Further contribution to cytotaxonomy of the genus Silene L. (Sect. Auriculatae, Caryophyllaceae)

The present study reports the chromosome numbers of 18 Silene L. species subspecies and varieties from the sect. Auriculatae for the first time. S. commelinifolia var. isophylla, S. commelinifoilia var. ovatifolia, S. araratica, S. meyeri ssp. persica, S. nizvana, S. oligophylla, S. persica and S. rhynchocarpa showed 2n = 2x = 24 chromosome number, S. pseudoaucheriana,S. gynodioica, S. erysimifolia, S. guntensis, S. goniocaula, S. lucida S. microphylla showed 2n= 4x= 48 and S. hirticalyx had 2n=6x=72 chromosome number. The size of the chromosomes varied from 1.53 μm in Ahvan population of S. commelinifolia var. commelinifolia to 4.97 μm in S. oligophylla. The chromosomes were metacentric (m) and sub-metacentric (sm). The species studied differed significantly in total size of the chromosomes, size of the short arms and the long arms indicating the role of quantitative changes of chromosomes in species diversification. The Silene species differed in karyotype formulae and symmetry indicating qualitative changes in the chromosomes possibly due to the occurrence of structural changes. Different clustering and ordination methods showed karyotype distinctness of the species studied

Seed morphology diversity in some Iranian endemic Silene (Caryophyllaceae) species and their taxonomic significance

Seed morphology diversity of 16 endemic Silene species was studied using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) to describe the seed micromorphology features and evaluate their taxonomic significance. Fifteen qualitative and quantitative characters were measured using SEM micrographs and stereomicroscopy. The seeds shape of the most species is reniform. The size of seeds ranges from 0.85 × 0.62 mm in case of S. elymaitica to 2.28 × 1.4 mm in S. nizvana. The ornamentation of seed coat is papillate in S. elymaitica and S. oligophylla, tuberculate in S. daenesis and the seed surface of the rest is smooth. Three types of the edge of testa cells; V form, U form and entire were observed. This study indicates that seed characters, such as shape, size, dorsal surface, the shape and size of testa cells, the testa cells edge and testa cells surface ornamentation are useful in identification and classification of the species studied. An identification key is also presented based on seed morphology characters

Cytogenetic variability and new chromosome number reports in Silene L. species (Sect. Lasiostemones, Caryophyllaceae)

Karyotype and meiotic studies were performed in 19 populations of five Silene species of the section Lasiostemones Boiss., growing in Iran. The species of S. longipetala, S. tenella, S. claviformis and S. Marschallii possessed 2n = 2x = 24 chromosome number, while S. propinqua populations were diploid and tetraploid with two different base number of x = 10 and 12 (2n = 4x = 40). The results obtained support the earlier report on S. Marschallii while the chromosome number of S. longipetala, S. tenella, S. claviformis and S. propinqua are new to science. The chromosomes were mainly metacentric and sub-metacentric. The species studied differed significantly in total size of the chromosomes, size of the short arms and the long arms, indicating the role of quantitative genomic changes in the Silene species diversification. They also differ in their karyotypic formulae indicating the occurrence of structural changes in their chromosomes. The Silene species were placed in 1A, 2A and 1B classes of Stebbins karyotype symmetry which are considered relatively primitive in this system. PCA ordination of the Silene species indicated karyotypic distinctness of the species studied. Meiotic analysis showed that Arak population of S. Marschalii forms quadrivalents due to the occurrence of heterozygote translocation between two pairs of chromosomes which in turn may increase the amount of genetic variability in the next generation. Unreduced pollen grains were formed in populations of S. Marschalii due to multipolar cell formation, while B-chromosomes were observed in some of the species studied

Morphological and karyotype diversity in populations of four Silene species (Caryophyllaceae)

Karyotype and morphometric studies were performed on 14 and 24 Iranian populations of 4 Silene (Caryophyllaceae,Sect. Auriculatae) species. Phenetic study of 24 populations of S. commelinifolia, S. eremicana, S. lucida and S. nurensis from different locations of Iran revealed that a lot of morphological characters as basal and caulinal leaf shape, width and length, capsule shape and condition in calyx, epipetalus stamens to alternate ones, alar pedicel length, lateral pedicel length, epipetalus filament length to claw length and calyx gap length are of taxonomic importance. S. nurensis possessed a chromosome number 2n=2x=24, S. lucida and S. eremicana possessed a chromosome number 2n=4x=48, while S. commelinifolia var. commelinifolia and S. commelinifolia var. ovatifolia populations were diploid and tetraploid. The chromosomes were mainly metacentric or sub-metacentric and their size varied from 1.21 μm in S. nurensis to 3.96 μm in S. commelinifolia. The total size of the chromosomes differed significantly in short and long arm size, indicating the role of quantitative genomic changes in the Silene species diversification. The Silene species were placed in 1A and 1B classes of Stebbins karyotype symmetry. Presence of B chromosome is recorded for the first time for S. commelinifolia. Clustering and ordination methods showed karyotype distinctness in the investigated species

Species relationship in the genus Silene L. Section Auriculatae (Caryophyllaceae) based on morphology and RAPD analyses

Morphological and RAPD studies were performed on Silene species of the sect. Auriculatae growing in Iran for the first time using phenetic, parsimony and Bayesian analyses. Trees obtained differed in the species groupings although agreed in some parts. Parsimony and Bayesian analyses of morphological characters produced some clades which were not well supported by bootstrap and clade credibility values but UPGMA tree showed a high cophenetic correlation. Grouping based on morphological characters partly support the species affinity given in Flora Iranica. Out of 40 RAPD primers used 15 primer produced reproducible polymorphic bands. In total 347 bands were produced out of which 340 bands were polymorph and 7 bands were monomorph. Among the species studied S. goniocaula showed the highest number of RAPD bands (184), while S. commelinifolia var. isophylla showed the lowest number (123). Some of the species studied showed the presence of specific bands which may be use for species discrimination. NJ and Bayesian trees of RAPD data partly agree with morphological trees obtained

A comparative study on Acorus calamus (Acoraceae) micropropagation and selection of suitable population for cultivation in Iran

In addition to various medicinal properties, Acorus calamus (sweet flag) is used in health, food, and perfume industries. Since this species is a rare plant in Iran, its propagation and cultivation are of the great importance. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of different plant growth regulators on micropropaga-tion of this plant and to select the appropriate population. The root, the rhizome and the leaf explants of three populations (Arzefon, Pelesk, and Alandan) were cultured on MS medium supplemented with different concentrations of α-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) and 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) for callus induction and plant regeneration. The results showed that only rhizome explant resulted in direct plant regeneration. Among different treatments, the 1 mg/l treatment of BAP and NAA - with the highest mean number of regenerated plants (3.75 ± 0.85), the highest percentage of grown explants (91.6%) and maximum average length of regenerated plants (12.06 ± 0.32 cm) - was the best treatment for regeneration of sweet flag. The highest mean number of root (6.6 ± 0.1) was observed in Alandan population in 1 mg/l treatment of indole-3-butyric acid (IBA). According to the present study, Alandan population is suitable for cultivation purposes in Iran

Anatomical study of some Silene L. species of Lasiostemones Boiss. section in Iran

Silene (Caryophyllaceae) composed of 110 species in Iran from which 35 species are endemic. Lasiostemones section is one of Silene sections with 10 species in Iran. In present study leaf and stem anatomical structure were considered for the first time. In order to study the anatomical variations of stem and leaf, 36 populations of 7 species of Silene (Lasiostemonessection) were collected from different habitats of Iran. In leaf anatomy vascular bundle shape, shape of dorsal surface of mid vein, cortex diameter, hair presence in dorsal and ventral surface of leaf, mid rib diameter, cuticle upper and lower thickness, fiber presence in mid rib, stomata cell shape, stomata index and hair frequency show significant differences among studied species. In stem anatomy features as shape of cross section, hair type, cortex and xylem and phloem diameter were of diagnostic value in species separation

Intra-specific variations in Silene: Morphometry and micromorphometry analyses

The Silene species are annual, biennial or perennial herbs mainly distributed in the northern hemisphere, Europe, Asia and northern Africa. The section, Inflatae Boiss., is the smallest section of the genus containing three species and four subspecies in Iran, out of which one subspecies is endemic with very restricted distribution in the western and northern regions. Studies on seed morphology with scanning electron microscope (SEM) have revealed taxonomically useful micro-characters. The present study was performed to study morphological and micromorphological features in seven Silene species and subspecies in the sect Auriculatae and Inflatae growing in Iran, to study their intraspecific variations and to find out if such data can be used in taxonomy of the genus. The grouping obtained by unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) dendrogram separated the species of the section Inflatae from the species of the section Auriculatae. Siahbishe population of Silene vulgaris differed in morphological characters and was placed some distance from the other studied populations. It also had the highest values of total haploid chromosome length (50.51 μM), size of the longest chromosome, (5.42 μM), size of the shortest chromosome (2.88 μM) and the mean chromosome length (4.21 μM). Therefore morphological differences of this population may be related to its higher total chromosome length (genome size), compared to those of other populations studied. We also suggested that the Siahbishe population to be considered as a new variety of S. vulgaris, based on both morphological and cytological grounds. The seed type in both section are symmetrical reniform, asymmetric reniform and rounded-reniform. In the sect. Auriculate, the length of seed ranged from 1.22 to 2.23 mm, while the size of seed width ranged from 0.86 to 1.38 mm. In the sect. Inflatae, the length of seed ranged from 1.30 to 1.86 mm and the seed width ranged from 0.80 to 1.42 mm. These two sections differed in some other seed characteristics which are discussed.Keywords: Morphometry, taxonomy, seed characteristics, Silene.African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 12(33), pp. 5208-521

A new taxonomic backbone for the infrageneric classification of the species‐rich genus Silene (Caryophyllaceae)

The systematization of species in plant taxonomy based on the phylogenetic relationships among them are of utmost importance and also very challenging in large genera. In those, phylogenetic results often may suggest substantially different relationships than previous classifications, and call for large‐scale taxonomic revisions. Delimitation of the genus Silene has been and is still somewhat controversial, and recent molecular phylogenetic studies have settled several monophyletic groups that differ substantially from previous taxonomies. The infrageneric taxonomy of Silene s.str. has not been updated as a whole taking the phylogenetic information into account. In this study, we review previous phylogenetic results based on multiple loci, and conducted comprehensive gene tree analyses based on the nrDNA ITS and cpDNA rps16 regions for 1586 and 944 samples representing 415 and 397 species, respectively, including Silene and its allies, as well as a species tree analysis including 262 samples representing 243 species. We sampled representatives from all 44 sections recognized in the most recent global revision of the genus. The results support the recognition of three subgenera, i.e., S. subg. Behenantha, S. subg. Lychnis and S. subg. Silene, which is partly in agreement with previous molecular phylogenetic findings and contradicts all previous traditional classifications. Silene sect. Atocion, with a few annual species showing a narrow distribution range in the eastern Mediterranean, is treated as incertae sedis because of its uncertain phylogenetic position, possibly due to exceptionally high substitution rates. Silene subg. Lychnis, weakly supported as sister to the other subgenera, splits into three main clades and includes four sections. Silene subg. Behenantha, which forms a possible sister group in relation to S. subg. Silene, is poorly resolved basally and includes a large number of mostly small clades recognized as 18 sections. In S. subg. Silene, 11 sections are recognized, among which four are broadly circumscribed: S. sect. Auriculatae, S. sect. Sclerocalycinae, S. sect. Silene and S. sect. Siphonomorpha. Silene sect. Acutifoliae and S. sect. Portenses are described here as new taxa, whereas new status or new combinations are proposed for S. sect. Anotites, S. sect. Muscipula, S. sect. Petrocoma, S. sect. Pulvinatae, S. sect. Sclerophyllae and S. sect. Uebelinia. Five new combinations and two new names are proposed for taxa in Silene formerly assigned to Lychnis and Uebelinia. The correct infrageneric nomenclature compatible with the new infrageneric system is provided along with synonymy and type citations. Shortcomings of this study, such as the lack of a morphological diagnostic key and sparse sampling of some large sections, are listed and discussed.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/156144/5/tax12230.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/156144/4/tax12230-sup-0006-Supinfo06.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/156144/3/tax12230-sup-0001-Supinfo01.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/156144/2/tax12230-sup-0007-FigureS1.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/156144/1/tax12230_am.pd

The occurrence of antibiotic resistance, ESBLs, MBL and NDM-1 in Uropathogenic Escherichia coli in Central part of Iran

Broad-spectrum β-lactamase enzymes capable of destroying the antibiotics of β-lactam, cephalosporin, and Metallo-β-lactamase enzymes can also deactivate all β-lactams and carbapenems. This study aimed to determine ESBLs and MBLs enzymes and the frequency of NDM-1 gene­. In this study, 200 Escherichia coli isolates of women with urinary tract infection were collected (100 inpatients and 100 outpatients). Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for ceftazidime and meropenem was determined by E-test. A phenotypic confirmation test was used to detect ESBL enzymes. MBLs production was performed with modified Hodge test (MHT) and EDTA disk synergy (EDS) test. PCR was used for detecting the presence of NDM-1 gene. From 200 isolates, 93 isolates produce ESBL enzymes. Overall, 97 isolates were resistant to ceftazidime, and 38 isolates resistant to meropenem. The results of the MHT and EDS positive tests were 41 and 16 isolates, respectively. NDM-1 was not found in any of the patients. The prevalence of E. coli isolates producing both ESBLs and MBLs enzymes, is a serious threat to clinical infections. Accordingly, for the control and treatment of these strains, rapid and accurate identification can be greatly helpful