The complete chloroplast genome sequence of monotypic (Melastomataceae), an endemic genus in China.

, a shrub narrowly endemic to Yunnan, southwest China, is a monotypic genus of Sonerileae in Melastomataceae. The species, , is dwindling and is listed as 'Near Threatened (NT)' by IUCN Red List of China. Herein, we report the complete chloroplast genome (cpDNA) sequence assembled from Illumina pair-end sequencing data.

Characterization of the complete chloroplast genome sequence of (Melastomataceae).

Lour. belongs to tribe Sonerileae (Melastomataceae), comprising about 18 species worldwide. Herein, we presented, assembled, and annotated the first complete chloroplast genome of ().

Morphological Type Identification of Self-Incompatibility in and Its Phylogenetic Evolution Pattern.

Self-incompatibility (SI) is a type of reproductive barrier within plant species and is one of the mechanisms for the formation and maintenance of the high diversity and adaptation of angiosperm species. Approximately 40% of flowering plants are SI species, while only 10% of orchid species are self-incompatible. Intriguingly, as one of the largest genera in Orchidaceae, 72% of species are self-incompatible, accounting for nearly half of the reported SI species in orchids, suggesting that SI contributes to the high diversity of orchid species.

Comparative transcriptomics provides insight into the molecular basis of species diversification of section Trigonopedia (Cypripedium) on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.

Deceptive pollination is key to the species richness of Orchidaceae. However, the genetic basis of species diversification is still under study. Section Trigonopedia is a monophyletic clade of genus Cypripedium distributed in the southwest of China.

Fungal networks and orchid distribution: new insights from above- and below-ground analyses of fungal communities.

Orchids are critically dependent on fungi for seedling establishment and growth, so the distribution and diversity of orchids might depend on the associated fungal communities. We characterised the communities associated with eight orchid species in three Mediterranean protected areas, using a combination of above-ground analyses of sporophores and below-ground molecular analyses of orchid root samples. In three years of sporophore collection in 25 plots around flowering orchid plants, 268 macrofungal species belonging to 84 genera were observed.

Active Protection: Learning-Activated Raf/MAPK Activity Protects Labile Memory from Rac1-Independent Forgetting.

Active forgetting explains the intrinsic instability of a labile memory lasting for hours. However, how such memory maintains stability against unwanted disruption is not completely understood. Here, we report a learning-activated active protection mechanism that enables labile memory to resist disruptive sensory experiences in Drosophila.

Gigantol inhibits Wnt/β-catenin signaling and exhibits anticancer activity in breast cancer cells.

Background: Gigantol is a bibenzyl compound derived from several medicinal orchids. This biologically active compound has been shown to have promising therapeutic potential against cancer cells, but its mechanism of action remains unclear.

Methods: The inhibitory effect of gigantol on Wnt/β-catenin signaling was evaluated with the SuperTOPFlash reporter system.

Genetic diversity and ex situ conservation of Loropetalum subcordatum, an endangered species endemic to China.

Background: Loropetalum subcordatum is an endangered species endemic to China that is characterized by narrow distribution, small population size, and delayed fertilization. However, the genetic diversity of the entire extant natural and ex situ populations has not been assessed to date. In this study, we evaluated the genetic diversity and structure of six natural populations and a single ex situ population (the only known ex situ population of L.

Host preference and network properties in biotrophic plant-fungal associations.

Analytical methods can offer insights into the structure of biological networks, but mechanisms that determine the structure of these networks remain unclear. We conducted a synthesis based on 111 previously published datasets to assess a range of ecological and evolutionary mechanisms that may influence the plant-associated fungal interaction networks. We calculated the relative host effect on fungal community composition and compared nestedness and modularity among different mycorrhizal types and endophytic fungal guilds.

The Apostasia genome and the evolution of orchids.

Constituting approximately 10% of flowering plant species, orchids (Orchidaceae) display unique flower morphologies, possess an extraordinary diversity in lifestyle, and have successfully colonized almost every habitat on Earth. Here we report the draft genome sequence of Apostasia shenzhenica, a representative of one of two genera that form a sister lineage to the rest of the Orchidaceae, providing a reference for inferring the genome content and structure of the most recent common ancestor of all extant orchids and improving our understanding of their origins and evolution. In addition, we present transcriptome data for representatives of Vanilloideae, Cypripedioideae and Orchidoideae, and novel third-generation genome data for two species of Epidendroideae, covering all five orchid subfamilies.

Advanced Applications of Next-Generation Sequencing Technologies to Orchid Biology.

Next-generation sequencing technologies are revolutionizing biology by permitting, transcriptome sequencing, whole-genome sequencing and resequencing, and genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism profiling. Orchid research has benefited from this breakthrough, and a few orchid genomes are now available; new biological questions can be approached and new breeding strategies can be designed. The first part of this review describes the unique features of orchid biology.

[Breakthrough in key science and technologies in Dendrobium catenatum industry].

In view of the significant difficulties of propagation, planting and simple product in Dendrobium catenatum(D. officinale)industry development, a series of research were carried out. Genome study showed that D.

Genome-wide identification and characterization of TCP genes involved in ovule development of Phalaenopsis equestris.

TEOSINTE-BRANCHED/CYCLOIDEA/PCF (TCP) proteins are plant-specific transcription factors known to have a role in multiple aspects of plant growth and development at the cellular, organ and tissue levels. However, there has been no related study of TCPs in orchids. Here we identified 23 TCP genes from the genome sequence of Phalaenopsis equestris Phylogenetic analysis distinguished two homology classes of PeTCP transcription factor families: classes I and II.

The Dendrobium catenatum Lindl. genome sequence provides insights into polysaccharide synthase, floral development and adaptive evolution.

Orchids make up about 10% of all seed plant species, have great economical value, and are of specific scientific interest because of their renowned flowers and ecological adaptations. Here, we report the first draft genome sequence of a lithophytic orchid, Dendrobium catenatum. We predict 28,910 protein-coding genes, and find evidence of a whole genome duplication shared with Phalaenopsis.

Promise and Challenge of DNA Barcoding in Venus Slipper (Paphiopedilum).

Orchidaceae are one of the largest families of flowering plants, with over 27,000 species described and all orchids are listed in CITES. Moreover, the seedlings of orchid species from the same genus are similar. The objective of DNA barcoding is rapid, accurate, and automated species identification, which may be used to identify illegally traded endangered species from vegetative specimens of Paphiopedilum (Venus slipper), a flagship group for plant conservation with high ornamental and commercial values.

Evolutionary history of PEPC genes in green plants: Implications for the evolution of CAM in orchids.

The phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) gene is the key enzyme in CAM and C4 photosynthesis. A detailed phylogenetic analysis of the PEPC family was performed using sequences from 60 available published plant genomes, the Phalaenopsis equestris genome and RNA-Seq of 15 additional orchid species. The PEPC family consists of three distinct subfamilies, PPC-1, PPC-2, and PPC-3, all of which share a recent common ancestor in chlorophyte algae.

Mining from transcriptomes: 315 single-copy orthologous genes concatenated for the phylogenetic analyses of Orchidaceae.

Phylogenetic relationships are hotspots for orchid studies with controversial standpoints. Traditionally, the phylogenies of orchids are based on morphology and subjective factors. Although more reliable than classic phylogenic analyses, the current methods are based on a few gene markers and PCR amplification, which are labor intensive and cannot identify the placement of some species with degenerated plastid genomes.

A new myco-heterotrophic genus, Yunorchis, and the molecular phylogenetic relationships of the tribe Calypsoeae (Epidendroideae, Orchidaceae) inferred from plastid and nuclear DNA sequences.

We identified a new holomycotrophic orchid that is related to the myco-heterotrophic Calypsoeae. Because chloroplast genes are primarily lacking or are highly divergent, key morphological characters are either reduced or lost from many myco-heterotrophs, and the phylogenetic relationships of weakly supported paraphyletic Calypsoeae within Epidendroideae have been poorly understood in previous molecular systematic studies. Using chloroplast rbcL, psaB, and matK and nuclear Xdh and ITS sequences, we determined the circumscription and systematic positions of the new orchid and the tribe.

Reticulate evolution and sea-level fluctuations together drove species diversification of slipper orchids (Paphiopedilum) in South-East Asia.

South-East Asia covers four of the world's biodiversity hotspots, showing high species diversity and endemism. Owing to the successive expansion and contraction of distribution and the fragmentation by geographical barriers, the tropical flora greatly diversified in this region during the Tertiary, but the evolutionary tempo and mode of species diversity remain poorly investigated. Paphiopedilum, the largest genus of slipper orchids comprising nearly 100 species, is mainly distributed in South-East Asia, providing an ideal system for exploring how plant species diversity was shaped in this region.

A molecular phylogeny of Aeridinae (Orchidaceae: Epidendroideae) inferred from multiple nuclear and chloroplast regions.

The subtribe Aeridinae, which contains approximately 90 genera, is one of the most diverse and taxonomically puzzling groups in Orchidaceae. In the present study, the phylogenetic relationships of Aeridinae were reconstructed utilizing five DNA sequences (ITS, atpI-H, matK, psbA-trnH, and trnL-F) from 211 taxa in 74 genera. The results of the phylogenetic analyses indicate that Aeridinae is monophyletic and that the subtribe can primarily be grouped into 10 clades: (1) Saccolabium clade, (2) Chiloschista clade, (3) Phalaenopsis clade, (4) Thrixspermum clade, (5) Vanda clade, (6) Aerides clade, (7) Trichoglottis clade, (8) Abdominea clade, (9) Gastrochilus clade, and (10) Cleisostoma clade.

Mudskipper genomes provide insights into the terrestrial adaptation of amphibious fishes.

Mudskippers are amphibious fishes that have developed morphological and physiological adaptations to match their unique lifestyles. Here we perform whole-genome sequencing of four representative mudskippers to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying these adaptations. We discover an expansion of innate immune system genes in the mudskippers that may provide defence against terrestrial pathogens.

Comparison of hypoglycemic and antioxidative effects of polysaccharides from four different Dendrobium species.

Four polysaccharides from Dendrobium huoshanense (DHP), D. officinale (DOP), D. nobile (DNP) and D.

A new molecular phylogeny and a new genus, Pendulorchis, of the Aerides-Vanda alliance (Orchidaceae: Epidendroideae).

Background: The Aerides-Vanda alliance is a complex group in the subtribe Aeridinae (subfamily Epidendroideae, Orchidaceae). Some phylogenetic systems of this alliance have been previously proposed based on molecular and morphological analyses. However, several taxonomic problems within this alliance as well as between it and its allies remain unsolved.

Sinocurculigo, a new genus of Hypoxidaceae from China based on molecular and morphological evidence.

Background: The monocot family Hypoxidaceae consists of nine genera with nearly 200 species. They occur mostly in the Southern Hemisphere with only a few species in the Northern Hemisphere, of which three genera, Hypoxis, Molineria, and Curculigo, with eight species are distributed in China. Recently, we have found a hypoxid-like plant in China that is quite different in floral structure from any of the three genera and even of the known taxa in Hypoxidaceae.