BACKGROUND Phylogenetic and phylogeographic investigations have been previously performed to study the evolution of the olive tree complex (Olea europaea). A particularly high genomic diversity has been found in north-west Africa. However, to date no exhaustive study has been addressed to infer putative polyploidization events and their evolutionary significance in the diversification of the ol...

Recent studies have shown that allopolyploidy accelerates genome evolution in wheat in two ways: (1) allopolyploidization triggers rapid genome changes (revolutionary changes) through the instantaneous generation of a variety of cardinal genetic and epigenetic alterations, and (2) the allopolyploid condition facilitates sporadic genomic changes during the life of the species (evolutionary chang...

Lepidopteran cell lines constitute the backbone for studying baculoviral biology in culturo and for baculovirus vector based recombinant protein expression systems. In the present study, we report establishment of a new continuous cell line designated as DZNU-Bm-1 from larval ovaries of the silkworm, Bombyx mori. The cells were grown in MGM-448 insect cell culture medium supplemented with 10% f...

There is considerable variability in salt tolerance amongst members of the Triticeae, with the tribe even containing a number of halophytes. This is a review of what is known of the differences in salt tolerance of selected species in this tribe of grasses, and the potential to use wild species to improve salt tolerance in wheat. Most investigators have concentrated on differences in ion accumu...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Polyploidy is viewed as an important mechanism of sympatric speciation, but only a few studies have documented patterns of distribution and ecology of different cytotypes in their contact zone. Aster amellus agg. (Asteraceae) is one of the species with documented multiple ploidy levels. The aim of this study was to determine spatial distribution and ecology of two cytotypes,...

The awn is a long needle-like structure formed at the tip of the lemma in the florets of some grass species. It plays a role in seed dispersal and protection against animals, and can contribute to the photosynthetic activity of spikes. Three main dominant inhibitors of awn development (Hd, B1 and B2) are known in hexaploid wheat, but the causal genes have not been cloned yet and a genetic assoc...

Polyploidy and symbiotic Epichloë fungal endophytes are common and heritable characteristics that can facilitate environmental range expansion in grasses. Here we examined geographic patterns of polyploidy and the frequency of fungal endophyte colonized plants in 29 Festuca rubra L. populations from eight geographic sites across latitudes from Spain to northernmost Finland and Greenland. Ploidy...