K. Weising's research while affiliated with Universität Kassel and other places

Publications (253)

Article
Desiccation-tolerant mat-forming monocotyledons (DTMFM) are typical constituents of the vegetation of tropical inselbergs. The latter are old granitic / gneissic rock outcrops that rise abruptly above the surrounding landscape. Due to unpredictable droughts, they are centers of diversity for dry adapted species such as vascular resurrection plants...
Article
Encholirium is a genus of 31 xerophytic terrestrial or epilithic bromeliad species endemic to eastern Brazil. Together with Dyckia and Deuterocohnia, it forms the so-called xeric clade of the Pitcairnioideae subfamily of Bromeliaceae. Encholirium species are adapted to rocky landscapes, and many of them are found in the rocky grassland fields of th...
Article
In the Atlantic Rainforest located north of the São Francisco River (northeast Brazil), the humid enclaves called brejos de altitude play a significant role in the diversity dynamics of local flora and fauna. The related species Dyckia pernambucana and D. limae (Bromeliaceae) are characterized by their narrow endemic occurrence in such brejos, and...
Article
The terrestrial bromeliad Fosterella rusbyi is endemic to the Bolivian Andes, where it mainly grows on steep, exposed slopes along roadsides and riverbeds in the seasonally dry tropical forest (SDTF) and the mesic montane forest (Yungas) biomes. We hypothesize that allopatric speciation may have been a main driver of diversification in Fosterella s...
Article
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Premise: Microsatellite markers were developed for Xerophyta dasylirioides (Velloziaceae), a species endemic to the Malagasy inselbergs, to explore the impact of its island-like distribution on genetic diversity and gene flow. Methods and results: A total of 7110 perfect microsatellite loci were recovered by shotgun sequencing on an Illumina MiS...
Preprint
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Abstract for Monocots VI - 6. International Conference on Comparative Biology of Monocotyledones in 2018
Article
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Premise of the Study Microsatellite markers were developed in Deuterocohnia longipetala (Bromeliaceae) to investigate species and subspecies boundaries within the genus and the genetic diversity of natural populations. Methods and Results We used 454 pyrosequencing to isolate 835 microsatellite loci in D. longipetala. Of 64 loci selected for prime...
Poster
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The distribution of polyploidy along a relatively steep Andean elevation gradient was studied using the genus Fosterella. Flow cytometry was used to estimate the ploidy of 22 species sampled throughout the distribution range. Ecological differentiation among ploidy levels was tested by comparing the climatic variables. Ancestral chromosome number r...
Conference Paper
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The genus Macaranga comprises approximately 300 species, many of which are important pioneer trees in lowland dipterocarp forests of Southeast Asia. A diversity hotspot of Macaranga is in Sundaland, a region with a complex paleogeographical history. During glacial maxima, sea levels were much lower than today and Sundaland formed a continuous landm...
Conference Paper
Impatiens parviflora has its origin in Central Asia, but is now widespread in Central Europe where it shares similar life-history characters and habitats with the native I. noli-tangere. We have initiated a comparative population genetic analyses of the two species. As a first step, we here report on the generation of a large number of microsatelli...
Conference Paper
Pitcairnia is by far the largest genus of the subfamily Pitcairnioideae (Bromeliaceae). The genus is distributed in South and Central America except for P. feliciana that is a endemic in Guinea (West Africa). No extensive molecular systematic analyses have yet been undertaken in Pitcairnia, and infrageneric relationships remain largely unknown. Her...
Article
- Background and Aims The distribution of polyploidy along a relatively steep Andean elevation and climatic gradient is studied using the genus Fosterella L.B. Sm. (Bromeliaceae) as a model system. Ecological differentiation of cytotypes and the link of polyploidy with historical biogeographic processes such as dispersal events and range shift are...
Article
Premise of the study: Inselbergs are terrestrial, island-like rock outcrop environments that present a highly adapted flora. The epilithic bromeliad Encholirium spectabile is a dominant species on inselbergs in the Caatinga of northeastern Brazil. We conducted a population genetic analysis to test whether the substantial phenotypic diversity of E....
Article
We report the genetic diversity and population structure of the Yellow-bellied Toad (Bombina variegata) at the northern edge of its distribution range in northern Hesse, Germany. A total of 281 samples from 20 populations were analysed, using six polymorphic nuclear microsatellite markers (ncSSRs). Moderate genetic diversity (He = 0.37–0.59) was de...
Article
Dyckia is a xeromorphic bromeliad genus with 168 species distributed throughout south-eastern South America, with the centre of diversity in Brazil. Previous phylogenetic studies based on sequence data revealed, in general, poor resolution among species. To improve our understanding of infrageneric relationships, here we present a molecular phyloge...
Article
Full-text available
According to recent taxonomic treatments, Bromeliaceae subfamily Pitcairnioideae comprise the genera Deuterocohnia, Dyckia, Encholirium, Fosterella and Pitcairnia. We present a dated molecular phylogenetic analysis of a comprehensive taxon set to enable inferences of evolution in the subfamily. Phylogenetic relationships in Pitcairnioideae were rec...
Article
Full-text available
Fosterella (Bromeliaceae) comprises 31 species with rosulate leaves and mostly small, whitish flowers. Previous karyological studies were restricted to chromosome counts. In the present study, chromosomal variation in Fosterella was analysed using CMA3/DAPI staining and/or fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) using 45S and 5S rDNA probes, gene...
Article
Full-text available
Premise of the study: Microsatellite markers were developed in Fosterella christophii (Bromeliaceae) to investigate the genetic diversity and population structure within the F. micrantha group, comprising F. christophii, F. micrantha, and F. villosula. Methods and results: Full-length cDNAs were isolated from F. christophii and sequenced on a Pa...
Article
The parasitic chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) can cause the lethal disease chytridiomycosis in amphibians and therefore may play a role in population declines. The yellow-bellied toad Bombina variegata suffered strong declines throughout western and northwestern parts of its range and is therefore listed as highly endangered for...
Article
Full-text available
Members of the Euphorbiaceae are ecologically important elements of Southeast Asian forests. Species of the pioneer tree genus Macaranga, which is also known for its association with ants, are often abundant in disturbed areas. Phylogenetic studies suggested a recent radiation of section Pachystemon which comprises the majority of obligate myrmecop...
Article
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Suaeda subg. Brezia (Chenopodiaceae/Amaranthaceae) comprises ~45 halophytic species distributed worldwide along coastlines and in saline inland habitats. Thirteen species are currently accepted from the Americas, but species delimitation is difficult due to the scarcity of distinguishing characters. Little is known yet about phylogenetic relationsh...
Article
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We applied a series of intra- and interspecific in situ cross-pollination experiments under greenhouse conditions to evaluate the breeding systems in four Fosterella species (Pitcairnioideae s.str.; Bromeliaceae). Viable hybrids were produced between each pair of the investigated species, suggesting that reproduction barriers may be low also under...
Article
Full-text available
Polymorphic microsatellite markers were developed in Vinca minor (Apocynaceae) to evaluate the level of clonality, population structure, and genetic diversity of the species within its native and introduced range. A total of 1371 microsatellites were found in 43,565 reads from 454 pyrosequencing of genomic V. minor DNA. Additional microsatellite lo...
Article
Almost 30 researchers attended that meeting and the wishes among the participants for a regular event was clear. The main inspiration for such an event was the regular schedule of workshops and congresses around the world which focus on families such as Fabaceae, Solanaceae, Rubiaceae and Poaceae. The final decision of the group was for an event to...
Chapter
The recovery of microsatellites (simple sequence repeats; SSRs) from genomes of non-model organisms has been greatly simplified by the development of high-throughput next-generation DNA sequencing (NGS) technologies. Even with low genome coverage sequencing, hundreds or even thousands of microsatellites are usually detected in a single experime...
Article
Full-text available
The genus Dyckia (Bromeliaceae) comprises more than 150 terrestrial or epilithic species with a strongly xeromorphic habit. Most of its members belong to the azonal rock vegetation of Neotropical savannas and forests of Brazil and adjacent countries. Dyckia is relatively spe-cies-rich compared with its closest relatives Encholirium (27 species) and...
Article
Full-text available
Over the last decade an intensive research on the regulation of gene expression in viral and animal systems has led to the discovery of cis-acting regulatory sequences, the identification of sequence-specific DNA-binding proteins (trans-acting factors), the characterization of protein domains involved in DNA-protein recognition and binding as well...
Poster
Full-text available
The palaeotropical genus Macaranga (Euphorbiaceae) comprises approximately 300 species, many of which are important pioneer trees in lowland dipterocarp forests of South East Asia. About 30 species are obligate myrmecophytes. A diversity hotspot of Macaranga is in Sundaland (including the islands of Java, Sumatra, Borneo, and the Malay Peninsula),...
Article
Full-text available
Almost three decades ago Alec Jeffreys published his seminal Nature papers on the use of minisatellite probes for DNA fingerprinting of humans (Jeffreys and colleagues Nature 1985, 314:67-73 and Nature 1985, 316:76-79). The new technology was soon adopted for many other organisms including plants, and when Hilde Nybom, Kurt Weising and Alec Jeffrey...
Article
As a result of intensive exploitation, disturbed forests now dominate large areas of lowland tropical rainforest in South-East Asia. The genus Macaranga comprises some of the most important pioneer tree species of the region, among them M. beccariana and M. hypoleuca, two closely related obligate ant-plants pollinated by thrips. We used nuclear and...
Article
Myrmekophyten sind ständig von Ameisen besiedelte Pflanzen. Die Ameisen erhalten eine Wohnstatt und Futter von der Pflanze, im Gegenzug beschützen sie ihren Wirt vor Herbivoren und pflanzlichen Konkurrenten. Die vielfältigen Beziehungen zwischen tropischen Pionierbäumen der Gattung Macaranga und ihren Partnerameisen der Gattung Crematogaster stelle...
Article
Premise of the study: Central European salt habitats are mainly restricted to the maritime coast but scattered occurrences can also be found inland. In inland habitats, human activities have caused losses and reductions in the size of natural salt sites but have also created new anthropogenic habitats around potash mining dumps colonized by haloph...
Article
A panel of simple repetitive oligonucleotide probes has been designed and tested for multilocus DNA fingerprinting in some 200 fungal, plant and animal species as well as man. To date at least one of the probes has been found to be informative in each species. The human genome, however, has been the major target of many fingerprintins studies. Usin...
Conference Paper
Our ongoing project involves a detailed morphological, biogeographical and molecular systematic analysis of Deuterocohnia (Bromeliaceae). The genus is mainly distributed in the Andes of southern Bolivia and northern Argentina. Typical habitats of these plants are dry, rocky slopes or rock faces. Succulent leaves and CAM photosynthesis are some o...
Conference Paper
With more than 390 described species, Pitcairnia is by far the largest genus of the subfamily Pitcairnioideae (Bromeliaceae). It also shows the widest distribution range within the subfamily. The genus is distributed in South and Central America except for Pitcairnia feliciana that is a local endemic on a mountain range in West Africa. No extensive...
Article
The genus Dyckia (Bromeliaceae) comprises 147 species that are distributed in Brazil and adjacent countries. Many species are rare and narrow endemics. We used 454 pyrosequencing to isolate 1,587 microsatellite loci in Dyckia marnier-lapostollei. Of 50 loci that were selected for primer design, 15 markers proved to be polymorphic in five population...
Article
Full-text available
The genus Cryptanthus (Bromeliaceae) is endemic to Brazil. Many of its currently recognized 66 species are narrow endemics that are threatened by habitat destruction. Molecular markers are needed to evaluate the extent and distribution of genetic diversity in rare Cryptanthus species, which would be a prerequisite for taking appropriate conservatio...
Article
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Unlabelled: • Premise of the study: Phylogeographical analyses of Dyckia (Bromeliaceae) suffer from low levels of sequence variation. Plastid microsatellite markers were developed to achieve a better-resolved genus-wide plastid genealogy of Dyckia. • Methods and results: Approximately 84% of the D. marnier-lapostollei plastome was sequenced us...
Conference Paper
We used 454 pyrosequencing to establish nuclear SSR markers for the genus Deuterochonia (Pitcairnioideae; Bromeliaceae). A total of 25,827 reads with an average size of 337 bp were generated from genomic DNA of the widely distributed Deuterocohnia longipetala, corresponding to a genomic coverage of approximately 2%. Unigenes were assembled and scre...
Article
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Premise of the study: Polymorphic microsatellite markers were developed for Fosterella rusbyi (Bromeliaceae) to evaluate the population genetic structure and genetic diversity of natural populations of F. rusbyi and other Fosterella species in Bolivia. Methods and results: 454 pyrosequencing technology was used to generate 73027 sequence reads f...
Conference Paper
Full-text available
The neotropical Bromeliaceae comprise ~3,400 species that occupy a wide variety of terrestrial and epiphytic habitats. The great versatility of bromeliads is associated with several key innovations, like CAM photosynthesis, succulence, and the formation of foliar trichomes capable of water absorption. According to the revised infrafamilial classifi...
Article
Full-text available
To reconstruct the spatio-temporal evolution of Fosterella (Bromeliaceae), a genus characterized by a high degree of endemism in the Central Andes, and to account for contemporary patterns of diversity and distribution within the genus. Fosterella has its centre of diversity in the Central Andes (24 species), where it occurs in two major biomes: th...
Article
A population genetic analysis based on eight genomic SSR markers and three EST-SSR (expressed sequence tags) markers developed in peach (Prunus persica (L.) Batsch) and Japanese plum (Prunus salicina Lindl.) was carried out in 12 wild populations of cherry plum (Prunus divaricata Ledeb.) sampled along the Iranian coast of the Caspian Sea. A total o...
Article
Macaranga (Euphorbiaceae) has received much ecological and evolutionary research attention as a genus that includes some of the most conspicuous pioneer trees of Southeast Asian tropical rainforests and because of its manifold associations with ants, including about 30 species that are obligate ant-plants (myrmecophytes). We used sequence data from...
Conference Paper
The lesser periwinkle (Vinca minor L., Apocynaceae) is mainly distributed in the Mediterranean area and Central Europe, where it probably has been brought by the Romans as an ornamental plant. Nowadays it often occurs in the surroundings of ancient urban settlements. In Germany, it is expected to reproduce mainly asexually via stolons. This study i...
Article
Full-text available
A collection of 5,659 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) from pineapple [Ananas comosus (L.) Merr.] was screened for simple sequence repeats (EST-SSRs) with motif lengths between 1 and 6 bp. Lower thresholds of 15, 7 and 5 repeat units were used to define microsatellites of the mono-, di-, and tri- to hexanucleotide repeat type, respectively. Based on...
Article
Full-text available
Macaranga (Euphorbiaceae) has received much ecological and evolutionary research attention as a genus that includes some of the most conspicuous pioneer trees of Southeast Asian tropical rainforests and because of its manifold associations with ants, including about 30 species that are obligate ant-plants (myrmecophytes). We used sequence data from...
Chapter
IntroductionMolecular MethodsChoice of Method ApplicationsConclusions and Future OutlooksLiterature Cited
Article
Synthetic oligonucleotides complementary to simple repetitive DNA sequences were used to detect inter- and intra-specific polymorphisms in a leguminous crop plant (chickpea, Cicer arietinum) and its wild relatives. All the investigated repetitive motifs [(GACA)4, (GATA)4, (GTG)5, (CA)8, (TCC)5, (GGAT)4, and (AGTTT)4] were abundantly present and pol...