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Genetic structure in patchy populations of a candidate foundation plant: a case study of Leymus chinensis (Poaceae) using genetic and clonal diversity

View ORCID ProfileJian Guo, View ORCID ProfileChristina L. Richards, View ORCID ProfileKent E. Holsinger, View ORCID ProfileGordon A. Fox, View ORCID ProfileZhuo Zhang, View ORCID ProfileChan Zhou
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.06.12.448174
Jian Guo
1School of Life Science, Liaoning University, Shenyang 110036, P.R. China
7School of Environmental Engineering, Xuzhou University of Technology, Xuzhou 221018, P.R. China
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Christina L. Richards
2Department of Integrative Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA
3Plant Evolutionary Ecology group, University of Tübingen, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany
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Kent E. Holsinger
4Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, U-3043, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, USA
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Gordon A. Fox
2Department of Integrative Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA
5Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
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Zhuo Zhang
6School of Life Science and Bioengineering, Shenyang University, Shenyang 110044, P.R. China
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Chan Zhou
1School of Life Science, Liaoning University, Shenyang 110036, P.R. China
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  • For correspondence: zhou_yanhan@163.com
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ABSTRACT

PREMISE The distribution of genetic diversity on the landscape has critical ecological and evolutionary implications. This may be especially the case on a local scale for foundation plant species since they create and define ecological communities, contributing disproportionately to ecosystem function.

METHODS We examined the distribution of genetic diversity and clones, which we defined first as unique multi-locus genotypes (MLG), and then by grouping similar MLGs into multi-locus lineages (MLL). We used 186 markers from inter-simple sequence repeats (ISSR) across 358 ramets from 13 patches of the foundation grass Leymus chinensis. We examined the relationship between genetic and clonal diversities, their variation with patch-size, and the effect of the number of markers used to evaluate genetic diversity and structure in this species.

RESULTS Every ramet had a unique MLG. Almost all patches consisted of individuals belonging to a single MLL. We confirmed this with a clustering algorithm to group related genotypes. The predominance of a single lineage within each patch could be the result of the accumulation of somatic mutations, limited dispersal, some sexual reproduction with partners mainly restricted to the same patch, or a combination of all three.

CONCLUSIONS We found strong genetic structure among patches of L. chinensis. Consistent with previous work on the species, the clustering of similar genotypes within patches suggests that clonal reproduction combined with somatic mutation, limited dispersal, and some degree of sexual reproduction among neighbors causes individuals within a patch to be more closely related than among patches.

Competing Interest Statement

The authors have declared no competing interest.

Copyright 
The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. All rights reserved. No reuse allowed without permission.
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Posted June 13, 2021.
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Genetic structure in patchy populations of a candidate foundation plant: a case study of Leymus chinensis (Poaceae) using genetic and clonal diversity
Jian Guo, Christina L. Richards, Kent E. Holsinger, Gordon A. Fox, Zhuo Zhang, Chan Zhou
bioRxiv 2021.06.12.448174; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.06.12.448174
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Genetic structure in patchy populations of a candidate foundation plant: a case study of Leymus chinensis (Poaceae) using genetic and clonal diversity
Jian Guo, Christina L. Richards, Kent E. Holsinger, Gordon A. Fox, Zhuo Zhang, Chan Zhou
bioRxiv 2021.06.12.448174; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.06.12.448174

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