Genomic, transcriptomic, and metabolomic analyses reveal convergent evolution of oxime biosynthesis in Darwin's orchid.

Angraecum sesquipedale, also known as Darwin's orchid, possesses an exceptionally long nectar spur. Charles Darwin predicted the orchid to be pollinated by a hawkmoth with a correspondingly long proboscis, later identified as Xanthopan praedicta. In this plant-pollinator interaction, the A.

Phylotranscriptomics reveals the phylogeny of Asparagales and the evolution of allium flavor biosynthesis.

Asparagales, the largest monocot order, is renowned for its ecological, economic, and medicinal significance. Here, we leverage transcriptome data from 455 Asparagales species to explore the phylogeny of Asparagales. Moreover, we investigate the evolutionary patterns of the genes involved in allium flavor formation.

VvbHLH036, a basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor regulates the cold tolerance of grapevine.

Cold stress is an adverse environmental factor that limits the growth and productivity of horticulture crops such as grapes (Vitis vinifera). In this study, we identified a grapevine cold-induced basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor (VvbHLH036). Overexpression and CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout (KO) of VvbHLH036 enhanced and decreased cold tolerance in grapevine roots, respectively.

Spatial heterogeneity of extinction risk for flowering plants in China.

Understanding the variability of extinction risk and its potential drivers across different spatial extents is crucial to revealing the underlying processes of biodiversity loss and sustainability. However, in countries with high climatic and topographic heterogeneity, studies on extinction risk are often challenged by complexities associated with extent effects. Here, using 2.

Transition of survival strategies under global climate shifts in the grape family.

Faced with environmental changes, plants may either move to track their ancestral niches or evolve to adapt to new niches. Vitaceae, the grape family, has evolved diverse adaptive traits facilitating a global expansion in wide-ranging habitats, making it ideal for investigating transition between move and evolve strategies and exploring the underlying mechanisms. Here we inferred the patterns of biogeographic diversification and trait evolution in Vitaceae based on a robust phylogeny with dense sampling including 495 species (~52% of Vitaceae species).

Ecological Niche Differentiation and Response to Climate Change of the African Endemic Family Myrothamnaceae.

Studying the ecological niches of species and their responses to climate change can provide better conservation strategies for these species. Myrothamnaceae is endemic to Africa, comprising only two species that belong to ( and ). These closely related species exhibit allopatric distributions, positioning them as ideal materials for studying the species ecological adaptation.

Coping with alpine habitats: genomic insights into the adaptation strategies of (Caprifoliaceae).

How plants find a way to thrive in alpine habitats remains largely unknown. Here we present a chromosome-level genome assembly for an alpine medicinal herb, (Caprifoliaceae), and 13 transcriptomes from other species of Dipsacales. We detected a whole-genome duplication event in that occurred prior to the diversification of Dipsacales.

Exploring potential inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase, lactate dehydrogenases, and glutathione reductase from Hagenia abyssinica (Bruce) J.F. Gmel. based on multi-target ultrafiltration-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and molecular docking.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Parasitic infections impose a significant burden on public health worldwide. European pharmacopoeia records and ethnopharmacological studies indicate that Hagenia abyssinica (Bruce) J.F.

A new species and a replacement name in (Apocynaceae, Asclepiadeae) from China.

S.Jin Zeng, G.D.

Substantial viral diversity in bats and rodents from East Africa: insights into evolution, recombination, and cocirculation.

Background: Zoonotic viruses cause substantial public health and socioeconomic problems worldwide. Understanding how viruses evolve and spread within and among wildlife species is a critical step when aiming for proactive identification of viral threats to prevent future pandemics. Despite the many proposed factors influencing viral diversity, the genomic diversity and structure of viral communities in East Africa are largely unknown.

The genome reveals its adaptive features in an arid habitat.

is a tetraploid species belonging to the Vitaceae family and is known for the Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) pathway in the succulent stem, while the leaves perform C photosynthesis. Here, we report a high-quality genome of comprising a total size of 679.2 Mb which was phased into two subgenomes.

Assembly and comparative analysis of the initial complete mitochondrial genome of Primulina hunanensis (Gesneriaceae): a cave-dwelling endangered plant.

Background: Primulina hunanensis, a troglobitic plant within the Primulina genus of Gesneriaceae family, exhibits robust resilience to arid conditions and holds great horticultural potential as an ornamental plant. The work of chloroplast genome (cpDNA) has been recently accomplished, however, the mitochondrial genome (mtDNA) that is crucial for plant evolution has not been reported.

Results: In this study, we sequenced and assembled the P.

The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Marquand 1929 (Tamaricaceae): a shrub species endemic to the Tibet Plateau.

Marquand 1929, endemic to the Tibet Plateau, is a perennial shrub with important medicinal and ecological values. In this study, the complete chloroplast (cp) genome of was assembled, and the phylogenetic tree was reconstructed to evaluate the phylogenetic location of the species. The results showed that the cp genome size of the was 155,299 bp, which contained a pair of inverted repeat (IR) regions (26,150 bp), a large single copy (LSC) region (84,715 bp), and a small single copy (SSC) region (18,284 bp).

Spatial heterogeneity of neo- and paleo-endemism for plants in Madagascar.

Madagascar is a biogeographically unique island with a remarkably high level of endemism. However, endemic taxa in Madagascar are massively threatened due to unprecedented pressures from anthropogenic habitat modification and climate change. A comprehensive phylogeny-based biodiversity evaluation of the island remains lacking.

Ethnobotanical study of traditional medicinal plants used by the local Gamo people in Boreda Abaya District, Gamo Zone, southern Ethiopia.

Background: Medicinal plants have been used for centuries and are still relied upon by over 80% of the Ethiopian population. The people of Gamo, southern Ethiopia, have a rich cultural and traditional lifestyle with a long history of using plant resources for various uses including traditional herbal medicine. However, their traditional knowledge of traditional medicinal plants in Boreda Abaya District has not been explored Ethnobotanically yet, despite preserving diverse indigenous traditional medicinal plants.

Nuclear phylogenomics of Asteraceae with increased sampling provides new insights into convergent morphological and molecular evolution.

Convergent morphological evolution is widespread in flowering plants, and understanding this phenomenon relies on well-resolved phylogenies. Nuclear phylogenetic reconstruction using transcriptome datasets has been successful in various angiosperm groups, but it is limited to taxa with available fresh materials. Asteraceae, which are one of the two largest angiosperm families and are important for both ecosystems and human livelihood, show multiple examples of convergent evolution.

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the open reading frame (ORF) of prion protein gene (PRNP) in Nigerian livestock species.

Background: Prion diseases, also known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) remain one of the deleterious disorders, which have affected several animal species. Polymorphism of the prion protein (PRNP) gene majorly determines the susceptibility of animals to TSEs. However, only limited studies have examined the variation in PRNP gene in different Nigerian livestock species.

Projected impacts of climate change on the habitat of species in Africa.

Climate change poses a serious long-term threat to biodiversity. To effectively reduce biodiversity loss, conservationists need to have a thorough understanding of the preferred habitats of species and the variables that affect their distribution. Therefore, predicting the impact of climate change on species-appropriate habitats may help mitigate the potential threats to biodiversity distribution.

Microplastics in aquatic ecosystems of Africa: A comprehensive review and meta-analysis.

Microplastic pollution is a global issue of great public concern. Africa is flagged to host some of the most polluted water bodies globally, but there is no enough information on the extent of microplastic contamination and the potential risks of microplastic pollution in African aquatic ecosystems. This meta-analysis has integrated data from published articles about microplastic pollution in African aquatic ecosystems.

The chromosome-level genome of the submerged plant Cryptocoryne crispatula provides insights into the terrestrial-freshwater transition in Araceae.

Plant terrestrialization (i.e. the transition to a terrestrial environment) is a significant evolutionary event that has been intensively studied.

Evaluation of impact of land use and landscape metrics on surface water quality in the northeastern part along Lake Tanganyika, Africa.

As the second deepest lake in Africa, Lake Tanganyika plays an important role in supplying fish protein for the catchment's residents and is irreplaceable in global biodiversity. However, the lake's water environment is threatened by socioeconomic development and rapid population growth along the lake. This study analyzed the spatial scale effects and seasonal dependence of land use types and landscape metrics on water quality in 16 sub-basins along northeastern Lake Tanganyika at different levels of urbanization.

Potential antioxidative and anti-hyperuricemic components in A. Gray revealed by bio-affinity ultrafiltration with SOD and XOD.

A. Gray () is a traditional Chinese medicine with various pharmacological effects. However, its antioxidant and anti-hyperuricemia components and mechanisms of action have not been explored yet.