Genetic variation within and among populations of Rhodiola alsia (Crassulaceae) native to the Tibetan Plateau as detected by ISSR markers

Genetic variation of 10 Rhodiola alsia ( Crassulaceae) populations from the Qinghai - Tibet Plateau of China was investigated using intersimple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers. R. alsia is an endemic species of the Qinghai - Tibet Plateau. Of the 100 primers screened, 13 were highly polymorphic. Using these primers, 140 discernible DNA fragments were generated with 112 (80%) being polymorphic, indicating pronounced genetic variation at the species level. Also there were high levels of polymorphism at the population level with the percentage of polymorphic bands (PPB) ranging from 63.4 to 88.6%. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) showed that the genetic variation was mainly found among populations (70.3%) and variance within populations was 29.7%. The main factors responsible for the high level of differentiation among populations are probably the isolation from other populations and clonal propagation of this species. Occasional sexual reproduction might occur in order to maintain high levels of variation within populations. Environmental conditions could also influence population genetic structure as they occur in severe habitats. The strong genetic differentiation among populations in our study indicates that the conservation of genetic variability in R. alsia requires maintenance of as many populations as possible.

青藏高原紫花针茅与青藏苔草的遗传多样性及克隆格

青藏高原是世界上最高的高原，被称为“地球第三极”，环境条件相当严酷。本研究通过ISSR标记的方法研究青藏高原两种相对克隆构型的克隆植物紫花针茅（Stipa purpurea Griseb.）和青藏苔草（Carex moorcroftii Falc. ex Boott）不同种群的遗传多样性及克隆格局，在分子水平上揭示两种植物对极端环境适应的机理。主要结果如下： 与其它针茅属植物相比，紫花针茅各种群平均遗传多样性相对较低，其遗传变异主要存在于种群之内;与其它苔草属植物相比，青藏苔草各种群平均遗传多样性也较低，而总的遗传多样性较高，其遗传变异主要存在于种群之间。紫花针茅各种群平均遗传多样性高于青藏苔草各种群平均遗传多样性，尽管差异不显著。紫花针茅和青藏苔草各种群间具有较高的遗传分化。 紫花针茅具有与其它分蘖型克隆植物相当的克隆多样性，说明有性生殖在其生活史中起着重要作用。青藏苔草具有与其它克隆植物相当的克隆多样性，而与北极地区苔草属植物相比，其克隆多样性则较低。 Pearson相关显示，紫花针茅遗传多样性与纬度、经度均成显著负相关，而与海拔高度相关关系不显著;青藏苔草克隆多样性及遗传多样性与纬度、经度、海拔高度均不相关，而克隆多样性与遗传多样性的比值则与纬度显著相关。唐古拉山对紫花针茅遗传格局未产生显著影响，山南北地区遗传多样性无显著差别;唐古拉山对青藏苔草遗传格局产生了重要影响，唐古拉山南北地区基因交流有显著隔离，唐古拉山以北地区种群遗传多样性显著高于以南地区，推测其种群自北向南迁移过程中的瓶颈效应起着重要作用。青藏苔草种群的克隆多样性与遗传多样性成显著正相关。Mantel test检验显示，紫花针茅和青藏苔草的地理距离与遗传距离间的关系均不显著。 紫花针茅以分蘖生长的方式由源株向外扩展，有明确、致密的边界，野外观察和室内检测的结果显示其环上其它基株也可进行生长成活，可形成一种克隆环镶嵌格局，克隆环或其边界可能是幼苗定居有利的生境;空间自相关也显示在较小的尺度内紫花针茅遗传相关性强，推测克隆繁殖在其中也起重要作用。青藏苔草种群不同尺度的取样其克隆多样性不同，小面积（1 × 1 m2）的克隆多样性均小于大面积的（10 × 10 m2），空间自相关也显示克隆生长在其中起重要作用;尽管青藏苔草有较强的克隆生长能力，在环境条件较好时其呈密集分布，表现出较强的可塑性。 总之，尽管青藏高原环境非常严酷，紫花针茅与青藏苔草仍有较高水平的克隆多样性和一定的遗传多样性;高原严酷的环境造成了两种植物较大的遗传隔离。紫花针茅环状结构对其有性更新有重要作用，青藏苔草克隆生长具有较大可塑性，这些都是植物对高原严酷环境的适应形式。

克隆植物东方草莓对异质生境的适应对策

克隆植物被认为比非克隆植物更宜于利用异质性环境。在复杂的空间异质环境中，克隆植物可能形成了各种有效利用环境异质性的适应对策。对于克隆植物适应机制的研究，前人已做了大量的工作，特别是从形态和生物量分配等方面对简单异质生境下克隆植物的克隆整合和克隆分工进行了详细的研究。本研究以分布广泛的克隆植物东方草莓（Fragaria orientalis）作为研究对象，应用野外调查和实验生态学方法，采用多对比度单资源模型和不同向双资源模型，从形态和生理生态的角度，研究复杂异质生境下克隆植物的整合和分工及其耗益问题，分析不同类型的生境对克隆植物整合和分工的修饰作用，进而探讨克隆植物对异质生境的适应策略。克隆构型和分株种群特征是植物克隆生长及其生态适应对策研究的基本内容。本文通过野外调查，研究在不同光照条件下东方草莓克隆构型、分株种群特征以及点分布格局。结果表明：东方草莓的克隆构型随光照发生相应的变化，低光照下其匍匐茎节间长和分枝角度均增大而分枝强度减小；随光照减弱，东方草莓分株种群的生物量、根冠比和分株种群密度显著降低；不同光照下东方草莓分株均以随机分布为主但不同尺度下有所差异，其分布格局强度依次为旷地<林缘<林下。结合克隆植物对资源的利用对策，探讨了克隆构型和分株种群特征以及分布格局随环境条件变化的生态适应意义。不同生境斑块条件下克隆植物可能采取不同的适应对策。采用盆栽实验，研究不同水分对比度下克隆整合及其生理生态特征，并对单向和交互资源中东方草莓的克隆整合做了对比研究。结果显示：高的水分对比度能够促进东方草莓的克隆整合，并能刺激相连分株增加光合作用，东方草莓体内的氧化—抗氧化系统也II随对比度做出相应的反应。耗-益分析表明胁迫分株的受益是以供给分株的损耗为代价的，但从克隆片段总体来说是受益的。单向资源中东方草莓生长的绝对值高于交互资源，但耗-益分析表明生长于交互资源下东方草莓的克隆整合获益大于生长于单向资源下东方草莓的克隆整合获益。长期生长于特定生境的克隆植物，在进化过程中其克隆整合和克隆分工在对资源异质性的适应策略方面可能有所侧重。采用盆栽实验对来自不同海拔梯度的东方草莓的克隆整合和克隆分工对异质资源的适应对策进行了研究。实验结果表明，来自高海拔的东方草莓可塑性较差。来自两个海拔的东方草莓对切断匍匐茎的表现有所差异，总体上切断匍匐茎对来自高海拔的东方草莓影响更大些。另外，来自高海拔的东方草莓表现出更高的克隆分工。IIIClonal plants are known to be more suitable for the habitats of heterogeneousresources than nonclonal plants, perhaps due to their well developed adaptivestrategies to environmental heterogeneity. Many studies have been done on theadaptive mechanisms of clonal plants, especially on the clonal integration anddivision of labor with morphology and biomass allocation under simpleheterogeneous habitats. Based on field surveys, laboratory experiments, multi-contrastunidirectional resource model and reciprocal resource model, Fragaria orientalis, aRosaceae stoloniferous herb that widely distributes in China, was used to study thisplant’s morphological and physiological responses to complicated heterogeneoushabitats in terms of its clonal integration, division of labor and cost-benefit, as well astheir modifications by different habitats, so as to better understand the adaptivestrategies of clonal plants under heterogeneous environments.Clonal architecture and ramet population characteristics are of the major concernin the studies on growth and adaptive strategies of clonal plants. Clonal architecture,ramet population characteristics and spatial point pattern of F. orientalis underdifferent light intensity were studied with field observations. The results showed that,clonal architecture changed with light availability: Internode-lengths and branchangels of stolons were larger while branch intensities were smaller under lower lightintensity than those under higher light intensity; Biomass of ramet population,root-shoot ratio and density of ramet population decreased significantly with reduce oflight intensity; Under all light intensities, spatial pattern of ramets was mainlyrandomly distributed but it changed with different scales, with pattern intensity as:open space < forest edge < understory. Adaptation significance of the clonal architecture, the ramet population characteristics and the spatial pattern changing withdifferent environments was discussed according to these results.Clonal plants may take different adaptive strategies under different patches. Withpot culture, clonal integration and physiological parameters of F. orientalis underdifferent water contrasts were studied, and clonal integration under unilateralresources and reciprocal resources were also compared. The results suggested that,high water contrast improve the clonal integration of F. orientalis and increase thephotosynthesis of connected ramets. Oxidative and antioxidative system of F.orientalis also responded with changing water contrasts. According to cost-benefitanalysis, the drought-stressed ramets obtained benefits from the connectedwell-watered ramets, and as a whole, the clonal fragment could also get benefits.Growth of F. orientalis in homogeneous resources was better than that inheterogeneous resources, but the whole plant got more benefit through clonalintegration in heterogeneous resources than in homogeneous resources.Pot culture experiments were also used to study the adaptive strategies inutilizing heterogeneous resources by the plant populations from different altitudes.The results showed that, F. orientalis from alpine zones were shorter and lessexpanded with poorer clonal plasticity than those from middle mountains. F.orientalis from two different altitudes showed different responses to stolon severing,and as a whole, stolon severing had more influence on F. orientalis from alpine zones.In addition, F. orientalis from alpine zones exhibited higher division of labor, whichsuggested that clonal plants from different habitats develop their own adaptivemechanisms in their clonal integration and division of labor in response toenvironmental heterogeneity.

Screening of salt tolerant watercress variants on natural seawater contained medium

The responses of stem segments of watercress (Nasturtium officinale R. Br.) to 6-BA,NAA and 2,4-D were studied. MS medium supplemented with 2.0 mg/L 6-BA, 0.2 mg/L 2,4-D was used for callus initiation and maintenance. MS medium supplemented with 4.0 mg/L 6-BA was suitable for plant regeneration and MS medium without plant hormone supplement was used for rooting and plant propagation. For screening of salt tolerant calli, stem segments of watercress were plated onto callus initiation medium containing 1/3 natural seawater. Seventeen out of the 325 plated explants produced calli. The growth curves demonstrated that the growth rate of salt-tolerant calli on saline medium almost matched that of the control calli on normal medium. Some of the salt-tolerant calli were transferred to the normal regeneration medium or saline regeneration medium to induce plant regeneration. In the first case, buds and shoots were regenerated in the same way as those of control calli on normal regeneration medium. More than 1 000 regenerated shoots were obtained of which 83 regenerated shoots were cut and transferred to saline MS base medium. At first, all shoot growth was inhibited, but 40 days after the transfer, rapid-growing axillary shoots were observed on 16 of the original shoots but none on the control shoots on saline MS base medium. Moreover, green spots appeared on most calli 10 days after they were transferred to saline medium, however buds appeared only on 5 calli from the 30 transferred calli and at the end only 2 rapid-growing shoots were obtained from two calli. In total, 18 variant lines were obtained through. propagation of the salt-tolerant shoots on saline MS base medium. RAPD analysis was performed in 10 of the 18 salt-tolerant variant lines and DNA variation was detected in all the tested variant lines.