Abstract
In this work, we investigated the chromosome number and genome size of two Mediterranean Amaranthaceae species, namely Atriplex mollis from southern Tunisia and A. lanfrancoi (formerly Cremnophyton lanfrancoi) from Malta. The two species were found to be diploid (2n = 18) for all examined populations. This result is different from that previously reported for Cremnophyton lanfrancoi Brullo and Pavone (2n = 20). Genome size showed that both species have a close mean amount with 2C = 3.41 and 3.51 pg, respectively. Two groups were distinguished with regard to genome size (P < 0.01). It should, however, be noted that the majority of populations, with the exception of those from Djerba and Chbika, may be intermediate between the two basic groups. Moreover, the difference does not appear to depend on geographical distribution and environmental aspects. It would rather depend on chromosome rearrangements. The morphological similarities, the monophyly of Atriplex including A. lanfrancoi, previously ranked in genus Cremnophyton, sharing the same chromosome number and the same genome size, support the placement of Cremnophyton within the genus Atriplex.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abd El-Hack ME, Samak DH, Noreldin AE, Arif M, Yaqoob HS, Swelem AA (2018) Towards saving freshwater: halophytes as unconventional feedstuffs in livestock feed: a review. Environm Sci Pollut Res 25:14397–14406. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-018-2052-9
Atia A, Rabhi M, Debez A, Abdelly Ch, Gouia H, Chaffei Haouari Ch, Smaoui A (2014) Ecophysiological aspects in 105 plant species of saline and arid environments in Tunisia. J Arid Land 6:762–770. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40333-014-0028-2
Bassett IJ, Crompton CW (1971) IOPB chromosome number reports XXXIV. Taxon 20:785–797
Belford HS, Thompson WF (1981) Single copy DNA homologies in Atriplex. 1. Cross-reactivity estimates and the role of deletions in genome evolution. Heredity 46:91–108. https://doi.org/10.1038/hdy.1981.9
Bennett MD, Leitch IJ (2012) Angiosperm DNA C-values database (release 8.0, Dec. 2012). Available at: http://www.kew.org/cvalues/
Boutaoui N, Zaiter L, Benayache F, Benayache S, Cacciagrano F, Cesa S, Secci D, Carradori S, Giusti AM, Campestre C, Menghini L, Locatelli M (2018) Atriplex mollis Desf. aerial parts: extraction procedures, secondary metabolites and color analysis. Molecules 23:1962. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules23081962
Brullo S, Pavone P (1987) Cremnophyton lanfrancoi: a new genus and species of Chenopodiaceae from Malta. Candollea 42:621–625
CCDB chromosome counts database (2018). Available at: http://ccdb.tau.ac.il. Accessed 25 Mar 2018
Doležel J, Binarová P, Lucretti S (1989) Analysis of nuclear DNA content in plant cells by flow cytometry. Biol Pl 31:113–120. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02907241
Doležel J, Bartoš J, Voglmayr H, Greilhuber J (2003) Nuclear DNA content and genome size of trout and human. Cytometry 51:127–128. https://doi.org/10.1002/cyto.a.10013
Duchoslav M, Šafářová L, Jandová M (2013) Role of adaptive and non-adaptive mechanisms forming complex patterns of genome size variation in six cytotypes of polyploid Allium oleraceum (Amaryllidaceae) on a continental scale. Ann Bot (Oxford) 111:419–431. https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcs297
Dunford MP (1984) Cytotype distribution of Atriplex canescens (Chenopodiaceae) of southern New Mexico and adjacent Texas. SW Naturalist 29:223–228
Dunford MP (1985) A statistical analysis of morphological variation in cytotypes of Atriplex canescens (Chenopodiaceae). SW Naturalist 30:377–384. https://doi.org/10.2307/3671270
Dušková E, Kolář F, Sklenář P, Rauchová J, Kubešová M, Fér T, Suda J, Marhold K (2010) Genome size correlates with growth form, habitat and phylogeny in the Andean genus Lasiocephalus (Asteraceae). Preslia 82:127–148
Garcia S, Garnatje T, Twibell JD, Vallès J (2006) Genome size variation in the Artemisia arborescens complex (Asteraceae, Anthemideae) and its cultivars. Genome 49:244–253. https://doi.org/10.1139/g05-105
Garnatje T, Garcia S, Canela MÁ (2007) Genome size variation from a phylogenetic perspective in the genus Cheirolophus Cass. (Asteraceae): biogeographic implications. Pl Syst Evol 264:117–134. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00606-006-0489-7
Greuter W, Burdet HM, Long G (1984) A critical inventory of vascular plants of the circum-Mediterranean countries, 1. Pteridophyta, 2nd edn., Gymnospermae, Dicotyledones (Acanthaceae-Cneoraceae). Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques de la Ville de Geneve, Geneva
Hilda F, Jerrold D (2001) A cladistic analysis of Atripliceae (Chenopodiaceae) based on morphological data. J Torrey Bot Soc 128:297–319. https://doi.org/10.2307/3088719
Kadereit G, Mavrodiev EV, Zacharias EH, Sukhorukov AP (2010) Molecular phylogeny of Atripliceae (Chenopodioideae, Chenopodiaceae): implications for systematics, biogeography, flower and fruit evolution, and the origin of c 4 photosynthesis. Amer J Bot 97:1664–1687. https://doi.org/10.3732/ajb.1000169
Koocheki A (1996) The use of halophytes for forage production and combating desertification in Iran. In: ChoukrAllah R, Malcolm CV, Hamdy A (eds) Halophytes and biosaline agriculture. Marcel Dekker Inc, New York, pp 263–274
Kiehn M, Vitek E, Hellmayr E, Walter J, Tschenett J, Justin C, Mann M (1991) Beiträgezur Flora von Österreich: chromosomenzählungen. Verh Zool Bot Ges Österr 128:19–39
Knight CA, Molinari NA, Petrov DA (2005) The large genome constraint hypothesis: evolution, ecology and phenotype. Ann Bot (Oxford) 95:177–190. https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mci011
Le Houérou HN (1985) Forage and fuel plants in the arid zone of North Africa, the near and middle east. In Plants for arid lands. Springer, Dordrecht, pp 117–141
Le Houérou HN (1992) The role of saltbushes (Atriplex spp) in arid land rehabilitation in the Mediterranean Basin: a review. Agroforest Syst 18:107–148. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf00115408
Lomonosova MN, Krasnikov AA (1992) Chromosome numbers in the members of the genus Atriplex (Chenopodiaceae). Bot Zhurn (Moscow & Leningrad) 77:99–100
Lomonosova MN, Krasnikov AA, Krasnikova SA (2001) Chromosome numbers of Chenopodiaceae from Siberia. Bot Zhurn (Moscow & Leningrad) 86:145–146
Marie D, Brown SC (1993) A cytometric exercise in plant DNA histograms, with 2C values of 70 species. Biol Cell 78:41–51. https://doi.org/10.1016/0248-4900(93)90113-S
Morgan HD, Westoby M (2005) The relationship between nuclear DNA content and leaf strategy in seed plants. Ann Bot (Oxford) 96:1321–1330. https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mci284
Neffati M, Akrimi N (1991) Espèces autochtones à usage multiple susceptibles d’être utilisées pour la revégétation des parcours dégradés en zones arides. Rev Régions Arides 9:4–109
Nobs MA (1975) Chromosomal numbers in Atriplex. Carnegie Institute of Washington yearbook 74: 762–762. In: P. J. De Lange, B. G. Murray and G. M. Crowcroft (1997) Chromosome number of New Zealand specimens of Atriplex billardierei, Chenopodiaceae. New Zealand J Bot 35: 129–131. https://doi.org/10.1080/0028825x.1997.10410676
Ortiz-Dorda J, Martínez-Mora C, Correal E, Simón B, Cenis JL (2005) Genetic structure of Atriplex halimus populations in the Mediterranean Basin. Ann Bot (Oxford) 95:827–834. https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mci086
Pottier-Alapetite G (1979) Flore de la Tunisie. Angiospermes-dicotylédones. Ministère de l’Enseignement Supérieur et de la Recherche Scientifique et le Ministère de l’Agriculture., Tunis
Sanderson SC, Stutz HC, McArthur ED (1990) Geographic differentiation in Atriplex confertifolia. Amer J Bot 77:490–498. https://doi.org/10.2307/2444383
Seal AG (1983) The distribution and consequences of changes in nuclear DNA content. In: Brandham PE, Bennett MD (eds) Kew Chromosome Conference II, Proceedings of the Second Chromosome Conference held in the Jodrell Laboratory, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, England, 1–4 September 1982. G. Allen & Unwin, London, Boston, pp 225–231
Stutz HC, Sanderson SC (1983) Evolutionary studies of Atriplex: chromosome races of A. confertifolia (shadscale). Amer J Bot 70:1536–1547. https://doi.org/10.2307/2443352
Suda J, Kyncl T, Freiová R (2003) Nuclear DNA amounts in Macaronesian angiosperms. Ann Bot (Oxford) 92:153–164. https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcg104
Te Beest M, Le Roux JJ, Richardson DM, Brysting AK, Suda J, Kubešová M, Pyšek P (2012) The more the better? The role of polyploidy in facilitating plant invasions. Ann Bot (Oxford) 109:19–45. https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcr277
Tlili A, Sbissi I, Boughalleb F, Gouja H, Garnatje T, Vallès J, Neffati M (2019) Phylogenetic placement, floral anatomy and morphological characterization of the North African pastoral halophyte Atriplex mollis Desf. (Amaranthaceae). Turk J Bot 43:475–486. https://doi.org/10.3906/bot-1809-27
Walker DJ, Monino E, Gonzalez N, Frayssinet Correal E (2005) Determination of ploidy and nuclear DNA content I. in: populations of Atriplex halimus (Chenopodiaceae). Bot J Linn Soc 147:441–448. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8339.2004.00379.x
Walter H, Breckle SW (1986) Ecological systems of the geobiosphere, 2. Springer, New York
Zakharyeva OI, Soskov YD (1981) Chromosome numbers in desert herbage plants. Bull NI Vavilov Inst Pl Indus 108:57–60
Zhu GL, Sanderson SC (2017) Genera and a new evolutionary system of world chenopodiaceae. Science press, Beijing
Acknowledgements
This study was supported by the ERANETMED2-72-303 PACTORES project financed by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research of Tunisia and University of Malta (Argotti Botanic Gardens) and by projects 2017SGR1116 (Catalan government) and CGL2017-84297-R (Spanish government). Màrius Mumbrú and Chari González (Universitat de Barcelona) are thanked for their assistance in flow cytometric measurements. The authors thank Dr. Mohamed Tarhouni, senior lecturer and coordinator of the project “PACTORES,” Dr. Imed Sbissi, researcher at Arid Regions Institute and Dr. Sònia Garcia, researcher at Botanical Institute of Barcelona, for their help in prospection and discussion aspects, which improved the manuscript.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.
Additional information
Handling Editor: Hanna Schneeweiss.
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Electronic supplementary material
Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.
Information on Electronic Supplementary Material
Information on Electronic Supplementary Material
Online Resource 1. Flow cytometry data illustration: fluorescence histograms of Atriplex mollis and A. lanfrancoi with Pisum sativum as standard: (a) A. mollis and P. sativum, (b) A. lanfrancoi and P. sativum.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Tlili, A., Gouja, H., Vallès, J. et al. Chromosome number and genome size in Atriplex mollis from southern Tunisia and Atriplex lanfrancoi from Malta (Amaranthaceae). Plant Syst Evol 306, 11 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00606-020-01643-1
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00606-020-01643-1