Gymnosperm Families Research Articles

Mobilization and transfer of nine macro-and micronutrients to Pinus greggii seedlings via arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi

Traditionally, it is thought that arbuscular mycorrhizae establish a symbiosis with the roots of numerous angiosperm and some gymnosperm families. However, the mobilization and transfer of macro- and micronutrients to Pinaceae via arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) has not been reported so far. The present work evaluated whether arbuscular mycorrhizae are able to establish, mobilize, and transfer nutrients in the neotropical species of Pinaceae, Pinus greggii . Seedlings were inoculated with 3 AMF consortia isolated from an agricultural site, a Cupressus lusitanica forest and a Pinus hartwegii forest. Evidence of mobilization and transfer of macro- and micronutrients in plants inoculated with the 3 consortia was evaluated. A greater Mg, Mn, and Zn mobilization and transfer was observed in plants inoculated with the pine forest AMF consortium after 7 months. In addition to these positive effects, AMF root colonization of 10 to 15% and 21 to 36% was observed depending on the AMF consortia after 2 and 7 months. In the present work, we report for the first time that AMF mobilize and transfer N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, and B to a member of Pinaceae, indicating that this mycorrhizal symbiosis is more complex than previously believed.

Nematicidal Activity of Essential Oils on a Psychrophilic Panagrolaimus sp. (Nematoda: Panagrolaimidae).

Essential oils (EOs) have historically been used for centuries in folk medicine, and nowadays they seem to be a promising control strategy against wide spectra of pathogens, diseases, and parasites. Studies on free-living nematodes are scarce. The free-living microbivorous nematode Panagrolaimus sp. was chosen as the test organism. The nematode possesses extraordinary biological properties, such as resistance to extremely low temperatures and long-term survival under minimal metabolic activity. Fifty EOs from 22 plant families of gymnosperms and angiosperms were tested on Panagrolaimus sp. The aims of this study were to investigate the in vitro impact of EOs on the psychrophilic nematode Panagrolaimus sp. in a direct contact bioassay, to list the activity of EOs based on median lethal concentration (LC50), to determine the composition of the EOs with the best nematicidal activity, and to compare the activity of EOs on Panagrolaimus sp. versus plant parasitic nematodes. The results based on the LC50 values, calculated using Probit analysis, categorized the EOs into three categories: low, moderate and highly active. The members of the laurel family, i.e., Cinnamomum cassia and C. burmannii, exhibited the best nematicidal activity. Aldehydes were generally the major chemical components of the most active EOs and were the chemicals potentially responsible for the nematicidal activity.

A fast, flexible and inexpensive protocol for DNA and RNA extraction for forest trees

Aim of the study: DNA and RNA extraction are still one of the most important and challenging steps of many molecular genetics applications such as Next-Generation Sequencing technologies. In this study, traditional laboratory preparation protocols and commercially available nucleic acids extraction kits’ features were combined into a procedure suitable for extraction of either DNA or RNA in 96-well plate format at high throughput.Area of study: The study covers forest tree species from the United States of America.Materials and methods: The DNA and RNA protocol were tested on 27 species, including especially recalcitrant forest tree species, from five angiosperm and three gymnosperm families. DNA was also extracted from stored (from 2 to 6 years) silica-dried samples of 11 species of Pinaceae.Main results: The spectrophotometric analysis of DNA and RNA showed that gymnosperms yielded lower quantity, but higher quality nucleic acids than angiosperms which have variable results among species. The quantity and quality of DNA from stored samples were generally lower than fresh silica-dried samples. The RNA results showed high-enough yield (6.6 to 8.8 RIN) for downstream analyses.Research highlights: It was demonstrated that high quality and high molecular weight nucleic acids for Next-Generation Sequencing applications can be isolated from hundreds of samples from a wide range of taxonomic groups. The new protocol has features similar to both traditional laboratory and commercial extraction kits; is easy to set up in any molecular research laboratory, can be applied to a large number of samples (hundreds) in a working day, uses inexpensive reagents and supplies, and is compatible with automation.Key words: Angiosperms; gymnosperms; isolation protocol; nucleic acids.

Quantitative Ethnobotanical Study of Indigenous Knowledge on Medicinal Plants Used by the Tribal Communities of Gokand Valley, District Buner, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.

The current study on the traditional use of medicinal plants was carried out from February 2018 to March 2020, in Gokand Valley, District Buner, Pakistan. The goal was to collect, interpret, and evaluate data on the application of medicinal plants. Along with comprehensive notes on individual plants species, we calculated Use Value (UV), Relative Frequency of Citation (RFC), Use Report (UR), Fidelity Level (FL), Informant Consensus Factor (FCI), as well as Family Importance Value (FIV). During the current study, a total of 109 species belonging to 64 families were reported to be used in the treatment of various ailments. It included three families (four species) of Pteridophytes, 58 families (99 species) of angiosperm, one family (three species) of Gymnosperms, and two families (three species) of fungi. The article highlights the significance of domestic consumption of plant resources to treat human ailments. The UV varied from 0.2 (Acorus calamus L.) to 0.89 (Acacia modesta Wall.). The RFC ranged from 0.059 (Acorus calamus L. and Convolvulus arvensis L.) to 0.285 (Acacia modesta Wall.). The species with 100% FL were Acacia modesta Wall. and the fungus Morchella esculenta Fr., while the FCI was documented from 0 to 0.45 for gastro-intestinal disorders. The conservation ranks of the medicinal plant species revealed that 28 plant species were vulnerable, followed by rare (25 spp.), infrequent (17 spp.), dominant (16 spp.), and 10 species endangered. The traditional use of plants needs conservation strategies and further investigation for better utilization of natural resources.

Ethnobotanical notes on a lesser known Gymnosperm family Taxaceae of Himalayan regions in India, adjoining countries and in South-East Asia

Ethnobotanical notes on a lesser known Gymnosperm family Taxaceae of Himalayan regions in India, adjoining countries and in South-East Asia

Polyploidy in gymnosperms – Insights into the genomic and evolutionary consequences of polyploidy in Ephedra

While polyploidization is recognized as a major evolutionary driver for ferns and angiosperms, little is known about its impact in gymnosperms, where polyploidy is much less frequent. We explore Ephedra to evaluate (i) the extent of genome size diversity in the genus and the influence polyploidy has had on the evolution of nuclear DNA contents, and (ii) identify where shifts in genome size and polyploidy have occurred both temporally and spatially. A phylogenetic framework of all Ephedra species together with genome sizes and karyotypes for 87% and 67% of them respectively, were used to explore ploidy evolution and its global distribution patterns. Polyploidy was shown to be extremely common, with 41 species (83%) being polyploid (up to 8×) or having polyploid cytotypes – the highest frequency and level reported for any gymnosperm. Genome size was also diverse, with values ranging ~5-fold (8.09–38.34 pg/1C) – the largest range for any gymnosperm family – and increasing in proportion to ploidy level (i.e. no genome downsizing). Our findings provide novel data which support the view that gymnosperms have a more conserved mode of genomic evolution compared with angiosperms.

Palynological Characteristics of Miocene Deposits from the Submarine Yamato Rise (Sea of Japan)

Four heterochronous spore and pollen complexes (SPC) have been identified in the deposits of the submarine Yamato Rise: SPC-1 (Early Miocene), SPC-2 (the end of Early and the beginning of the Middle Miocene), SPC-3 (Middle–Late Miocene), and SPC-4 (Late Miocene). Pollen of various woody plants dominates in SPC-1; the families of gymnosperms (Pinaceae) also prevail in this complex. The climate was moderate and humid because of the proximity to the water area. The complex SPC-2 differs from SPC-1 in the highly increased role of thermophile angiosperms due to the impact of the climatic optimum between the Early and Middle Miocene. The complex SPC-3 is distinguished by the diversity and predominance of broad-leaved woody plants. Gymnosperms are mainly represented by pine families. The composition of palynoflora points to a dissected relief and the burial of pollen not far from the places of its growth. Gymnosperms with a predominance of the Taxodiaceae family are characteristic of SPC-4. The SPC-4 composition is indicative of humid habitat conditions, marshy shoreland, and pollen burial in places of plants growth. The climate was moderate and humid. Palynological investigation suggests the existence of a dry land in the area of the current Yamato Rise throughout the Miocene. The relief was highly dissected and mountainous in the Early and early Middle Miocene; then, the relief roughness and firm-land area reduced dramatically.

Evolutionary history of fire-stimulated resprouting, flowering, seed release and germination.

Fire has shaped the evolution of many plant traits in fire-prone environments: fire-resistant tissues with heat-insulated meristems, post-fire resprouting or fire-killed but regenerating from stored seeds, fire-stimulated flowering, release of on-plant-stored seeds, and germination of soil-stored seeds. Flowering, seed release and germination fit into three categories of response to intensifying fire: fire not required, weakly fire-adapted or strongly fire-adapted. Resprouting also has three categories but survival is always reduced by increasing fire intensity. We collated 286 records for 20 angiosperm and two gymnosperm families and 50 trait assignments to dated phylogenies. We placed these into three fire-adapted trait types: those associated with the origin of their clade and the onset of fire-proneness [primary diversification, contributing 20% of speciation events over the last 120millionyears (My)], those originating much later coincident with a change in the fire regime (secondary diversification, 30%), and those conserved in the daughter lineage as already adapted to the fire regime (stabilisation, 50%). All four fire-response types could be traced to >100My ago (Mya) with pyrogenic flowering slightly younger because of its dependence on resprouting. There was no evidence that resprouting was always an older trait than either seed storage or non-sprouting throughout this period, with either/both ancestral or derived in different clades and times. Fire-adapted traits evolved slowly in the Cretaceous, 120-65Mya, and rapidly but fitfully in the Cenozoic, 65-0Mya, peaking over the last 20My. The four trait-types climaxed at different times, with the peak in resprouter speciation over the last 5My attributable to fluctuating growing conditions and increasing savanna grasslands unsuitable for non-sprouters. All experienced a trough in the 40-30-Mya period following a reduction in world temperatures and oxygen levels and expected reduced fire activity. Thick bark and serotiny arose in the Mid-Cretaceous among extant Pinaceae. Heat-stimulated germination of hard seeds is ancestral in the 103-My-old Fabales. Smoke-(karrikin)-stimulated germination of non-hard seeds is even older, and includes the 101-My-old Restionaceae-Anarthriaceae. A smoke/karrikin response is detectable in some fire-free lineages that prove to have a fire-prone ancestry. Among clades that are predominantly fire-prone, absence of fire-related traits is the advanced condition, associated either with increased fire frequency (loss of serotiny and soil storage), or migration to fire-free habitats (loss of thick bark, pyrogenic flowering, serotiny or soil storage). Protea (Africa) and Hakea (Australia) illustrate the importance of stabilisation processes between resprouting/non-sprouting in accounting for speciation events over the last 20My and highlight the frequent interchange possible between these two traits. Apart from Pinus, most ancestral trait reconstruction relative to fire has been conducted on predominantly Southern Hemisphere clades and this needs to be redressed. Despite these limitations, it is clear that fire has had a profound effect on fire-related trait evolution worldwide, and set the platform for subsequent evolution of many non-fire-related traits. Genetics of the triggering mechanisms remain poorly understood, except the karrikin system for smoke-stimulated germination. We exhort biologists to include fire-proneness and fire-related traits in their thinking on possible factors controlling the evolution of plants.

Phylogenomics resolves the deep phylogeny of seed plants and indicates partial convergent or homoplastic evolution between Gnetales and angiosperms.

After decades of molecular phylogenetic studies, the deep phylogeny of gymnosperms has not been resolved, and the phylogenetic placement of Gnetales remains one of the most controversial issues in seed plant evolution. To resolve the deep phylogeny of seed plants and to address the sources of phylogenetic conflict, we conducted a phylotranscriptomic study with a sampling of all 13 families of gymnosperms and main lineages of angiosperms. Multiple datasets containing up to 1 296 042 sites across 1308 loci were analysed, using concatenation and coalescence approaches. Our study generated a consistent and well-resolved phylogeny of seed plants, which places Gnetales as sister to Pinaceae and thus supports the Gnepine hypothesis. Cycads plus Ginkgo is sister to the remaining gymnosperms. We also found that Gnetales and angiosperms have similar molecular evolutionary rates, which are much higher than those of other gymnosperms. This implies that Gnetales and angiosperms might have experienced similar selective pressures in evolutionary histories. Convergent molecular evolution or homoplasy is partially responsible for the phylogenetic conflicts in seed plants. Our study provides a robustly reconstructed backbone phylogeny that is important for future molecular and morphological studies of seed plants, in particular gymnosperms, in the light of evolution.

Petrographical and organic geochemical study of the lignite from the Smederevsko Pomoravlje field (Kostolac Basin, Serbia)

Three Upper Miocene (Pontian) lignite seams are present in the Smederevsko Pomoravlje field (Kostolac Basin, Serbia). The origin of their organic matter (OM), the characteristics of the depositional environment and certain utilisation properties have been evaluated based on petrographic data, bulk organic geochemical parameters, biomarker patterns and their isotope signatures. Moreover, results of isotopic analysis were used for the investigation of the influence of diagenetic aromatisation on δ13C signatures of biomarkers.The studied lignites are typical humic coals. The OM of lignites is derived from woody vegetation and herbaceous peat-forming plants, with a strong prevalence of the former. The peat-forming vegetation is dominated by decay resistant conifers, including gymnosperm families Cupressaceae, Taxodiaceae, and Pinaceae. Angiosperms occurred in lower amounts. Minor contribution of ferns, fungi and emergent aquatic macrophyta to the biomass is also evident. Chemoautotrophic- and heterotrophic bacteria played an import role during diagenesis. Diagenetic alterations, associated with change in the number of carbon atoms, influence δ13C ratios. Diagenetic aromatisation of di- and non-hopanoid triterpenoids is accompanied with 13C depletion, whereas aromatisation of hopanoids displays the opposite trend.Peatification proceeded in a fresh water environment under variable, anoxic to slightly oxic redox conditions. The lowermost coal seam III accumulated in a topogenous fresh water peat mire with open water areas, which changed occasionally into a wet forest swamp. This resulted in the deposition of mineral-rich coal. The characteristics of lignite in coal seam II are similar to those of coal seam III. This is supported also by generally similar δ13C values of individual biomarkers. Coal seam I is dominated by xylite-rich coal, formed under mesotrophic to ombrotrophic conditions. Rapid flooding of the bogs stopped peat growth in all three coal seams. The ratios of ring-A-degraded and non-degraded aromatic diterpenoids and non-hopanoid triterpenoids, proposed in this study, as well as degree of aromatisation of these biomarkers, reflect changes in the water table.Calorific values of the samples indicate that they meet basic requirements for utilisation in the thermal power plants. None of the lignite samples is suitable for coal briquetting, whereas, based on petrographic data, lignite from coal seam I possesses certain potential for fluidized bed gasification.

Phylogenetic Classification of Seed Plants of Taiwan

BackgroundBiological classification, the hierarchical arrangement of scientific names of organisms, constitutes the core infrastructure of biological databases. For an efficient management of biological databases, adopting a stable and universal biological classification system is crucial. Currently in Taiwan Biodiversity Information Facility (TaiBIF; http://taibif.tw/), the national portal website that integrates Taiwan’s biodiversity information databases, angiosperms are arranged according to Cronquist’s System of Classification, which is not compatible with current trend of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (APG) classification. To consolidate the function and management of the database, TaiBIF is moving to adopt the APG IV classification and Christenhusz et al. (Phytotaxa 19:55–70, 2011)’s classification of gymnosperms, which we summarize as the Phylogenetic Classification of Seed Plants of Taiwan.ResultsThe Phylogenetic Classification of Seed Plants of Taiwan places gymnosperms in five families [vs. eight families in the Flora of Taiwan (FOT)] and angiosperms in 210 families (vs. 193 families in FOT). Three FOT gymnosperm families are synonymized in current treatment. Of the 210 APG IV families, familial circumscriptions of 114 families are identical with FOT and 50 families are recircumscription of FOT, with 46 families newly added. Of the 29 FOT families not included in current classification, two families are excluded and 27 families are synonymized.ConclusionsThe adoption of the Phylogenetic Classification of Seed Plants of Taiwan in TaiBIF will provide better service and efficient management of the nation’s biodiversity information databases.

Endemic plants for medicine use in China

Based on plant species databases, species lists and literature records, general situation of the Chinese medicinal endemic plant (vascular plant) has been systematically summarized, and its quantity and distribution characteristics of Chinese medicinal endemic plants are presented in this paper. The results showed that 3 150 endemic species are Chinese medicinal plants belonging to 785 genera in 153 families, which includes 38 species of 22 genera in 12 families of pteridophyta, 42 species of 14 genera in7 families of gymnosperms, and 3 070 species of 749 genara in 134 families of angiosperms. The top four families involving medicinal endemic species are Asteraceae (218 species), Ranunculaceae (182 species), Labiatae (151 species), and Liliaceae (133 species). The top four provincial administration distributed medicinal endemic species are Sichuan (1 568 species), Yunnan (1 533 species), Guizhou (955 species) and Hubei (930 species).On the regional scale, the most abundant one is the southwest region (2 465 species), followed by the central region (1 226 species) and the northwest region (949 species). Localization characteristics for domestication and artificial cultivation of medicinal endemic species are more prominent due to their narrower and limited distribution areas, indicating it is possible for these species acting as local potential resource for reasonable economic development.

Insect pollinators collect pollen from wind‐pollinated plants: implications for pollination ecology and sustainable agriculture

Abstract Current research, management and outreach programmes relevant to insect pollinator conservation are strongly focused on relationships between pollinators and insect‐pollinated crops and wild plants. Pollinators also visit wind‐pollinated plants to collect pollen, or for nest sites and materials, but these interactions are largely overlooked. I review documented records of bee and syrphid fly species collecting pollen from wind‐pollinated plant taxa, including economically important crops, and provide the most comprehensive collation of peer‐reviewed records of pollinators visiting wind‐pollinated plants to date. I argue for more basic research into functional relationships between insect pollinators and wind‐pollinated plants. I found over 200 visitation records for 101 wind‐pollinated plant genera in 25 families, including 4 of the 12 gymnosperm families. Almost half the records (49%) were for grasses and sedges (Poales). I also identified records of bees and/or syrphid flies visiting 10 economically important wind‐pollinated crop plant species, including three major grain crops (rice, corn, and sorghum). Most records (70%) were from indirect pollen analysis from hives, nest cells or insect bodies, highlighting the need for more direct observational studies of plant–pollinator interactions. Insect pollinator communities require resource diversity to persist in a landscape. Hence, researchers and land managers aiming to identify links between pollinators and ecosystem function should also consider broader interactions beyond the standard traits of the entomophily syndrome.

Clamgulchian (Miocene–Pliocene) pollen assemblages of the Kenai Lowland, Alaska, and the persistence of the family Podocarpaceae

ABSTRACTPollen diagrams from three areas of the Kenai Lowland of Alaska demonstrate the pollen floras of the Clamgulchian Stage (∼8–2.5 Ma) of Late Miocene/Early Pliocene age. These sections, originally described based on their plant megafossils and pollen, are revisited for a more precise determination of their pollen stratigraphy. The floras from Clam Gulch on the west margin of the Kenai Lowland are compared with Clamgulchian sections of the same age on the east margin, in canyons at the head of Kachemak Bay. The results substantiate that in the Clamgulchian sections thermophile pollen types (exotic warmth-loving woody genera) represent about 2–10% of the count (and include 15 thermophile taxa), while in the earlier Homerian Stage (∼14.5–8 Ma) thermophiles are more important and more diverse (28 taxa), representing 5–15% of the count. A second difference between the Homerian and Clamgulchian is the increased diversity of herbaceous groups (such as Ranunculaceae, Urticaceae, Onagraceae, Primulaceae and others), which are few in the Homerian (∼4–5 taxa), but many in the Clamgulchian (≤15–18 taxa). These herb groups show increasing diversity near the top of the Neogene in the Alaskan flora. With a decrease in thermophiles, the Clamgulchian taxa show a transition towards a cooler climate. Pollen of the exotic gymnosperm family Podocarpaceae chiefly of the Southern Hemisphere are diverse minor elements during the entire Neogene of Alaska. These consistent elements may represent resident associates of the hardwood forests in southern Alaska as the likelihood of their pollen occurrences being the result of long-distance transport seems unlikely.

Phylogenetic analysis of 25 plant species representing 19 angiosperm families and one gymnosperm family based on 390 orthologous genes

High-throughput sequencing is fundamentally altering traditional phylogenetic classifications. While the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (APG) III system based on chloroplast sequences has opened up a new era of angiosperm molecular classification, the use of nuclear genome sequences is more helpful for a precise phylogenetic analysis. However, such attempts have so far been applied to only a very limited number of angiosperm plant families. We constructed a phylogenetic tree of 25 plant species with well assembled genome sequences representing 19 angiosperm families and one gymnosperm family (as out group) using 390 orthologous genes. Our results strongly support the moving of Rhamnaceae to order Rosales from Rhamnales, abolishing Rhamnales, and establishing the new order Malpighiales in the APG III system. Our data also showed some characteristics inconsistent with the APG III classification and provided a reinterpretation of phylogeny for some of the families involved. We propose that Malpighiales should be placed in Malvids, not Fabids. The four monocot species representing four families were clustered together, indicating that monocot is a natural taxon. In summary, our results support almost all the APGIII treatments of the orders involved in this study and provided some surprising reinterpretations at levels beyond order.

Petrographical and organic geochemical study of the Kovin lignite deposit, Serbia

The origin of the organic matter (OM) and the characteristics of the depositional environment of lignites from the Upper Miocene Kovin deposit (hosting three coal seams) of Serbia were evaluated based on petrographic data, bulk organic geochemical parameters, biomarker analysis and stable isotope geochemistry (δ13C of individual biomarkers). Samples were collected from four boreholes, GD-601 and GD-603 (the “A” field), and KB-79 and KB-91 (the “B” field), representing different parts of coal seams I, II, and III.Investigated lignites are typical humic coals. The OM of lignites is derived from woody vegetation and herbaceous peat-forming plants, with prevalence of the former in most samples. Peat-forming vegetation is characterized by abundant decay resistant gymnosperm (coniferous) plants, followed by a low amount of angiosperms. Lignite forming plants mostly belonged to the gymnosperm families Cupressaceae, Taxodiaceae, Phyllocladaceae and Pinaceae. Slight input of ferns, fungi and aquatic macrophyta to lignite OM is also evident. Distributions of hopanoids and isotopic compositions of these biomarkers reflect the activity of various microbial populations represented by methanotrophic-, chemoautotrophic- and heterotrophic bacteria during diagenesis. Prominent C28 28,30-bisnorneohop-13(18)-ene was observed for the first time in the lignite extracts. According to the δ13C value it was probably derived from chemoautotrophic bacteria. C28 28,30-bisnorneohop-13(18)-ene could be one of the possible precursors of a series of orphan aromatic hopanoids bearing an ethyl group at C-21, via progressive aromatization.Peatification proceeded in a fresh water environment under variable redox conditions, from anoxic to slightly oxic. All three coal seams are heterogeneous. The lower parts of the coal seams represent a topogenous fresh water peat mire with open water areas, which was subjected to inundations. The upper parts of coal seams represent a wet forest swamp with relatively stable conditions. Despite the observed variations in all three coal seams, the mean values of petrographic and organic geochemical parameters suggest general increasing of wetness and establishment of more stable conditions from seam III to seam I. Maceral and biomarker data indicate that rapid flooding of the bogs stopped peat growth in all three coal seams.Relatively frequent variations in all three coal seams, followed by repetition of lignite characteristics depict well the pronounced seasonality e.g. short term cycles of the climate during Late Miocene in investigated area.

Flora das cangas da Serra dos Carajás, Pará, Brasil: Gnetaceae

Resumo Gnetaceae é uma pequena família monotípica de Gimnospermas com aproximadamente 40 espécies do gênero Gnetum de distribuição pantropical. Na FLONA Carajás, são registradas três espécies de Gnetum: G. leyboldii e G. schwackeanum, exclusivas de formações florestais, e G. nodiflorum, registrada em canga. Para G. nodiflorum são apresentados descrição detalhada, ilustrações, distribuição e comentários morfológicos.

Evolutionary dynamics of the plastid inverted repeat: the effects of expansion, contraction, and loss on substitution rates.

Rates of nucleotide substitution were previously shown to be several times slower in the plastid inverted repeat (IR) compared with single-copy (SC) regions, suggesting that the IR provides enhanced copy-correction activity. To examine the generality of this synonymous rate dependence on the IR, we compared plastomes from 69 pairs of closely related species representing 52 families of angiosperms, gymnosperms, and ferns. We explored the breadth of IR boundary shifts in land plants and demonstrate that synonymous substitution rates are, on average, 3.7 times slower in IR genes than in SC genes. In addition, genes moved from the SC into the IR exhibit lower synonymous rates consistent with other IR genes, while genes moved from the IR into the SC exhibit higher rates consistent with other SC genes. Surprisingly, however, several plastid genes from Pelargonium, Plantago, and Silene have highly accelerated synonymous rates despite their IR localization. Together, these results provide strong evidence that the duplicative nature of the IR reduces the substitution rate within this region. The anomalously fast-evolving genes in Pelargonium, Plantago, and Silene indicate localized hypermutation, potentially induced by a higher level of error-prone double-strand break repair in these regions, which generates substitutional rate variation.

Morphological characteristics of major airborne pollen in Korea peninsula

【Although airborne pollen is invisible to the eye, it has been known as a major source to respiratory allergic reactions. For this reason, airborne pollen is monitoring in many countries to predict pollen concentration based on locality and season. However, the morphological characteristics of airborne pollen and their potential tendency as an allergen are still obscure. In the present study, we selected 52 airborne pollen samples based on previously reported data and investigated their detail pollen characteristics using LM and SEM. Major airborne pollen in Korea has sorted in 19 families (most angiosperms except four gymnosperm families), and all pollen grains are small to medium in size ( $P=17.34-49.86{\mu}m$ ) apart from the bisaccate pollen grains of Pinaceae ( $P=46.49-106.20{\mu}m$ ). The aperture number and shape vary from sulcate to polyporate. While the inaperture pollen has found only in gymnosperm (Cupressaceae and Taxaceae), triporate or polyporate is common pollen type in angiosperm. The sexine ornamentations could divide into several types, but the most sculpturing types are inconspicuous like psilate, rugulate and granulate. Reticulate pollen grains as a semitectum have occurred the species of genera Platanus and Fraxinus only. To estimate the possible relationships between pollen features and allergen, the results are discussed in botanical context.】

Chemical components of the Ephedra major from Iran

Ephedra is a dioecious shrub that belongs to the Ephedraceae family of gymnosperms. Almost all commercial applications of Ephedra extracts are derived from the ephedrine alkaloids found in the evergreen stems. The purpose of this study was to compare chemical components (total alkaloid, ephedrine, total phenol, total flavonoid and tannin) of Ephedra major plants during May to October months. The seeds and stems were collected from Bojnoord altitudes in east of Iran. Total alkaloid was separated by solvent and soxhelet extraction method. The results revealed that solvent extraction method is more efficient than soxhelet extraction method. The measurement of chemical components showed significant difference during May to October months. Data from HPLC analysis revealed that while root is depleted of ephedrine, the ephedrine amount in stem organ ranged from 1.50 ± 0.15 to 2.12 ± 0.01 mg/g dry weight. The results indicate that E. major can be as a suitable source of ephedrine.