Phylogeny, origin and dispersal of Saussurea (Asteraceae) based on chloroplast genome data.

Saussurea is one of the largest genera of the tribe Cardueae of Asteraceae, comprising about 460 species from the Northern Hemisphere with most species distributed in QTPss and adjacent areas. Here, we established a well-supported phylogenetic framework for Saussurea based on whole chloroplast genomes of 136 taxa plus 16 additional taxa of Cardueae using Bayesian inference and Maximum Likelihood. Our phylogenetic results are inconsistent with previous subgeneric classifications of Saussurea. We nearly completely delimited subgen. Eriocoryne, and found that subgen. Theodorea, subgen. Saussurea section Laguranthera and Rosulascentes are closely related to each other. Based on our phylogenetic results, we performed biogeographic analyses and inferred that the genus Saussurea arose during early-middle Miocene within the Hengduan Mountains. We expect that landscape heterogeneity within the QTPss and adjacent areas, such as the Hengduan Mountains, played an important role in the evolution of Saussurea. Following its evolutionary origin, the genus underwent rapid diversification in situs and dispersed northwards in several migrational patterns. Both continuous uplift of the QTPss and adjacent areas as well as global cooling since mid-Miocene probably led to geographic expansion and diffusion of Saussurea, with the latter, in particular, resulting in the northward dispersal.

New Saussurea (Asteraceae) species from Bogeda Mountain, eastern Tianshan, China, and inference of its evolutionary history and medical usage.

In this study, Saussurea bogedaensis Yu-J. Wang & Jie Chen, a new species from Bogeda Mountain in the eastern part of the Tianshan Mountains, is described and discussed based on evidence in terms of both morphological and genetic data. S. bogedaensis is morphologically similar to S. involucrata, which is distributed in the western part of the Tianshan Mountains, and it is well known because of its beauty, rarity, and medicinal value. The new species is also similar to S. orgaadayi, which is distributed in the nearby Altai Mountains. Our genetic data support the close relationships among these three species. According to their allopathic distributions, we suggest that these three species are derived from the same ancestor but that they differentiated after reaching their current range. In addition, we propose that the new species might serve as an alternative to S. involucrata in medicine due to their very high similarity. However, this species appears to be rare because we only found six mature individuals in the field despite extensive investigations.

The Root-Associated Microbial Community of the World's Highest Growing Vascular Plants.

Upward migration of plants to barren subnival areas is occurring worldwide due to raising ambient temperatures and glacial recession. In summer 2012, the presence of six vascular plants, growing in a single patch, was recorded at an unprecedented elevation of 6150 m.a.s.l. close to the summit of Mount Shukule II in the Western Himalayas (Ladakh, India). Whilst showing multiple signs of stress, all plants have managed to establish stable growth and persist for several years. To learn about the role of microbes in the process of plant upward migration, we analysed the root-associated microbial community of the plants (three individuals from each) using microscopy and tagged amplicon sequencing. No mycorrhizae were found on the roots, implying they are of little importance to the establishment and early growth of the plants. However, all roots were associated with a complex bacterial community, with richness and diversity estimates similar or even higher than the surrounding bare soil. Both soil and root-associated communities were dominated by members of the orders Sphingomonadales and Sphingobacteriales, which are typical for hot desert soils, but were different from communities of temperate subnival soils and typical rhizosphere communities. Despite taxonomic similarity on the order level, the plants harboured a unique set of highly dominant operational taxonomic units which were not found in the bare soil. These bacteria have been likely transported with the dispersing seeds and became part of the root-associated community following germination. The results indicate that developing soils act not only as a source of inoculation to plant roots but also possibly as a sink for plant-associated bacteria.

Microsatellite markers for Saussurea gnaphalodes (Asteraceae), a native Himalayan mountain species.

PREMISE OF THE STUDY: Microsatellite markers were developed in Saussurea gnaphalodes to investigate its genetic variation and population structure. METHODS AND RESULTS: Using the combined biotin capture method, 46 microsatellite primer sets were isolated and characterized across 48 S. gnaphalodes individuals from three Tibetan populations. Seventeen of these markers showed polymorphism, and the number of alleles ranged from two to 17. The observed and expected heterozygosities per population ranged from 0 to 0.938 and from 0 to 0.905, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: These markers provide a useful tool to investigate the genetic diversity and population structure of S. gnaphalodes, and to facilitate further studies on conservation and utilization.

[Effects of nutrient and light on seedlings morphological plasticity of four Saussurea species with different ecological breadth].

Taking four Saussurea species with different ecological breadth in the eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau as test materials, their seedlings relative growth rate (RGR), root mass to shoot mass ratio (R/S), and specific leaf area (SLA) were determined under different nutrient and light treatments. The results showed that nutrient and light had significant effects on the seedlings RGR, R/S and SLA of the four Saussurea species, and there existed a certain interactive effect between nutrient and light. The plasticity of these morphological characteristics and their response patterns to the variation of nutrient and light conditions varied with species. Significant interactive effects (P < 0.001) between light, nutrient, and species were observed on the R/S and SLA of Saussurea. For the four Saussurea species, the mean phenotypic plasticity index of their seedlings was positively correlated with their ecological distribution, being the highest (0.71) for S. japonica, the best widespread species in the four species. The morphological plasticity of Saussurea species was positively related to their distribution ecological breadth.

[Cloning and sequence analysis of MYB transcriptional regulator SmP gene of Saussurea medusa Maxim].

A full-length cDNA encoding a MYB-related regulatory gene was isolated from a cDNA library prepared from mRNAs of the red line callus of S. medusa by TD-PCR. The cDNA, designated SmP, is 969 nucleotides long and has an open reading frame of 771 bp with a deduced amino acid sequence of 256 residues. The putative protein of SmP has two typical conversed R2R3-Myb DNA-binding domains in N-terminal and displays a rather high degree of similarity to OsMYB from rice and LBMI from tobacco, showing 73% and 70% identity within the DNA-binding domains. However, the C-terminal domain of the SmP protein does not show obvious similarity to any other known protein sequence. It is rich in hydrophilic amino acids, especially in serine residues (18.38%), partly organized in homopolymeric stretches, a feature often found in activation domain of transcription factors.

[Determination of syringin and rutin in 11 species of Saussurea by high performance liquid chromatography].

Zorbax ODS column and gradient elution of acetonitrile-acetic acid solution as mobile phase were employed to determine the content of syringin and rutin in 11 species of Saussurea by RP-HPLC. The detection wavelength was 260 nm. The results showed that standard curves of syringin and rutin were linear in the range of 0.0525 microgram-1.05 micrograms and 0.0658 microgram-1.32 micrograms, respectively. The correlation coefficients were 0.9988 and 0.9999. The method provides new indices for quality control of Saussurea.

[A survey on botanical origins of drug Xue Lianhua produced in China].

OBJECTIVE: Based on an to investigation and identification of commercial samples to find out the original species and resources of Xue Lianhua. METHOD: Botanical and macroscopical identification. RESULT: The main original species of the plant are Saussurea involucrata, S. medusa, S. gossypiphora, S. polylada, S. laniceps, S. tridactyla, S. gnaphaloides, S. kingii, S. obvallata, S. tangutica, S. globosa, S. longifolia, Soroseris erysimoides, So. glomerata and So. umbrella. CONCLUSION: The flower and stem of S. involucrata and S. polylada and the whole herb of S. medusa and S. gossypiphora are used as Xue Lianhua in most areas of China.