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Chromosome number and genome size in Atriplex mollis from southern Tunisia and Atriplex lanfrancoi from Malta (Amaranthaceae)

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Abstract

In this work, we investigated the chromosome number and genome size of two Mediterranean Amaranthaceae species, namely Atriplex mollis from southern Tunisia and A. lanfrancoi (formerly Cremnophyton lanfrancoi) from Malta. The two species were found to be diploid (2n = 18) for all examined populations. This result is different from that previously reported for Cremnophyton lanfrancoi Brullo and Pavone (2n = 20). Genome size showed that both species have a close mean amount with 2C = 3.41 and 3.51 pg, respectively. Two groups were distinguished with regard to genome size (P < 0.01). It should, however, be noted that the majority of populations, with the exception of those from Djerba and Chbika, may be intermediate between the two basic groups. Moreover, the difference does not appear to depend on geographical distribution and environmental aspects. It would rather depend on chromosome rearrangements. The morphological similarities, the monophyly of Atriplex including A. lanfrancoi, previously ranked in genus Cremnophyton, sharing the same chromosome number and the same genome size, support the placement of Cremnophyton within the genus Atriplex.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the ERANETMED2-72-303 PACTORES project financed by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research of Tunisia and University of Malta (Argotti Botanic Gardens) and by projects 2017SGR1116 (Catalan government) and CGL2017-84297-R (Spanish government). Màrius Mumbrú and Chari González (Universitat de Barcelona) are thanked for their assistance in flow cytometric measurements. The authors thank Dr. Mohamed Tarhouni, senior lecturer and coordinator of the project “PACTORES,” Dr. Imed Sbissi, researcher at Arid Regions Institute and Dr. Sònia Garcia, researcher at Botanical Institute of Barcelona, for their help in prospection and discussion aspects, which improved the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire des Ecosystèmes Pastoraux et Valorisation des Plantes Spontanées et des Microorganismes Associés, Institut des Régions Arides, University of Gabès, 4100, Médenine, Tunisia

    Abderrazak Tlili, Hassen Gouja & Mohamed Neffati

  2. Laboratori de Botànica (UB), Unitat associada al CSIC, Facultat de Farmàcia i Ciències de l’Alimentació, Universitat of Barcelona, Av. Joan XXIII 27-31, 08028, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain

    Joan Vallès

  3. Botanical Institute of Barcelona (IBB, CSIC-ICUB), Pg. del Migdia, s/n, 08038, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain

    Teresa Garnatje

  4. Argotti Botanic Gardens & Resource Centre, University of Malta, Triq Vincenzo Bugeja FRN1553, Floriana, Malta

    Joseph Buhagiar

  5. Department of Biology, University of Malta, Msida, MSD, 2080, Malta

    Joseph Buhagiar

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  1. Abderrazak Tlili
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  2. Hassen Gouja
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Correspondence to Abderrazak Tlili.

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Online Resource 1. Flow cytometry data illustration: fluorescence histograms of Atriplex mollis and A. lanfrancoi with Pisum sativum as standard: (a) A. mollis and P. sativum, (b) A. lanfrancoi and P. sativum.

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Tlili, A., Gouja, H., Vallès, J. et al. Chromosome number and genome size in Atriplex mollis from southern Tunisia and Atriplex lanfrancoi from Malta (Amaranthaceae). Plant Syst Evol 306, 11 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00606-020-01643-1

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