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ABSTRACT: Genome size (C-value) and endopolyploidy (endoreduplication index, EI) are known to correlate with various morphological and ecological traits, in addition to phylogenetic placement. A phylogenetically controlled multivariate analysis was used to explore the relationships between DNA content and phenotype in angiosperms. Seeds from 41 angiosperm species (17 families) were grown in a common glasshouse experiment. Genome size (2C-value and 1Cx-value) and EI (in four tissues: leaf, stem, root, petal) were determined using flow cytometry. The phylogenetic signal was calculated for each measure of DNA content, and phylogenetic canonical correlation analysis (PCCA) explored how the variation in genome size and EI was correlated with 18 morphological and ecological traits. Phylogenetic signal (λ) was strongest for EI in all tissues, and λ was stronger for the 2C-value than the 1Cx-value. PCCA revealed that EI was correlated with pollen length, stem height, seed mass, dispersal mechanism, arbuscular mycorrhizal association, life history and flowering time, and EI and genome size were both correlated with stem height and life history. PCCA provided an effective way to explore multiple factors of DNA content variation and phenotypic traits in a phylogenetic context. Traits that were correlated significantly with DNA content were linked to plant competitive ability.
New Phytologist 10/2012; · 6.64 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis is a common technique used to characterize soil microbial diversity. The fidelity of this technique in accurately reporting diversity has not been thoroughly evaluated. Here we determine if rare fungal species can be reliably detected by T-RFLP analysis. Spores from three arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal species were each mixed at a range of concentrations (1%, 10%, 50%, and 100%) with Glomus irregulare to establish a minimum detection threshold. T-RFLP analysis was capable of detecting diagnostic peaks of rare taxa at concentrations as low as 1%. The relative proportion of the target taxa in the sample and DNA concentration influenced peak detection reliability. However, low concentrations produced small, inconsistent electropherogram peaks contributing to difficulty in differentiating true peaks from signal noise. The results of this experiment suggest T-RFLP is a reproducible and high fidelity procedure, which requires careful data interpretation in order to accurately characterize sample diversity.
Journal of microbiological methods 01/2012; 88(1):14-8. · 2.43 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Less than 1% of known monilophytes and lycophytes have a genome size estimate, and substantially less is known about the presence and prevalence of endopolyploid nuclei in these groups. Thirty-one monilophyte species (including three horsetails) and six lycophyte species were collected in Ontario, Canada. Using flow cytometry, genome size and degree of endopolyploidy were estimated for 37 species. Across the five orders covered, 1Cx-values averaged 4.2 pg in the Lycopodiales, 18.1 pg for the Equisetales, 5.06 pg for a single representative of the Ophioglossales, 14.3 pg for the Osmundales, and 7.06 pg for the Polypodiales. There was no indication of endoreduplication in any of the leaf, stem, or root tissue analyzed. This information is essential to our understanding of DNA content evolution in land plants.
Chromosome Research 08/2011; 19(6):763-75. · 3.09 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Urban environments are highly disturbed and fragmented ecosystems that commonly have lower mycorrhizal fungal species richness and diversity compared to rural or natural ecosystems. In this study, we assessed whether the mycorrhizal status and colonization of trees are influenced by the overall environment (rural vs. urban) they are growing in. Soil cores were collected from the rhizosphere of trees growing in urban and rural environments around southern Ontario. Roots were extracted from the soil cores to determine whether the trees were colonized by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, ectomycorrhizal fungi, or both, and to quantify the percent colonization of each type of mycorrhizal fungi. All 26 tree species were colonized by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, and seven tree species were dually colonized by arbuscular mycorrhizal and ectomycorrhizal fungi. Overall, arbuscular mycorrhizal and ectomycorrhizal fungal colonization was significantly (p < 0.001) lower in trees growing in urban compared to rural environments. It is not clear what 'urban' factors are responsible for the reduction in mycorrhizal fungal colonization; more research is needed to determine whether inoculating urban trees with mycorrhizal fungi would increase colonization levels and growth of the trees.
Mycorrhiza 02/2011; 21(2):91-6. · 2.63 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are important components of agroecosystems as they form symbiotic associations with the majority of agricultural crops. The mycorrhizal association is normally mutualistic and can provide a number of benefits to the host plant including increased nutrient uptake, improved water relations, and protection from pathogens. However, conventional agricultural practices have been shown to have a negative impact on the abundance and diversity of AM fungi. The use of more diverse and sustainable land use practices such as tree-based intercropping can have the potential to reduce the negative impact of agricultural practices on AM fungi. This paper reviews the literature to investigate the effect of temperate and tropical tree-based intercropping systems on the abundance and diversity of AM fungi. Evidence from these studies suggests that tree-based intercropping systems support a more abundant and diverse AM fungal community compared to conventionally managed systems. However, there are studies that observed zero or negative significant effects on the AM fungal community as a result of incorporating trees into agricultural systems. The variable effect of tree-based intercropping systems on AM fungi observed may be a function of the different cultivation techniques, climatic variation, or diverse tree–crop combinations used within the different tree-based intercropping systems. To further our understanding of AM fungal dynamics in tree-based intercropping systems, future research should focus on the influence of tree species with varying mycorrhizal associations and the functional role of common mycelial networks in these systems, while utilizing applicable molecular techniques.
Pedobiologia 54(2):57-61. · 1.82 Impact Factor
