Chin J Plant Ecol ›› 2024, Vol. 48 ›› Issue (10): 1326-1335.DOI: 10.17521/cjpe.2023.0360  cstr: 32100.14.cjpe.2023.0360

• Research Articles • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Genetic pattern and diffusion path simulation of Haloxylon persicum in Xinjiang based on multi-source data

MA Jia-Zheng1, CHEN Yu-Ting1, MA Song-Mei1,*()(), ZHANG Dan2, HE Ling-Yun1   

  1. 1Key Laboratory of Arid Land Landscape Ecology, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps Key Laboratory of Oasis Town and Mountain-basin System Ecology, College of Science, Shihezi University, Shihezi, Xinjiang 832000, China
    2Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps Key Laboratory of Oasis Town and Mountain-basin System Ecology, College of Life Sciences, Shihezi University, Shihezi, Xinjiang 832000, China
  • Received:2023-12-04 Accepted:2024-05-22 Online:2024-10-20 Published:2024-12-03
  • Contact: MA Song-Mei
  • Supported by:
    National Natural Science Foundation of China(41561007)

Abstract:

Aims In China, the typical desert plant Haloxylon persicum is only distributed in Gurbantünggüt Desert, Xinjiang, China. With the formation and expansion of the Quaternary desert, extensive migration and expansion events occurred. The study of the genetic pattern and migration path of the species is helpful to further understand the distribution and evolution of H. persicum.

Methods In this study, the natural distribution data of H. persicum were combined with the trnS-trnG, trnV and ITS sequences of different geographic populations, GIS spatial analysis, species distribution modeling, GIS diffusion path analysis, haplotype network analysis (Network) and molecular analysis of variance (AMOVA) were integrated to investigate the spatial genetic variation pattern of 12 naturally distributed populations of H. persicum in Gurbantünggüt Desert, including 106 individuals. The Maximum Entropy Model (MaxEnt) was used to simulate the suitable distribution pattern of H. persicum in the Last Glacial Maximum and current climate. The analysis of population dynamics and dispersal paths during the late glacial period will help to understand the genetic variation pattern of H. persicum among different geographic populations in the Gurbantünggüt Desert.

Important findings The sequence length of trnS-trnG and trnV was 1 340 bp, and a total of 9 chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) haplotypes were defined. The sequence length of ITS1-ITS4 was 576 bp, and a total of 6 nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrDNA) haplotypes were defined. (2) The total genetic diversity (HT) of the population was 0.862 (cpDNA) and 0.777 (nrDNA), which was significantly higher than the average genetic diversity (HS) of the population (0.155 (cpDNA) and 0.217 (nrDNA)), and more than 76% of the genetic variation occurred in different sampled populations. (3) The mismatch distribution curve showed that H. persicum experienced recent population expansion, and the dispersal path analysis showed that H. persicumhad spread from west to east along the southern margin of Gurbantünggüt Desert since the Last Glacial Maximum, under the current climate period, H. persicum continues to spread westward along the southern margin of the desert, but the migration amplitude has obviously reduced. Haloxylon persicum population in Gurbantünggüt Desert has high genetic diversity and significant genetic differentiation among populations. Since the Last Glacial Maximum, H. persicum has exhibited a diffusion mode of migration along the edge of the desert. The southern edge of the Gurbantünggüt Desert is the most important diffusion path of Haloxylon persicum and an important channel connecting its east and west populations.

Key words: spatial genetic variation pattern, dispersal corridor, trnS-trnG, trnV, ITS, Haloxylon persicum, Gurbantünggüt Desert