Potential of Sorghum Seeds in Alleviating Hyperglycemia, Oxidative Stress, and Glycation Damage.

Diabetes mellitus, characterized by dysregulated glucose metabolism, oxidative stress, and the formation of advanced glycation end products, poses a significant global health burden. In this study, we explored the potential of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) seeds, known for their abundant phytochemical composition, as a natural remedy for diabetes and its associated damage. High-performance liquid chromatography/high-resolution mass spectrometry analysis revealed a remarkable phenolic richness in sorghum grains, including gallic acid, quercetin, and the predominant procyanidin B-1, with ecotype-specific variations in flavonoid distribution. Elemental analysis by ICP showed an abundance of macro-elements (Ca, K, Mg), trace elements (Fe, Mn, Si, Zn), and ultra-trace elements (B, Co, Cr, Cu, Mo, Se, V) essential for human health, supporting its therapeutic and nutritional potential. Additionally, the results demonstrated variable total phenolic contents (188-297 mg GAE/g dE) and total flavonoid contents (66-78 mg QE/g dE), with corresponding differences in antioxidant activities across the five ecotypes. Treatment with sorghum seed extract (SE1) significantly reduced oxidative stress markers, such as malondialdehyde (MDA)by 40% and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) by 63%, in diabetic mice, compared to untreated diabetic controls. Moreover, sorghum extracts exhibited a remarkable increase in antioxidant enzyme activities, including a 50% increase in superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and a 60% increase in glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity, indicating their potential to bolster antioxidant defenses against diabetes-induced oxidative stress. These findings underscore the therapeutic potential of sorghum seeds in diabetes management and prevention, paving the way for the development of functional foods with enhanced health benefits.

Chromosome-Scale Assembly and Annotation of Eight Arabidopsis thaliana Ecotypes.

The plant Arabidopsis thaliana is a model system used by researchers through much of plant research. Recent efforts have focused on discovering the genomic variation found in naturally occurring ecotypes isolated from around the world. These ecotypes have come from diverse climates and therefore have faced and adapted to a variety of abiotic and biotic stressors. The sequencing and comparative analysis of these genomes can offer insight into the adaptive strategies of plants. While there are a large number of ecotype genome sequences available, the majority were created using short-read technology. Mapping of short-reads containing structural variation to a reference genome bereft of that variation leads to incorrect mapping of those reads, resulting in a loss of genetic information and introduction of false heterozygosity. For this reason, long-read de novo sequencing of genomes is required to resolve structural variation events. In this article, we sequenced the genomes of eight natural variants of A. thaliana using nanopore sequencing. This resulted in highly contiguous assemblies with >95% of the genome contained within five contigs. The sequencing results from this study include five ecotypes from relict and African populations, an area of untapped genetic diversity. With this study, we increase the knowledge of diversity we have across A. thaliana ecotypes and contribute to ongoing production of an A. thaliana pan-genome.

High cadmium-accumulating Salix ecotype shapes rhizosphere microbiome to facilitate cadmium extraction.

Cadmium (Cd) contamination poses a significant threat to agricultural soils and food safety, necessitating effective remediation strategies. Salix species, with their high coverage and Cd accumulating capacity, hold promise for remediation efforts. The rhizosphere microbiome is crucial for enhancing Cd accumulating capacity for Salix. However, the mechanisms by how Salix interacts with its rhizosphere microbiome to enhance Cd extraction remains poorly understood. In this study, we compared the remediation performance of two Salix ecotypes: 51-3 (High Cd-accumulating Ecotype, HAE) and P646 (Low Cd-accumulating Ecotype, LAE). HAE exhibited notable advantages over LAE, with 10.80 % higher plant height, 43.80 % higher biomass, 20.26 % higher Cd accumulation in aboveground tissues (93.09 µg on average), and a superior Cd translocation factor (1.97 on average). Analysis of the rhizosphere bacterial community via 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing revealed that HAE harbored a more diverse bacterial community with a distinct composition compared to LAE. Indicator analysis identified 84 genera specifically enriched in HAE, predominantly belonging to Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Firmicutes, including beneficial microbes such as Streptomyces, Bacillus, and Pseudomonas. Network analysis further elucidated three taxa groups specifically recruited by HAE, which were highly correlated with functional genes that associated with biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, glycan biosynthesis and metabolism, and metabolism of cofactors and vitamins. These functions contribute to enhancing plant growth, Cd uptake, and resistance to Cd in Salix. Overall, our findings highlight the importance of the rhizosphere microbiome in facilitating Cd extraction and provide insights into microbiome-based strategies for sustainable agricultural practices.

Morpho-physiological and yield traits for selection of drought tolerant Urochloa grass ecotypes.

Drought has become more recurrent and causes a substantial decline in forage yields leading to strain on feed resources for livestock production. This has intensified the search for drought-tolerant forages to promote sustainable livestock production. The objective of this study was to identify drought-tolerant Urochloa grasses and to discern their morpho-physiological and yield traits to water stress as well as the relationship between these traits and indices of drought resistance. The results showed that the ecotypes, water regimes and their interaction significantly influenced all the studied morpho-physiological and yield traits. There was a significant decrease in plant height, number of leaves and tillers, dry matter yield, relative water content, photosystem II and efficiency of photosystem II with an increase in non-photochemical quenching. The principal component analysis revealed that the performance of Urochloa grass ecotypes was different under water sufficient (WS) and water deficit conditions. Drought tolerance indicators (mean productivity, geometric mean productivity, tolerance index and stress tolerance index) were most effective in identifying Urochloa ecotypes with high biomass production under both water deficient and WS conditions. Ecotypes K17, K7, Kisii, Busia and Kakamega were the most drought tolerant, Basilisk, K6, K10, K19 and Toledo were moderately tolerant whereas, CIAT6385, CIAT16449, K13, K5 and K9 were drought sensitive. The five drought-tolerant Urochloa ecotypes should be tested for sustainable biomass production under field conditions and used in breeding programmes to develop high-yielding drought-tolerant varieties.

Salt tolerance in a neotropical orchid in the absence of local adaptation to salt spray.

PREMISE: Salt tolerance has rarely been investigated regionally in the neotropics and even more rarely in Orchidaceae, one of the largest families. Therefore, investigating local adaptation to salt spray and its physiological basis in Epidendrum fulgens, a neotropical orchid species, brings important new insights. METHODS: We assessed the degree of salt tolerance in E. fulgens by testing whether coastal populations are more tolerant to salt, which could point to local adaptation. To understand the physiological basis of such salt tolerance, we exposed wild-collected individuals to salt spray for 60 days, then measured leaf expansion, osmotic potential, sodium leaf concentration, chlorophyll leaf index, chlorophyll fluorescence, relative growth rate, and pressure-volume curves. RESULTS: There is no local adaptation to salt spray since both inland and coastal plants have a high tolerance to salt stress. This tolerance is explained by the ability to tolerate high concentrations of salt in leaf tissues, which is related to the high succulence displayed by this species. CONCLUSIONS: We showed an unprecedented salt tolerance level for an orchid species, highlighting our limited knowledge of that trait beyond the traditional studied groups. Another interesting finding is that salt tolerance in E. fulgens is linked to succulence, is widespread, and is not the result of local adaptation. We suggest that E. fulgens and its allied species could be an interesting group to explore the evolution of important traits related to tolerance to salt stress, like succulence.

An ecotype-specific effect of osmopriming and melatonin during salt stress in Arabidopsis thaliana.

BACKGROUND: Natural populations of Arabidopsis thaliana exhibit phenotypic variations in specific environments and growth conditions. However, this variation has not been explored after seed osmopriming treatments. The natural variation in biomass production and root system architecture (RSA) was investigated across the Arabidopsis thaliana core collection in response to the pre-sawing seed treatments by osmopriming, with and without melatonin (Mel). The goal was to identify and characterize physiologically contrasting ecotypes. RESULTS: Variability in RSA parameters in response to PEG-6000 seed osmopriming with and without Mel was observed across Arabidopsis thaliana ecotypes with especially positive impact of Mel addition under both control and 100 mM NaCl stress conditions. Two ecotypes, Can-0 and Kn-0, exhibited contrasted root phenotypes: seed osmopriming with and without Mel reduced the root growth of Can-0 plants while enhancing it in Kn-0 ones under both control and salt stress conditions. To understand the stress responses in these two ecotypes, main stress markers as well as physiological analyses were assessed in shoots and roots. Although the effect of Mel addition was evident in both ecotypes, its protective effect was more pronounced in Kn-0. Antioxidant enzymes were induced by osmopriming with Mel in both ecotypes, but Kn-0 was characterized by a higher responsiveness, especially in the activities of peroxidases in roots. Kn-0 plants experienced lower oxidative stress, and salt-induced ROS accumulation was reduced by osmopriming with Mel. In contrast, Can-0 exhibited lower enzyme activities but the accumulation of proline in its organs was particularly high. In both ecotypes, a greater response of antioxidant enzymes and proline accumulation was observed compared to mechanisms involving the reduction of Na+ content and prevention of K+ efflux. CONCLUSIONS: In contrast to Can-0, Kn-0 plants grown from seeds osmoprimed with and without Mel displayed a lower root sensitivity to NaCl-induced oxidative stress. The opposite root growth patterns, enhanced by osmopriming treatments might result from different protective mechanisms employed by these two ecotypes which in turn result from adaptive strategies proper to specific habitats from which Can-0 and Kn-0 originate. The isolation of contrasting phenotypes paves the way for the identification of genetic factors affecting osmopriming efficiency.

Intraspecific variation in pollination ecology due to altitudinal environmental heterogeneity.

Plant-pollinator interactions are constrained by floral traits and available pollinators, both of which can vary across environmental gradients, with consequences for the stability of the interaction. Here, we quantified how the pollination ecology of a high-mountain hummingbird-pollinated plant changes across a progressively more stressful environmental gradient of the Venezuelan Andes. We compared pollination ecology between two populations of this plant: Piedras Blancas (PB) and Gavidia (GV), 4450 and 3600 m asl, respectively. We hypothesised that self-compatibility might be higher at the higher altitude site, however we found that flowers showed similar capacities for self-compatibility in both localities. Seed production by flowers exposed to natural pollinators was significantly higher in the lower locality, where we also found higher nectar quality, larger flowers and increased frequencies of pollinator visitations. Interestingly, the population energy offered in the nectar was the same for both localities due to the higher density and floral aggregation found in the higher altitude population. Our study demonstrates how two plant populations in different environmental conditions have different pollination ecology strategies. Pollinator visitations or their absence result in trait associations in one population that are independent in the other. These population differences are not explained by differences in pollinator assembly, but by environmental heterogeneity.

Arsenic uptake by Agrostis capillaris, as related to its genotypic diversity in the area of historical ore mining and processing.

Common bentgrass Agrostis capillaris L. is known as tolerant to toxic elements. A hypothesis was examined that its ecotypes growing in historically polluted sites show a limited arsenic uptake and have genetic features that distinguish them from commercially available cultivars. The study was conducted in Zloty Stok, a historical area of arsenic mining. Additionally, two commercial cultivars were grown in pots with arsenic-rich soils. Based on arsenic concentrations in plant roots and shoots, bioconcentration and translocation factors BCF and TF were calculated. Commercial cultivars indicated many times higher BCF shoots and TF values compared to field plants. DNA analysis of leaf blades showed a clear distinction between the plants growing in some sites and patches in the field, and also a gene overlap between the plants in the field and commercial forms. The research did not allow for identification of ecotypes with exceptionally limited arsenic uptake. Moreover, there were no significant differences between the genotypic characteristics of plants growing in polluted sites and those poorly tolerant grown from commercially available seeds. Apparently, other factors, and not genetically determined features, are responsible for A. capillaris tolerance to arsenic in Zloty Stok.

Identifying potential provenances for climate-change adaptation using spatially variable coefficient models.

BACKGROUND: Selection of climate-change adapted ecotypes of commercially valuable species to date relies on DNA-assisted screening followed by growth trials. For trees, such trials can take decades, hence any approach that supports focussing on a likely set of candidates may save time and money. We use a non-stationary statistical analysis with spatially varying coefficients to identify ecotypes that indicate first regions of similarly adapted varieties of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirbel) Franco) in North America. For over 70,000 plot-level presence-absences, spatial differences in the survival response to climatic conditions are identified. RESULTS: The spatially-variable coefficient model fits the data substantially better than a stationary, i.e. constant-effect analysis (as measured by AIC to account for differences in model complexity). Also, clustering the model terms identifies several potential ecotypes that could not be derived from clustering climatic conditions itself. Comparing these six identified ecotypes to known genetically diverging regions shows some congruence, as well as some mismatches. However, comparing ecotypes among each other, we find clear differences in their climate niches. CONCLUSION: While our approach is data-demanding and computationally expensive, with the increasing availability of data on species distributions this may be a useful first screening step during the search for climate-change adapted varieties. With our unsupervised learning approach being explorative, finely resolved genotypic data would be helpful to improve its quantitative validation.

A systematic review on the prospects of X- and Y-sexed semen in ruminant livestock: implications for conservation, a South African perspective.

South Africa is home to numerous indigenous and locally developed sheep (Nguni Pedi, Zulu, and Namaqua Afrikaner, Afrino, Africander, Bezuidenhout Africander, Damara, Dorper, Döhne Merino, Meat Master, South African Merino, South African Mutton Merino, Van Rooy, and Dorper), goat (SA veld, Tankwa, Imbuzi, Bantu, Boer, and Savanna) and cattle (Afrigus, Afrikaner, Bolowana, Bonsmara, Bovelder, Drakensberger, South African Angus, South African Dairy Swiss, South African Friesland, South African Red, and Veld Master) animals. These breeds require less veterinary service, feed, management efforts, provide income to rural and or poor owners. However, most of them are under extinction risks and some with unknown status hence, require immediate conservation intervention. To allow faster genetic progress on the endangered animals, it is important to generate productive animals while reducing wastages and this can be achieved through sex-sorted semen. Therefore, this systematic review is aimed to evaluate the prospects of X and Y-sexed semen in ruminant livestock and some solutions that can be used to address poor sex-sorted semen and its fertility. This review was incorporated through gathering and assessing relevant articles and through the data from the DAD-IS database. The keywords that were used to search articles online were pre-gender selection, indigenous ecotypes, fertility, flow cytometry, artificial insemination, conservation, and improving sexed semen. Following a careful review of all articles, PRISMA guidelines were used to find the articles that are suitable to address the aim of this review. Sex-sorted semen is a recently introduced technology gaining more attention from researchers particularly, in the conservation programs. Preselection of semen based on the sex chromosomes (X- and or Y-bearing chromosomes) is of paramount importance to obtain desired sex of the offspring and avoid animal wastage as much as possible. However, diverse factors can affect quality of semen of different animal species especially after sex-sorting. Flow cytometry is a common method used to select male and female sperm cells and discard dead and abnormal sperm cells during the process. Thus, sperm sexing is a good advanced reproductive technology (ART) however, it is associated with the production of oxidative stress (OS) and DNA fragmentation (SDF). These findings, therefore, necessitates more innovation studies to come up with a sexing technology that will protect sperm cell injuries during sorting in frozen-thawed.

Metabolomic profiling of wild rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) ecotypes and their antioxidant-derived phytopharmaceutical potential.

INTRODUCTION: Aspalathus linearis (commonly known as rooibos) is endemic to the Cape Floristic Region of South Africa and is a popular herbal drink and skin phytotherapeutic ingredient, with health benefits derived primarily from its unique phenolic content. Several, seemingly habitat-specific ecotypes from the Cederberg (Western Cape) and Northern Cape have morphological, ecological, genetic and biochemical differences. OBJECTIVES AND METHODS: Despite the commercial popularity of the cultivated variety, the uncultivated ecotypes are largely understudied. To address gaps in knowledge about the biochemical constituency, ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of fifteen populations was performed, enabling high-throughput metabolomic fingerprinting of 50% (v/v) methanolic extracts. Antioxidant screening of selected populations was performed via three assays and antimicrobial activity on two microbial species was assessed. The metabolomic results were corroborated with total phenolic and flavonoid screening of the extracts. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Site-specific chemical lineages of rooibos ecotypes were confirmed via multivariate data analyses. Important features identified via PLS-DA disclosed higher relative abundances of certain tentative metabolites (e.g., rutin, aspalathin and apiin) present in the Dobbelaarskop, Blomfontein, Welbedacht and Eselbank sites, in comparison to other locations. Several unknown novel metabolites (e.g., m/z 155.0369, 231.0513, 443.1197, 695.2883) are responsible for metabolomic separation of the populations, four of which showed higher amounts of key metabolites and were thus selected for bioactivity analysis. The Welbedacht and Eselbank site 2 populations consistently displayed higher antioxidant activities, with 2,2-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging activities of 679.894 ± 3.427 µmol Trolox/g dry matter and 635.066 ± 5.140 µmol Trolox/g dry matter, respectively, in correlation with a high number of phenolic and flavonoid compounds. The contribution of the individual metabolites to the pharmacological effectiveness of rooibos remains unknown and as such, further structural elucidation and phytopharmacological testing is thus urgently needed.

Mitochondrial Variation of Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) from the Canary Islands Suggests a Key Population for Conservation with High Connectivity within the North-East Atlantic Ocean.

In recent decades, worldwide cetacean species have been protected, but they are still threatened. The bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) is a vulnerable keystone species and a useful bioindicator of the health and balance of marine ecosystems in oceans all over the world. The genetic structure of the species is shaped by their niche specialization (along with other factors), leading to the classification of two ecotypes: coastal and pelagic. In this study, the genetic diversity, population structure, and ecotypes of bottlenose dolphins from the Canary Islands were assessed through the analysis of 49 new samples from biopsies and from stranded animals using the 636 bp portion of the mitochondrial control region and 343 individuals from databases (n = 392). The results reveal high genetic diversity in Canarian bottlenose dolphins (Hd = 0.969 and π = 0.0165) and the apparent lack of population genetic structure within this archipelago. High genetic structure (Fst, Φst) was found between the Canary Islands and coastal populations, while little to no structure was found with the pelagic populations. These results suggest that Canarian bottlenose dolphins are part of pelagic ecotype populations in the North Atlantic. The studied Special Areas of Conservation in the Canary Islands may correspond to a hotspot of genetic diversity of the species and could be a strategic area for the conservation of the oceanic ecotype of bottlenose dolphins.

Genetic architecture of body weight, carcass, and internal organs traits of Ghanaian local chickens.

Information on the genetic architecture of the production traits of indigenous African chicken is limited. We performed a genome-wide association study using imputed Affymetrix Axiom® 600K SNP-chip genotypes on 1,113 chickens from three agroecological zones of Ghana. After quality control, a total of 382,240 SNPs remained. Variance components and heritabilities for some growth, carcass and internal organ traits were estimated. The genetic and phenotypic correlations among these traits were also estimated. The estimated heritabilities of body weight at week 22 (BW22), average daily gain (ADG), dressed weight, breast weight, thigh weight, wing weight, drumstick weight, and neck weight were high and ranged from 0.50 to 0.69. Estimates of heritabilities for head weight, shank weight, and gizzard weight were moderate (0.31-0.35) while those of liver weight, back weight, dressing percentage, and heart weight were low (0.13-0.21). The estimated heritabilities of dressed weight, breast weight, wing weight, drumstick weight, neck weight, shank weight, and gizzard weight, corrected for BW22, were moderate (0.29-0.38), while the remaining traits had low heritability estimates (0.13-0.21). A total of 58 1-Mb SNP windows on chromosomes 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 13, 18, and 33 each explained more than 1% of the genetic variance for at least one of these traits. These genomic regions contained many genes previously reported to have effects on growth, carcass, and internal organ traits of chickens, including EMX2, CALCUL1, ACVR1B, CACNB1, RB1, MLNR, FOXO1, NCARPG, LCORL, LAP3, LDB2, KPNA3, and CAB39L. The moderate to high heritability estimates and high positive genetic correlations suggest that BW22, ADG, dressed weight, breast weight, thigh weight, wing weight, drumstick weight, and neck weight could be improved through selective breeding.

Population genetics of Sida fallax Walp. (Malvaceae) in the Hawaiian Islands.

Introduction: Sida fallax (Malvaceae) is the most widespread and variable taxon of Malvaceae in the Hawaiian Islands, growing with a diversity of morphological forms in different habitats including Midway Atoll, Nihoa, and all the main islands. Morphological variation exists within and among populations. The study aimed to investigate the genetic variation within and among populations from various habitats and geographic locations throughout the Hawaiian range of S. fallax. Methods: A total of 124 samples, with up to five samples per population where possible, were collected from 26 populations across six of the main Hawaiian Islands (Kaua'i, O'ahu, Maui, Moloka'i, Lana'i, and Hawai'i) and Nihoa in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. The sampling strategy encompassed collecting populations from different habitats and geographic locations, including coastal and mountain ecotypes, with many intermediate morphological forms. Multiplexed ISSR genotyping by sequencing (MIG-seq) was used to detect single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) and genetic differences among individuals and populations were evaluated using PCO analyses. Results: The relationship of FST with the geographical distance between the populations was assessed using the Mantel test. The results showed that populations on a single island were more closely related to each other and to populations on islands within their respective groups than they were to populations on other islands. Discussion: The overall genetic relationships among islands were, to a large extent, predictive based on island position within the chain and, to a lesser extent, within island topography.

Targeted metabolite profiling of Salvia rosmarinus Italian local ecotypes and cultivars and inhibitory activity against Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum.

Introduction: The development of agriculture in terms of sustainability and low environmental impact is, at present, a great challenge, mainly in underdeveloped and marginal geographical areas. The Salvia rosmarinus "Eretto Liguria" ecotype is widespread in Liguria (Northwest Italy), and farmers commonly use it by for cuttings and for marketing. In the present study, this ecotype was characterized in comparison with other cultivars from the same geographical region and Campania (Southern Italy), with a view to application and registration processes for the designation of protected geographical indications. Moreover, the possibility of using the resulting biomass after removing cuttings or fronds as a source of extracts and pure compounds to be used as phytosanitary products in organic farming was evaluated. Specifically, the potential of rosemary extracts and pure compounds to prevent soft rot damage was then tested. Methods: A targeted NMR metabolomic approach was employed, followed by multivariate analysis, to characterize the rosemary accessions. Bacterial soft rot assay and disk diffusion test were carried out to evaluate the activity of extracts and isolated compounds against Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum. Enzymatic assay was performed to measure the in vitro inhibition of the pectinase activity produced by the selected pathogen. Molecular docking simulations were used to explore the possible interaction of the selected compounds with the pectinase enzymes. Results and Discussion: The targeted metabolomic analysis highlighted those different geographical locations can influence the composition and abundance of bioactive metabolites in rosemary extracts. At the same time, genetic factors are important when a single geographical area is considered. Self-organizing maps (SOMs) showed that the accessions of "Eretto Liguria" appeared well characterized when compared to the others and had a good content in specialized metabolites, particularly carnosic acid. Soft rotting Enterobacteriaceae belonging to the Pectobacterium genus represent a serious problem in potato culture. Even though rosemary methanolic extracts showed a low antibacterial activity against a strain of Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum in the disk diffusion test, they showed ability in reducing the soft rot damage induced by the bacterium on potato tissue. 7-O-methylrosmanol, carnosol and isorosmanol appeared to be the most active components. In silico studies indicated that these abietane diterpenoids may interact with P. carotovorum subsp. carotovorum pectate lyase 1 and endo-polygalacturonase, thus highlighting these rosemary components as starting points for the development of agents able to prevent soft rot progression.

Diverse pathways to speciation revealed by marine snails.

Speciation is a key evolutionary process that is not yet fully understood. Combining population genomic and ecological data from multiple diverging pairs of marine snails (Littorina) supports the search for speciation mechanisms. Placing pairs on a one-dimensional speciation continuum, from undifferentiated populations to species, obscured the complexity of speciation. Adding multiple axes helped to describe either speciation routes or reproductive isolation in the snails. Divergent ecological selection repeatedly generated barriers between ecotypes, but appeared less important in completing speciation while genetic incompatibilities played a key role. Chromosomal inversions contributed to genomic barriers, but with variable impact. A multidimensional (hypercube) approach supported framing of questions and identification of knowledge gaps and can be useful to understand speciation in many other systems.

Conservation genomics of wolves: The global impact of RK Wayne's research.

RK Wayne has arguably been the most influential geneticist of canids, famously promoting the conservation of wolves in his homeland, the United States. His influence has been felt in other countries and regions outside the contiguous United States, where he inspired others, also including former graduate students and research fellows of his, to use modern molecular techniques to examine the evolutionary biology of canids to inform the conservation and management of wolves. In this review, we focus on the implications of Wayne's work on wolves outside the United States. He envisioned a clear future for wolf conservation research, involving the study of wolves' ecological and genetic diversity, and the description of ecotypes requiring conservation. He also documented widespread hybridization among canids and introgression of DNA from domestic dogs to wolves, a process that started dozens of thousands of years ago. His work therefore calls for innovative studies, such as examining the potential fitness benefits of introgression. Inspired by his results, for example, on the purging of deleterious alleles in small populations, wolf researchers should use novel molecular tools to challenge other conservation genetics paradigms. Overall, RK Wayne's work constitutes a call for answers, which as scientists or citizens concerned with conservation matters, we are obliged to address, as we contribute to monitoring and maintaining biodiversity during our period of dramatic transformations of the biosphere.

Differential capacity of phragmites ecotypes in remediation of inorganic contaminants in coastal ecosystems: Implications for climate change.

Remediating inorganic pollutants is an important part of protecting coastal ecosystems, which are especially at risk from the effects of climate change. Different Phragmites karka (Retz) Trin. ex Steud ecotypes were gathered from a variety of environments, and their abilities to remove inorganic contaminants from coastal wetlands were assessed. The goal is to learn how these ecotypes process innovation might help reduce the negative impacts of climate change on coastal environments. The Phragmites karka ecotype E1, found in a coastal environment in Ichkera that was impacted by residential wastewater, has higher biomass production and photosynthetic pigment content than the Phragmites karka ecotypes E2 (Kalsh) and E3 (Gatwala). Osmoprotectant accumulation was similar across ecotypes, suggesting that all were able to successfully adapt to polluted marine environments. The levels of both total soluble sugars and proteins were highest in E2. The amount of glycine betaine (GB) rose across the board, with the highest levels being found in the E3 ecotype. The study also demonstrated that differing coastal habitats significantly influenced the antioxidant activity of all ecotypes, with E1 displaying the lowest superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, while E2 exhibited the lowest peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT) activities. Significant morphological changes were evident in E3, such as an expansion of the phloem, vascular bundle, and metaxylem cell areas. When compared to the E3 ecotype, the E1 and E2 ecotypes showed striking improvements across the board in leaf anatomy. Mechanistic links between architectural and physio-biochemical alterations are crucial to the ecological survival of different ecotypes of Phragmites karka in coastal environments affected by climate change. Their robustness and capacity to reduce pollution can help coastal ecosystems endure in the face of persistent climate change.

Divergence and gene flow history at two large chromosomal inversions underlying ecotype differentiation in the long-snouted seahorse.

Chromosomal inversions can play an important role in divergence and reproductive isolation by building and maintaining distinct allelic combinations between evolutionary lineages. Alternatively, they can take the form of balanced polymorphisms that segregate within populations until one arrangement becomes fixed. Many questions remain about how inversion polymorphisms arise, how they are maintained over the long term, and ultimately, whether and how they contribute to speciation. The long-snouted seahorse (Hippocampus guttulatus) is genetically subdivided into geographic lineages and marine-lagoon ecotypes, with shared structural variation underlying lineage and ecotype divergence. Here, we aim to characterize structural variants and to reconstruct their history and suspected role in ecotype formation. We generated a near chromosome-level genome assembly and described genome-wide patterns of diversity and divergence through the analysis of 112 whole-genome sequences from Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Black Sea populations. By also analysing linked-read sequencing data, we found evidence for two chromosomal inversions that were several megabases in length and showed contrasting allele frequency patterns between lineages and ecotypes across the species range. We reveal that these inversions represent ancient intraspecific polymorphisms, one likely being maintained by divergent selection and the other by pseudo-overdominance. A possible selective coupling between the two inversions was further supported by the absence of specific haplotype combinations and a putative functional interaction between the two inversions in reproduction. Lastly, we detected gene flux eroding divergence between inverted alleles at varying levels for the two inversions, with a likely impact on their dynamics and contribution to divergence and speciation.

Nickel oxide nanoparticles induce cell wall modifications, root anatomical changes, and nitrosative signaling in ecotypes of Ni hyperaccumulator Odontarrhena lesbiaca.

The industrial application and environmental release of nickel oxide NPs (NiO NPs) is increasing, but the details of their relationship with plants are largely unknown. In this work, the cellular, tissue, organ, and molecular level responses of three ecotypes of Ni hyperaccumulator Odontarrhena lesbiaca grown in the presence of high doses of NiO NP (250 mg/L and 500 mg/L) were studied. All three ecotypes showed a similar accumulation of Ni in the presence of nano Ni, and in the case of NiO NPs, the root-to-shoot Ni translocation was slighter compared to the bulk Ni. In all three ecotypes, the walls of the root cells effectively prevented internalization of NiO NPs, providing cellular defense against Ni overload. Exposure to NiO NP led to an increase in cortex thickness and the deposition of lignin-suberin and pectin in roots, serving as a tissue-level defense mechanism against excessive Ni. Exposure to NiO NP did not modify or cause a reduction in some biomass parameters of the Ampeliko and Loutra ecotypes, while it increased all parameters in Olympos. The free salt form of Ni exerted more negative effects on biomass production than the nanoform, and the observed effects of NiO NPs can be attributed to the release of Ni ions. Nitric oxide and peroxynitrite levels were modified by NiO NPs in an ecotype-dependent manner. The changes in the abundance and activity of S-nitrosoglutathione reductase protein triggered by NiO NPs suggest that the enzyme is regulated by NiO NPs at the post-translational level. The NiO NPs slightly intensified protein tyrosine nitration, and the slight differences between the ecotypes were correlated with their biomass production in the presence of NiO NPs. Overall, the Odontarrhena lesbiaca ecotypes exhibited tolerance to NiO NPs at the cellular, tissue, organ/organism and molecular levels, demonstrating various defense mechanisms and changes in the metabolism of reactive nitrogen species metabolism and nitrosative protein modification.