Bernard Baum

• Doctor of Philosophy
• University of Ottawa

We have investigated the utility of the 5S nrDNA, a conserved, multicopy gene family organized into tandem repeats as a tool for genetic analyses in a wide variety of genera. Previous work in the Triticeae (Poaceae) demonstrated that the prior identification of unit classes based upon the 5S nrDNA NTS, greatly facilitates analysis. We investigated...

Many species included in the genera Lophopyrum (Á. Löve 1980), Thinopyrum (Á. Löve 1980), and Trichopyrum (Á. Löve 1986) provide germplasm that can be used by breeders to improve commercial wheat cultivars through breeding programs. But various authors have classified them differently, placing them into one, two, three or even more genera. This lac...

Dasypyrum is a genus with two species, an annual diploid Dasypyrum villosum and a perennial diploid or tetraploid D. breviaristatum. It is difficult to distinguish between the two, especially for a non-taxonomist. In this paper we demonstrate how to distinguish between the two species and between the two ploidy levels of D. breviaristatum. We achie...

Elymus cylindricus (2n = 6x = 42) and E. breviaristatus (2n = 6x = 42) are distributed in grasslands and deserts of northern and north-western China. Their genomic constitution and taxonomic status are unclear. Elymus cylindricus was crossed with E. wawawaiensis J.R.Carlson & Barkworth (StH), Roegneria grandis Keng (StY) and Campeiostachys dahurica...

Nestin is an intermediate filament protein involved in neurogenesis in fish, mice, and humans. In this study we used rapid amplification of cDNA ends PCR to isolate goldfish nestin (nes). PCR analysis and sequencing revealed three different nes transcripts of 4003, 2446, and 2126 nucleotides, which are predicted to generate proteins of 860, 274, an...

The genus Elymus ("Ryegrass") is a repository for a range of species with a variety of haplome contents; hence the pejorative name "dustbin" genus. We have analyzed 1,059 sequences from 128 accessions representing 24 species to investigate the relationships among the StH haplomes-containing species described by Yen and Yang (Genus Elymus Beijing 5:...

Genetic diversities of 106 Avena accessions, including diploid, tetraploid and hexaploid species, derived from different countries were characterized based on seed storage proteins polymorphism using SDS-PAGE. A total of 24 protein bands and 72 protein patterns were detected in all 106 accessions. The genetic similarity value varied from 0.50 to 1....

The genus Dasypyrum contains two species: the annual and widespread D. villosum (2x = 2n = 14) and the perennial and generally rare D. breviaristatum (2x = 2n = 14 and 4x = 2n = 28). The origin of the latter and its genome constitution have been subject of several studies. There is agreement that the genome of the diploid D. villosum (VV) is differ...

We have investigated the complex relationships among the annual genera within the tribe Triticeae through phylogenetic analyses of the 5S rRNA multigene family. Cloned sequences were assigned to groups of orthologous sequences, called unit classes, that were subjected to several analyses including BLAST (Basic Local Alignment Search Tool) searches...

Phylogenetic inferences of the polyploid Aegilops taxa were drawn based upon the analysis of 909 nuclear 5S rDNA sequences obtained from 15 Aegilops polyploid taxa (531 sequences new to this paper) and 378 sequences from our previous study on the diploid taxa. The 531 sequences can be split into two orthologous groups (unit classes), the long AE1 a...

Microsorum punctatum (L.) Copel. is a widespread species of ferns. It is distributed in the tropics and subtropics of Asia and Africa from sea level to about 2800 m elevation. At present, the taxonomic status and boundary of this species is still uncertain due to the great variation in frond form, size, and venation patterns. These variations depar...

A brief history of taxonomy, for the most part plant oriented, is provided, which demonstrates the use of morphology early on, through the stages when different technologies became available at different times until the present use of genomic tools. Genomic authentication facilitates with greater precision than ever before the identification of an...

Reid, L. M., Xiang, K., Zhu, X., Baum, B. R. and Molnar, S. J. 2011. Genetic diversity analysis of 119 Canadian maize inbred lines based on pedigree and simple sequence repeat markers. Can. J. Plant Sci. 91: 651-661. Since the early 1920s Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) has been developing maize varieties and inbred lines adapted to the ear...

To answer the question whether Hordeum spontaneum K. Koch. and Hordeum vulgare L. are conspecific taxonomic entities or not", we carried out an investigation with amplified restriction fragment length polymorphism (AFLP (TM)) using H. vulgare cultivars, H. spontaneum from the Fertile Crescent, and material from China, primarily Xizang (Tibet), cont...

A multivariate morphometric study of the Symphyotrichum boreale – S. nahanniense – S. welshii complex was undertaken to assess the morphological differences between members of the complex and compare them with specimens of S. lanceolatum, a close relative. Discriminant analyses of a matrix of 119 specimens including the S. nahanniense – S. boreale...

The results of a pilot study aimed at automatic identification of cultivars based on the grain are presented. Using fluorescence spectrography, a band from 3000 Å to 5300 Å was found useful for discriminating six Canadian oat cultivars. It is stipulated that fluorescence spectrography reflects part of the assumed chemical pattern distinguishability...

A phylogenetic analysis of Triticeae was performed by means of numerical methods. Five methods, each based on extreme assumptions of parameters so interpreted under Felsenstein's (1979) evolutionary model, were used: Camin–Sokal parsimony, Wagner parsimony, Dollo parsimony, polymorphism parsimony, and character-compatibility analysis. Although a co...

Elaphrus americanus Dejean (sensu Lindroth, 1961) is a complex of two nearctic species: E. americanus and E. finitimus Casey. This study is primarily devoted to E. americanus, which includes two subspecies: a boreal subspecies and a newly described western subspecies, E. americanus sylvanus Goulet n. subsp., for which the type locality is Oregon, C...

This is a continuation of a study on geographical variation of the Elaphrus americanus Dejean species complex. This paper is devoted to E. finitimus Casey, which includes at least seven populations: White Mountains of California, Colorado Plateau, western Great Basin, western Arizona, central California, southern California, and southern Sierra Nev...

Six hundred and twenty six isolates of Puccinia graminis f.sp. tritici that were collected and stored between 1952 and 1998 were identified using 32 single-gene differential wheat lines. These pathotypes represented isolates from field surveys, nursery collections, and from greenhouse experiments. Infection type data was converted to a binary data...

The new genus Douglasdeweya C. Yen, J.L. Yang & B.R. Baum is based on results from cytogenetical and morphological findings — PPStSt genome — and is segregated from the genus Pseudoroegneria — StSt and StStStSt genome. Several characters, such as the erect spike with very finely spinulose pubescence along the two main angles of the rachis, and glum...

The allotetraploid Brassica napus has been shown to contain a five-member multigene family (AHAS1 – 5) of the nuclear-encoded chloroplastic enzyme acetohydroxy acid synthase, three members of which are expressed. AHAS1 and AHAS3 are constitutively expressed while AHAS2 expression is ovule- and seed-specific. By sequence and phylogenetic analyses we...

A brief historical sketch of the classification of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) cultivars is presented along with reference to key reviews on this subject. Characters, utilized in the comprehensive study on the barley cultivars of North America by Aberg and Wiebe (U.S. Department of Agriculture Technical Bulletin 942), were subjected to a series of...

The epicuticular waxes of glumes of 357 samples, representing all the 27 species of the genus Avena. were examined under the scanning electron microscope. Three basic patterns were discerned, plates, knobs, and filaments, and each sample has been scored for the types found. A fourth category of unstructural pattern has also been scored. Variability...

A series of quantitative measurements were obtained from the upper and lower seeds of various Canadian oat cultivars, the aim being to determine if such measurements could be used to discriminate among cultivars. Although the measurements were obtained manually, the system of measurement was developed with the view to automatic recording by scannin...

The morphology, distribution, developmental and reproductive behaviour, cytology, and glumes' epicuticular waxes of Avena macrostachya, a long overlooked species, have been studied and described. In addition, a few interspecific crosses have been attempted but were unsuccessful. Based on unique traits, such as perenniality, cross-fertilization, and...

The occurrence of hydathodal pores in lodicules of various species of Avena is reported for the first time. Those of cultivated oats (A. sativa L.) are described from examinations made under interference contrast and scanning electron microscopes.

This paper describes and evaluates the results of a scanning electron microscopic study of the sculpture of the surfaces of caryopses, glumes, lemmas, awn columns, and awn subules of Avena fatua, normal cultivated oats (A. sativa), fatuoids, and F1 hybrids A. fatua × sativa. Only qualitative differences were sought, and none were detected in the gl...

Avena occidentalis Dur., hitherto known from only one specimen, was found to occur in three islands of the Canaries and in one locality in Portugal. The speculation that this might indicate a greater past distribution is strengthened by a few examples of species with a similar present distribution in the Canaries and with known fossil records from...

This paper reports the use of micromorphologic attributes taken from the lodicules, epiblasts, and disarticulating scars for purposes of circumscription of the taxa associated with the names A. abyssinica and A. vaviloviana and their F1 hybrids, and also A. barbata. Furthermore it is shown that the epiblast can serve as a good marker to distinguish...

This paper describes the establishment and validation of 14 groupings of cultivars in the hexaploid cultivated oats. This study is based on 5000 samples from various parts of the world. In order to base the groupings on non-agronomic characters, 21 attributes, mainly micromorphological ones taken from floral parts such as lemmas, paleas, and lodicu...

Using analysis of variance, four sequentially obtained characters were chosen from 21 to discriminate among 14 groupings (demes) proposed elsewhere. The 14 estimated sets of 36 multinomial probabilities obtained therefrom, together with the estimated probability of occurrence of each deme, were used to construct a Bayesian identification procedure....

New micromorphological attributes taken from the base of the florets, the lodicules, and epiblasts are shown to be very useful in delimiting the two related taxa A. septentrionalis Malz. and A. fatua. It is pointed out that more research, such as cytogenetics and genetics, is needed to understand better the relationships between these two taxa; thi...

Representative Canadian herbarium material of Danthonia was studied morphologically and micromorphologically. Characters used by previous authors were reexamined. Among the new characters studied the lodicule patterns were found to be very useful for discrimination. Canonical analyses were performed excluding input of lodicule patterns, but with th...

Avena canariensis sp. nov., 2n = 14, is described from the Canary Islands. Its spikelets have non-disarticulating upper florets and bidentate lemmas, suggesting the evolutionary sequence: A, canariensis (2x) → A. magna (4x) → A. sterilis (6x). Hence it is a putative ancestor of the 6x cultivated oats. The karyotype consists of two pairs of satellit...

The ultrastructure of epicuticular glume waxes in two tetraploid Avena species, A. magna and A. murphyi, and in one hexaploid species, A. sterilis, has been studied and documented with the aid of the scanning electron microscope (SEM). The usefulness of this approach for taxonomy and diagnostic purposes has been evaluated, and the specific configur...

An investigation of type collections of the 13 Danthonia species hitherto recognized for Canada as well as those of other pertinent species described from the United States is reported in detail. As a result of our designation of lectotypes and study of holotypes, we conclude that the correct names of the five species recognized earlier by Baum and...

The latest comprehensive classification of Avena species was established by Malzew in 1929. It has been used by oat workers until today, in spite of the fact that for decades it became gradually outdated partly because new data became available and partly because new species were discovered. This necessitated a new attempt to classify the oats. The...

The value of Kalm's specimens as nomenclatural types of Linnaean species of grasses is evaluated with special reference to a number of species previously typified. A number of these species are retypified according to the "Guide for determination of types" given in the International Code of Nomenclature. As a result of this study one new combinatio...

An historical sketch of the different opinions concerning the generic limits of Avena and its relationships among other closely related genera of the tribe Aveneae is given. Advancement indexes of Avena and its closest allies were calculated. It is found that Avena possesses many primitive characters and in this respect is most closely allied to Ar...

The main steps in the history of delimitation of Medicago and Trigonella are given. The typical medicagos have been characterized by spirally coiled pods; the typical trigonellas, by cylindrical straight or curved pods. The cause of the long disagreement is due to the existence of species having flattened or compressed pods in both genera. Such spe...

Many authorities consider that Avena sativa and A. fatua constitute a single species. This attitude is based mainly on morphology, because of the existence of different intermediate forms, and partly on the belief that A. sativa is a product of selection by man from A. fatua. More recently, because of the absence of chromosomal differentiation cyto...

Most reports on natural hybrids between A. sativa and A. fatua are not supported by definitive experimental evidence. Those authorities who have proved that natural hybrids do occur were assisted by the fact that both parents were known and occurred with the putative hybrids. The present study was conducted on samples of foundation plots from Canad...

It was assumed, on the basis of earlier findings, that the Sativa-type lodicule coupled with other morphological characters is diagnostic of Avena sativa L. and that the Fatua-type lodicule is indicative of A. fatua L. or of F1 hybrids between these two taxa. Almost all of many samples of putative fatuoids that were collected in fields of cultivate...

Comparative morphological and palynological studies have been carried out on Plantago fastigiata (P. insularis) of the New World and P. ovata, including some closely allied species of section Leucopsyllium, of the Old World. As a result, P. fastigiata is regarded as conspecific with P. ovata. It is postulated that the North American populations kno...

A new diploid species of oat from Syria, named Avena damascena Rajhathy et Baum, is described. It has some macro- and micromorphological similarities to A. wiestii and A. prostrata, both diploids, and to tetraploid A. barbata. It differs from one or the other of them in its lemma tips, lodicules, epiblast and in the unique structure of the cuticle...

Members of the AP2 family of transcription factors, such as BABY BOOM (BBM), play important roles in cell proliferation and embryogenesis in Arabidopsis thaliana (AtBBM) and Brassica napus (BnBBM) but how this occurs is not understood. We have isolated three AP2 genes (GmBBM1, GmAIL5, GmPLT2) from somatic embryo cultures of soybean, Glycine max (L....

Two classes of 5S DNA units, namely the short (containing units of 410 bp) and the long (containing units of 500 bp), are recognized in species of the wheat (the genera Aegilops and Triticum) group. While every diploid species of this group contains 2 unit classes, the short and the long, every allopolyploid species contains a smaller number of uni...

Multivariate analyses based on morphological and anatomical characters have been performed to investigate the phenetic relationship and to clarify the circumscriptions of the genus Lepisorus (J.Sm.) Ching and its related genera, namely Neocheiropteris Christ, Paragramma T. Moore and Platygyria Ching & S.K. Wu. The dendrogram of cluster analysis sep...

Relationships among the currently recognized 11 diploid species within the genus Aegilops have been investigated. Sequence similarity analysis, based upon 363 sequenced 5S rDNA clones from 44 accessions plus 15 sequences retrieved from GenBank, depicted two unit classes labeled the long AE1 and short AE1. Several different analytical methods were a...

As part of a taxonomic revision of the genus Roegneria K. Koch (Poaceae, Triticeae), a neotype is designated for R. caucasica K. Koch, the type of the generic name, because the entire type collection of Koch's specimens in Berlin (B) was destroyed during World War II.

Agropyron panormitanum Parlatore var. heterophyllum Bornmüller ex Melderis (Poaceae, Triticeae) is transferred to the genus Roegneria K. Koch based on its ploidy and genome. The taxon was described from Lebanon and is recognized at species rank as the new combination R. heterophylla (Bornmüller ex Melderis) C. Yen, J. L. Yang & B. R. Baum. The taxo...

As part of a revision of the genus, Agropyron deweyi Á. Löve (Poaceae, Triticeae) is neotypified, because its holotype grown from seed material from Turkey was lost. The neotype is selected from one of two specimens bearing the same wild-origin seed details as the original type, which differ in the date of their collection.

A multivariate morphometric study of Solidago subsection Glomeruliflorae (Torr. & A.Gray) Nesom was undertaken on a matrix of 45 characters by 368 plants to assess the morphological differences among the members of the complex and to determine their appropriate taxonomic ranks. The numbers of a priori groups tested were based on taxa recognized in...

The antifungal activity and 5-lipoxygenase-inhibiting activity of extracts of five wild and three commercially used taxa of the genus Echinacea were investigated. The near-UV mediated antifungal bioassays included clinically isolated Cryptococcus neoformans, two Candida albicans isolates (D10 and CN1A) with amphotericin B resistance, as well as est...

Modern malting barley cultivars (Hordeum vulgare) are based on a narrow range of germplasm. As a result it is becoming increasingly difficult to differentiate among them based solely on morphological and/or biochemical characteristics. We show that a set of 15 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) is sufficient to distinguish all the 17 malting si...

We have investigated relationships among the three closely related genera Agropyron, Pseudoroegneria, and Douglasdeweya. Based upon grouping of 330 5S rDNA sequences into unit classes, we found that Douglasdeweya, with the genomic constitution PPStSt, has 2 unit classes, the long P1 and short S1, and Pseudoroegneria, with the genomic constitution S...

BAUM, B. R. & SAVILE, D. B. O., 1985. Rusts (Uredinales) of Triticeae: evolution and extent of coevolution, a cladistic analysis. Established evolutionary trends in Uredinales as a whole are reviewed, and primitive and advanced characters are presented. The rusts of all Poaceae arc presented in a table that strongly indicates Bambusoideae to be the...

Kengyilia Yen and Yang is a new genus in the Triticeae from west China. It is similar to Roegneria C. Koch, from which it differs by the erect spikes with dense arrangement of spikelets and the densely pilose or hirsute lemmas. A cytological characteristic is the set of long chromosomes of the P genome, which can clearly be distinguished from the S...

Accurate assessment of genetic similarity is important for plant breeding, germplasm enhancement and conservation of plant genetic resources. A comparative analysis of genome diversity among a group of six-rowed spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) cultivars was carried out using sequence-specific amplified polymorphism (S-SAP) and single nucleotide...

The low-molecular-weight (LMW) glutenin subunits are important for aspects of wheat quality and dough processing, and the LMW-i type glutenin is one of the typical glutenins. However, a detailed description of the DNA structure and encoded polypeptides of the LMW-i type glutenin subunit gene family is still lacking. In this study, two LMW-i type gl...

The thirty-three 5' flanking conserved sequences of the known low-molecular-weight subunit (LMW-GS) genes have been divided into eight clusters, which was in agreement with the classification based on the deduced N-terminal protein sequences. The DNA polymorphism between the eight clusters was obtained by sequence alignment, and a total of 34 polym...

We used quantitative real-time PCR analysis to measure the copy number of the BARE-1 retrotransposon in 5 cultivars of barley (Hordeum vulgare), as well as in samples from its wild relative, Hordeum spontaneum. Two sets of PCR primers were used to amplify regions within the long terminal repeat (LTR) and the reverse transcriptase (RT) gene of BARE-...

On the basis of sequence analysis, 69 known low-molecular-weight glutenin subunit (LMW-GS) genes were experimentally classified into nine groups by the deduced amino acid sequence of the highly conserved N-terminal domain. To clarify the chromosomal locations of these groups, 11 specific primer sets were designed to carry out polymerase chain react...

We analyzed the genetic structure and relationships among barley cultivars (Hordeum vulgare L.) with sequence-specific amplification polymorphisms (S-SAPs). Polymorphisms were identified in 824 individual barley plants representing 103 cultivars (eight plants per cultivar) widely grown in Canada and the United States, using PCR primers designed fro...

Cassia L. sensu lato, a large heterogeneous genus of flowering plants, occurs naturally in the tropics around the world. Recent works based on floral morphology have supported a division of this genus into three genera, namely Cassia L. s. str., Chamaecrista Moench and Senna Mill. In order to investigate this new classification, 508 specimens of 18...

Although the increasing number of expressed sequence tags (ESTs) from the public domain has facilitated the detection of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), further validation is needed before they can be used as markers. For SNP validation, we have compared 2 independent methods: (1) the primer extension method followed by capillary electropho...

Several authors have proposed that the European Hordeum secalinum and the morphologically similar South African Hordeum capense are conspecific. In this paper we provide evidence that the two species differ in their 5S DNA unit class composition. We also report on the diversity of 5S DNA units in Hordeum muticum, a South American species. When the...

 Bauhinia pottsii G. Don, B. subsessilis Craib, B. velutina (Wall. ex Benth.) Baker, B. mollissima (Wall.) Prain, and B. decipiens Craib were recently recognized as five varieties of Bauhinia pottsii G. Don. They grow naturally in southern Myanmar, Thailand, Indochina and the Malay Peninsula. Bauhinia pottsii var. decipiens (Craib) K. Larsen & S. S...

A substantial amount of between and within cultivar genetic variation was detected in all the 13 registered modern Canadian durum wheat ( Triticum turgidum L. ssp. durum (Desf.) Husn.) cultivars based upon amplified restriction fragment polymorphism (AFLP). Of the approximately 950 detected AFLP markers, only 89 were polymorphic, with 41 between cu...

Amplification of the 5S rDNA gene by the polymerase chain reaction, followed by cloning and sequencing, was used to generate data from 23 seed accessions of Hordeum brachyantherum Nevski, Hordeum californicum Covas et Stebbins, Hordeum cordobense Bothmer, Jacobsen et Nicora, and Hordeum roshevitzii Bowden. One hundred and fourteen clones were analy...

We have developed two identification schemes for currently registered Canadian cultivars of durum wheat [Triticum turgidum L. subsp, durum (Desf) Husn.] based on cultivar-specific amplified restriction fragment polymorphism (AFLPJ) and their sequence tagged sites (STS) markers. Each identification key required seven markers. Transformation of AFLPs...

Methyl jasmonate (MJ), a naturally-occurring plant cellular signal molecule, was found to induce production of lipophilic secondary metabolites in Echinacea pallida seedlings. Seedling aerial parts were sprayed with 100 ppm MJ, and roots were harvested and extracted 24 h later. Lipophilic root extracts, separated by HPLC, revealed significant incre...

Sequence information from multicopy genes has been widely used for phylogenetic inference. Among those sequences analyzed, nuclear 5S rRNA genes, the two internal transcribed spacer regions (ITS1 and ITS2) of the 18S-26S rDNA genes, and the intergenic spacer (IGS) regions of the same 18S-26S rDNA genes have all been used at the specific, generic, f...

The status of the taxa Elymus dahuricus Turcz. ex Griseb., E. excelsus Turcz. ex Griseb., E. woroschilowii Probat. and E. tangutorum (Nevski) Hand.-Mazz., all of which are sometimes treated as members of E. dahuricus s.l. or as constituting the E. dahuricus complex, has been investigated using morphological, biochemical (SDS-PAGE of endosperm prote...

We have employed a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based approach to amplify 5S rDNA sequences from 20 accessions representing five Hordeum species native to the Americas. Sequence analysis of 88 clones revealed three sets of orthologous sequences in Hordeum pusillum Nutt. and two sets in the other four species. The long H1 unit class, previously k...

This study demonstrated that plant extracts containing acetylenic isobutylamides and polyacetylenes, previously reported as occurring in Echinacea, have phototoxic antimicrobial activity against fungi, including clinically relevant pathogenic fungi. Results show that hexane extracts of Echinacea variably inhibit growth of yeast strains of Saccharom...

Fifty-three units of 5S rDNA sequences from five accessions of Kengyilia rigidula, a member of the tribe Triticeae that also includes wheat, barley, rye, and their wild relatives, have been amplified by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), cloned, and sequenced. The genome of K. rigidula consists of three haplomes, St, P, and Y. An evaluation of th...

To address the general concern about reproducibility of diagnostic DNA bands obtained from RAPDs for the identification of the six row Canadian barley cultivar identification scheme, we have designed specific primers based on STSs derived from those diagnostic bands. Furthermore, we have also optimized the PCR reaction conditions of the identificat...

The molecular diversity of the 5S rDNA units in 13 accessions of wall barley, which include Hordeum murinum, H. leporinum, and H. glaucum, is reported. Our analyses, based on 54 sequenced clones, indicate the presence of two sequence classes not previously seen in other barley species; namely, the long Y1 unit class and the short Y1 unit class. In...