Genetic Diversity in Sporophytic Apomictic Neotropical Savanna Trees: Insights from <i>Eriotheca</i> and <i>Handroanthus</i> Agamic Complexes
Apomictic populations, which produce seeds with embryos without proper sexual syngamy, often show low genetic diversity, but eventually, such diversity has been reported to be surprisingly high. We studied here the genetic diversity in agamic complexes of <i>Eriotheca crenulata</i> (comb...
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2025-03-01
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| author | Rafaela Cabral Marinho Mariana Gonçalves Mendes Clesnan Mendes-Rodrigues Ana Maria Bonetti Eduardo Leite Borba Paulo Eugênio Oliveira Diana Salles Sampaio |
| author_facet | Rafaela Cabral Marinho Mariana Gonçalves Mendes Clesnan Mendes-Rodrigues Ana Maria Bonetti Eduardo Leite Borba Paulo Eugênio Oliveira Diana Salles Sampaio |
| author_sort | Rafaela Cabral Marinho |
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| description | Apomictic populations, which produce seeds with embryos without proper sexual syngamy, often show low genetic diversity, but eventually, such diversity has been reported to be surprisingly high. We studied here the genetic diversity in agamic complexes of <i>Eriotheca crenulata</i> (comb. n. <i>E. gracilipes</i>), <i>E. pubescens</i> (Malvaceae-Bombacoideae), and <i>Handroanthus ochraceus</i> (Bignoniaceae), tropical tree species from the savannas in Central Brazil. We evaluated the genetic diversity and structure of self-fertile polyploid sporophytic apomicts versus self-sterile diploid or tetraploid sexual populations by using dominant ISSR markers. Genetic diversity was either similar or even higher in apomictic populations of <i>E. crenulata</i> and <i>E. pubescens</i>, but the opposite was observed in some populations of <i>H. ochraceus</i>. Only two individuals of <i>E. pubescens</i> showed identical ISSR profiles, so strict clonality in adult individuals was very rare among the studied trees. The genetic variability was notably higher within populations than among populations of <i>H. ochraceus</i> and very similar among and within populations of <i>Eriotheca</i> species. Ordination, clustering, and Bayesian analyses showed a clear distinction between populations of <i>Eriotheca</i> species with different breeding systems. But for <i>H. ochraceus</i>, a sexual population was actually grouped with the apomictics. As in other studies, eventual sexual and recombination events seem to increase genetic diversity in apomictic populations. This may explain the similar genetic diversity among apomictic and sexual populations in the studied agamic complexes and the virtual absence of strict clonal individuals. The results have evolutionary and ecological consequences for the threatened Neotropical savanna trees. |
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| spelling | doaj-art-63a3e4299fcf4de985bd3c9ed2a7a1bb2025-08-20T03:13:58ZengMDPI AGDiversity1424-28182025-03-0117425410.3390/d17040254Genetic Diversity in Sporophytic Apomictic Neotropical Savanna Trees: Insights from <i>Eriotheca</i> and <i>Handroanthus</i> Agamic ComplexesRafaela Cabral Marinho0Mariana Gonçalves Mendes1Clesnan Mendes-Rodrigues2Ana Maria Bonetti3Eduardo Leite Borba4Paulo Eugênio Oliveira5Diana Salles Sampaio6Institute of Biology, Federal University of Uberlândia (UFU), Uberlândia 38408-100, Minas Gerais, BrazilInstituto de Biotecnologia, Federal University of Uberlândia (UFU), Uberlândia 38408-100, Minas Gerais, BrazilFaculty of Medicine, Federal University of Uberlândia, Uberlândia 38408-100, Minas Gerais, BrazilInstituto de Biotecnologia, Federal University of Uberlândia (UFU), Uberlândia 38408-100, Minas Gerais, BrazilDepartment of Botany, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Minas Gerais, BrazilInstitute of Biology, Federal University of Uberlândia (UFU), Uberlândia 38408-100, Minas Gerais, BrazilInstitute of Biology, Federal University of Uberlândia (UFU), Uberlândia 38408-100, Minas Gerais, BrazilApomictic populations, which produce seeds with embryos without proper sexual syngamy, often show low genetic diversity, but eventually, such diversity has been reported to be surprisingly high. We studied here the genetic diversity in agamic complexes of <i>Eriotheca crenulata</i> (comb. n. <i>E. gracilipes</i>), <i>E. pubescens</i> (Malvaceae-Bombacoideae), and <i>Handroanthus ochraceus</i> (Bignoniaceae), tropical tree species from the savannas in Central Brazil. We evaluated the genetic diversity and structure of self-fertile polyploid sporophytic apomicts versus self-sterile diploid or tetraploid sexual populations by using dominant ISSR markers. Genetic diversity was either similar or even higher in apomictic populations of <i>E. crenulata</i> and <i>E. pubescens</i>, but the opposite was observed in some populations of <i>H. ochraceus</i>. Only two individuals of <i>E. pubescens</i> showed identical ISSR profiles, so strict clonality in adult individuals was very rare among the studied trees. The genetic variability was notably higher within populations than among populations of <i>H. ochraceus</i> and very similar among and within populations of <i>Eriotheca</i> species. Ordination, clustering, and Bayesian analyses showed a clear distinction between populations of <i>Eriotheca</i> species with different breeding systems. But for <i>H. ochraceus</i>, a sexual population was actually grouped with the apomictics. As in other studies, eventual sexual and recombination events seem to increase genetic diversity in apomictic populations. This may explain the similar genetic diversity among apomictic and sexual populations in the studied agamic complexes and the virtual absence of strict clonal individuals. The results have evolutionary and ecological consequences for the threatened Neotropical savanna trees.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/17/4/254BignoniaceaeCerradogenetic variabilityMalvaceaepolyploid apomictssporophytic apomixis |
| spellingShingle | Rafaela Cabral Marinho Mariana Gonçalves Mendes Clesnan Mendes-Rodrigues Ana Maria Bonetti Eduardo Leite Borba Paulo Eugênio Oliveira Diana Salles Sampaio Genetic Diversity in Sporophytic Apomictic Neotropical Savanna Trees: Insights from <i>Eriotheca</i> and <i>Handroanthus</i> Agamic Complexes Diversity Bignoniaceae Cerrado genetic variability Malvaceae polyploid apomicts sporophytic apomixis |
| title | Genetic Diversity in Sporophytic Apomictic Neotropical Savanna Trees: Insights from <i>Eriotheca</i> and <i>Handroanthus</i> Agamic Complexes |
| title_full | Genetic Diversity in Sporophytic Apomictic Neotropical Savanna Trees: Insights from <i>Eriotheca</i> and <i>Handroanthus</i> Agamic Complexes |
| title_fullStr | Genetic Diversity in Sporophytic Apomictic Neotropical Savanna Trees: Insights from <i>Eriotheca</i> and <i>Handroanthus</i> Agamic Complexes |
| title_full_unstemmed | Genetic Diversity in Sporophytic Apomictic Neotropical Savanna Trees: Insights from <i>Eriotheca</i> and <i>Handroanthus</i> Agamic Complexes |
| title_short | Genetic Diversity in Sporophytic Apomictic Neotropical Savanna Trees: Insights from <i>Eriotheca</i> and <i>Handroanthus</i> Agamic Complexes |
| title_sort | genetic diversity in sporophytic apomictic neotropical savanna trees insights from i eriotheca i and i handroanthus i agamic complexes |
| topic | Bignoniaceae Cerrado genetic variability Malvaceae polyploid apomicts sporophytic apomixis |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/17/4/254 |
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