS) of the nuclear ribosomal 18S–5.8S–26S cistron continue to be the most popular non-plastid region for species-level phylogenetic studies of plant groups despite the early warnings about their potential Xaws, which may ultimately result in incorrect assumptions of orthology. It has been gradually realized that the alternative target regions in the nuclear genome (lowcopy nuclear genes, LCNG) are burdened with similar problems. The consequence is that, to date, developing useful LCNG for nonmodel organisms requires an investment in time and eVort that hinders its use as a real practical alternative for many labs. It is here argued that ITS sequences, desp…

A new species of Armeria (Plumbaginaceae) from southern Spain with molecular and morphometric evidence on its origin

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