Impatienshambaeksanensis (Balsaminaceae), a new species from South Korea.

A new species Impatienshambaeksanensis from Gangwon-do, South Korea, is described and illustrated, based on its morphology and distribution. I.hambaeksanensis is different from I.furcillata, another similar Impatiens species in South Korea, in some ways: I.hambaeksanensis possesses a serrate leaf margin with flat tooth tip, while I.furcillata possesses a crenate leaf margin with erect tooth tip; it has an erect inflorescence, while I.furcillata has a pendulous inflorescence; it has a smaller flower which is 2-2.6 cm long, while I.furcillata has a flower of 2.3-3.2 cm; the flower is white or pinkish-white with yellowish and purplish spots, while I.furcillata has a white lower sepal and pinkish-white lateral united petals with yellowish spots; the distal part of the lower sepal is mostly not coiled or rarely 1-coiled, while that of I.furcillata is never coiled; the spur tip is expanded, round and slightly biparted, while that of I.furcillata is expanded, ellipsoidal and clearly biparted. A taxonomic description, a holotype and photos of morphological characteristics of the new species are provided. A table which includes the morphological comparison and a geographical distribution map are presented as well.

Phylogeographic analysis of Saxifraga fortunei complex (Saxifragaceae) reveals multiple origins of morphological and ecological variations in the Japanese Archipelago.

Phenotypic polymorphism within a species is a notable phenomenon in evolutionary biology to understand the process of adaptive speciation and other historical events. The Saxifraga fortunei complex is a widespread herb found in East Asia. It includes several ecotypic taxa corresponding to their habitat environments. The distribution of the various ecotypes in a limited area of the Japanese Archipelago makes the species a suitable model to investigate the impact of population demographic history and natural selection on lineage diversification. Here, Sanger-based sequencing was used to estimate the divergence timeframe between populations of the Eurasian continent and Japan. Genome-wide SNPs obtained by ddRAD sequencing were used to investigate the phylogeographic origins of ecotypic taxa. The phylogenetic analyses revealed the divergence of the Japanese population from the continental population in the late Miocene. Two distinct regional clades of North and South Japan were identified; phenotypic diversification was evident only in the southern clade. The South Japan clades displayed a historical distribution expansion from north to south. The phenotypic variations appeared to have generated during the expansion. The ecotypic boundaries were incongruent with the genetic grouping. We propose that morphological and ecological specialization in Japanese populations was repeatedly generated by local natural selection.

Porcine LMNA Is a Positional Candidate Gene Associated with Growth and Fat Deposition.

Crosses between Korean and Landrace pigs have revealed a large quantitative trait loci (QTL) region for fat deposition in a region (89 cM) of porcine chromosome 4 (SSC4). To more finely map this QTL region and identify candidate genes for this trait, comparative mapping of pig and human chromosomes was performed in the present study. A region in the human genome that corresponds to the porcine QTL region was identified in HSA1q21. Furthermore, the LMNA gene, which is tightly associated with fat augmentation in humans, was localized to this region. Radiation hybrid (RH) mapping using a Sus scrofa RH panel localized LMNA to a region of 90.3 cM in the porcine genome, distinct from microsatellite marker S0214 (87.3 cM). Two-point analysis showed that LMNA was linked to S0214, SW1996, and S0073 on SSC4 with logarithm (base 10) of odds scores of 20.98, 17.78, and 16.73, respectively. To clone the porcine LMNA gene and to delineate the genomic structure and sequences, including the 3'untranslated region (UTR), rapid amplification of cDNA ends was performed. The coding sequence of porcine LMNA consisted of 1,719 bp, flanked by a 5'UTR and a 3'UTR. Two synonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified in exons 3 and 7. Association tests showed that the SNP located in exon 3 (A193A) was significantly associated with weight at 30 wks (p<0.01) and crude fat content (p<0.05). This association suggests that SNPs located in LMNA could be used for marker-assisted selection in pigs.