Characterization of 39 microsatellite markers from (Nymphaeaceae) and cross-amplification in two related taxa.

Premise Of The Study: Microsatellite loci were developed for (Nymphaeaceae) to evaluate the population genetic dynamics for conservation purposes. The species is an endemic aquatic species in Taiwan that is endangered by anthropogenic activities.

Methods And Results: A magnetic bead enrichment protocol was used to identify 72 potential microsatellite loci and develop 39 microsatellite markers from .

Tuber elevatireticulatum sp. nov., a new species of whitish truffle from Taiwan.

Background: There are estimated 180-220 species of Tuber described in the world, but the diversity of the genus in Taiwan is poorly known, with only two species recorded, i.e., Tuber formosanum and T.

Identification of β-Sitosterol as in Vitro Anti-Inflammatory Constituent in Moringa oleifera.

β-Sitosterol is a well known phytosterol in plants, but owing to its poor solubility in typical media, determining its cellular mechanisms has been proven to be difficult. In this study, we investigated the anti-inflammatory activity of β-sitosterol (BSS) isolated from Moringa oleifera in two cell lines. Over a dose range of 7.

Floral traits of mammal-pollinated (Fabaceae): Implications for generalist-like pollination systems.

Floral traits are adapted by plants to attract pollinators. Some of those plants that have different pollinators in different regions adapt to each pollinator in each region to maximize their pollination success. (Fabaceae) limits the pollinators using its floral structure and is pollinated by different mammals in different regions.

The Contribution of Neutral and Environmentally Dependent Processes in Driving Population and Lineage Divergence in Taiwania ().

The question of what determines divergence both between and within species has been the central topic in evolutionary biology. Neutral drift and environmentally dependent divergence are predicted to play roles in driving population and lineage divergence. However, neutral drift may preclude adaptation if the rate of gene flow between populations is high.

The complete mitochondrial genome of (Malacostraca: Decapoda: Hymenoceridae).

In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome sequence of the is reported for the first time. The length of genome is 15,786 bp, including 13 protein-coding genes, two ribosomal RNA genes, and 21 transfer RNA genes. Nucleotide composition of the whole mitogenome was 37.

Fern genomes elucidate land plant evolution and cyanobacterial symbioses.

Ferns are the closest sister group to all seed plants, yet little is known about their genomes other than that they are generally colossal. Here, we report on the genomes of Azolla filiculoides and Salvinia cucullata (Salviniales) and present evidence for episodic whole-genome duplication in ferns-one at the base of 'core leptosporangiates' and one specific to Azolla. One fern-specific gene that we identified, recently shown to confer high insect resistance, seems to have been derived from bacteria through horizontal gene transfer.

Allotetraploid cryptic species in Asplenium normale in the Japanese Archipelago, detected by chemotaxonomic and multi-locus genotype approaches.

Premise Of The Study: Delimitation of cryptic species provides an understanding of biodiversity and opportunities to elucidate speciation processes. Extensive flavonoid variation has been reported in the tetraploid cytotype of the fern, Asplenium normale, although related species have no intraspecific variations in flavonoid composition. We hypothesized that Japanese A.

Response to Comment on "Plant diversity increases with the strength of negative density dependence at the global scale".

Chisholm and Fung claim that our method of estimating conspecific negative density dependence (CNDD) in recruitment is systematically biased, and present an alternative method that shows no latitudinal pattern in CNDD. We demonstrate that their approach produces strongly biased estimates of CNDD, explaining why they do not detect a latitudinal pattern. We also address their methodological concerns using an alternative distance-weighted approach, which supports our original findings of a latitudinal gradient in CNDD and a latitudinal shift in the relationship between CNDD and species abundance.

Response to Comment on "Plant diversity increases with the strength of negative density dependence at the global scale".

Hülsmann and Hartig suggest that ecological mechanisms other than specialized natural enemies or intraspecific competition contribute to our estimates of conspecific negative density dependence (CNDD). To address their concern, we show that our results are not the result of a methodological artifact and present a null-model analysis that demonstrates that our original findings-(i) stronger CNDD at tropical relative to temperate latitudes and (ii) a latitudinal shift in the relationship between CNDD and species abundance-persist even after controlling for other processes that might influence spatial relationships between adults and recruits.

Organelle Genome Inheritance in Ferns (Athyriaceae, Aspleniineae, Polypodiales).

Organelle genomes of land plants are predominately inherited maternally but in some cases can also be transmitted paternally or biparentally. Compared to seed plants (>83% genera of angiosperms and >12% genera of gymnosperms), plastid genome (plastome) inheritance has only been investigated in fewer than 2% of fern genera, and mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) from only one fern genus. We developed a new and efficient method to examine plastome and mitogenome inheritance in a fern species- (Athyriaceae, Aspleniineae, Polypodiales), and found that plastid and mitochondrial DNAs were transmitted from only the maternal parentage to a next generation.

Xanthine Oxidase Inhibitory Activity and Thermostability of Cinnamaldehyde-Chemotype Leaf Oil of Microencapsulated with β-Cyclodextrin.

The xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity and thermostability of leaf oil microencapsulated with β-cyclodextrin were evaluated in this study. The yield of leaf oil microcapsules was 86.3% using the optimal reaction conditions at the leaf oil to β-cyclodextrin ratio of 15:85 and ethanol to water ratio ranging from 1:3 to 1:5.

Chloroplast and nuclear DNA exchanges among Begonia sect. Baryandra species (Begoniaceae) from Palawan Island, Philippines, and descriptions of five new species.

The Philippine island of Palawan is highly biodiverse. During fieldwork there in 2011 & 2014 we found five unknown species in the large genus Begonia. The species are similar in their rhizomatous stems, four-tepaled flowers, inferior two- or three-locular ovaries with bilamellate placentas, and are assignable to Begonia sect.

Patterns of reproductive isolation in a haplodiploid - strong post-mating, prezygotic barriers among three forms of a social spider mite.

In speciation research, much attention is paid to the evolution of reproductive barriers, preventing diverging groups from hybridizing back into one gene pool. The prevalent view is that reproductive barriers evolve gradually as a by-product of genetic changes accumulated by natural selection and genetic drift in groups that are segregated spatially and/or temporally. Reproductive barriers, however, can also be reinforced by natural selection against maladaptive hybridization.

Yellow and green pigments from L. seed oil induce cell death in colon and lung cancer cells.

Natural compounds have been candidates for anticancer medicine over the last 20 years. During the process of isolating seed oil from L., yellow and green pigments containing multiple compounds with an aromatic structure were identified.

Quality Characterization and Oxidative Stability of Camellia Seed Oils Produced with Different Roasting Temperatures.

In this study, the effects of roasting camellia (Camellia oleifera Abel.) seed oils at different temperatures (65°C, 100°C, 120°C, and 140°C) on the oxidative stability and composition of the oils were investigated. The results showed that, in terms of the quality of the oils, the roasting temperature influenced the total phenolic content (which ranged from 1.

Comparative study on the physicochemical and functional properties of the mucilage in the carpel of Nymphaea odorata using ultrasonic and classical heating extractions.

The cooked carpel of Nymphaea odorata has a large amount of transparent mucilage; however, the basic characteristics of this mucilage have not yet been reported. This study compared the physicochemical and functional properties of this mucilage obtained using conventional hot water extraction (HWM) and ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAM). Neither HWM nor UAM affected the viability of mouse skin fibroblasts (NIH/3 T3) below 100 μg/mL.

Adaptive Genetic Divergence Despite Significant Isolation-by-Distance in Populations of Taiwan Cow-Tail Fir ( var. ).

Double digest restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (ddRADseq) is a tool for delivering genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers for non-model organisms useful in resolving fine-scale population structure and detecting signatures of selection. This study performs population genetic analysis, based on ddRADseq data, of a coniferous species, var. , disjunctly distributed in northern and southern Taiwan, for investigation of population adaptive divergence in response to environmental heterogeneity.

Thinning Effects on Biomass and Carbon Stock for Young Taiwania Plantations.

Forests play an important role as carbon sinks by sequestrating carbon through photosynthesis. Thinning treatments have large impacts on carbon storage, in addition to strengthening quality and quantity of plantations. This study analyzed the effects of different thinning treatments on carbon stocks in both individual trees and stands of Taiwania (Taiwania cryptomerioides) plantations.

Morphological characterization of infra-generic lineages in Deparia (Athyriaceae: Polypodiales).

Deparia, including the previously recognized genera Lunathyrium, Dryoathyrium (=Parathyrium), Athyriopsis, Triblemma, and Dictyodroma, is a fern genus comprising about 70 species in Athyriaceae. In this study, we inferred a robust Deparia phylogeny based on a comprehensive taxon sampling (~81% of species) that captures the morphological diversity displayed in the genus. All Deparia species formed a highly supported monophyletic group.

Composition and Functional Specialists of the Gut Microbiota of Frogs Reflect Habitat Differences and Agricultural Activity.

The physiological impact of agricultural pollution, habitat disturbance, and food source variability on amphibian remains poorly understood. By comparing the composition and predicted functions of gut microbiota of two frog species from forest and farmland, we quantified the effects of the exogenous environment and endogenous filters on gut microbiota and the corresponding functions. However, compositional differences of the gut microbiota between the frog species were not detected, even when removing roughly 80-88% of the confounding effect produced by common and shared bacteria (i.

Phylogenetics of subtribe Orchidinae s.l. (Orchidaceae; Orchidoideae) based on seven markers (plastid matK, psaB, rbcL, trnL-F, trnH-psba, and nuclear nrITS, Xdh): implications for generic delimitation.

Background: Subtribe Orchidinae (Orchidaceae, Orchidoideae) are a nearly cosmopolitan taxon of terrestrial orchids, comprising about 1800 species in 47 to 60 genera. Although much progress has been made in recent years of phylogenetics of Orchidinae, considerable problems remain to be addressed. Based on molecular phylogenetics, we attempt to illustrate the phylogenetic relationships and discuss generic delimitation within Orchidinae.

Six new species from ITS Clade 7a including two sexually functional heterothallic hybrid species detected in natural ecosystems in Taiwan.

During a survey of diversity in natural ecosystems in Taiwan six new species were detected. Multigene phylogeny based on the nuclear ITS, ß-tubulin and and the mitochondrial and gene sequences demonstrated that they belong to ITS Clade 7a with , , and being their closest relatives. All six new species differed from each other and from related species by a unique combination of morphological characters, the breeding system, cardinal temperatures and growth rates.

sp. nov. (Pteridaceae), a new species segregated from .

is widely distributed in Eastern Asia and has high morphological variation. Some morphologically similar plants related to this species are difficult to distinguish. We showed that the new species from Taiwan, previously identified as , can be morphologically distinguished by its wide pinnae, larger terminal pinnae than the lateral pinnae in sterile fronds, and triangular basal segments of the lateral pinnae.

Phylogenetic analyses place the monotypic within Lomariopsidaceae.

The monotypic fern genus Copel. combines a unique assortment of characters that obscures its relationship to other ferns. Its thin-walled sporangium with a vertical and interrupted annulus, round sorus with peltate indusium, and petiole with several vascular bundles place it in suborder Polypodiineae, but more precise placement has eluded previous authors.