Association between cytogenetics and ecological traits in Orchidaceae: an integration of cytogenetics, systematics and ecology in the study of neotropical orchids evolution

• Grant number: 22/05890-3
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: March 01, 2023
• End date: February 28, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Genetics - Plant Genetics
• Principal Investigator: Ana Paula de Moraes
• Grantee: Ana Paula de Moraes
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IBB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Eve Lucas ; Fábio Pinheiro ; Juliano Sarmento Cabral ; Magdalena Vaio ; Mark W Chase
• Associated scholarship(s): 23/05970-0 - Repetome analysis in orchids from subfamily Epidendroideae, BP.TT

Abstract

The existence of associations between cytogenetic traits, especially ploidy, and ecological traits, such as the colonization of extreme environments and habit, was initially proposed almost a century ago. However, even today, few studies assess whether such associations represent general plant trends or are the results of specific cases. Furthermore, karyotype changes affect the genome size, a second cytogenetic trait commonly claimed to be associated with ecological changes and taxa diversification. However, here again, it runs into low analytical support. In all cases, integrating cytogenetic and ecological data depend on an evolutionary background that robust phylogenetic hypotheses can only offer. In addition, all analyzes depend on the choice of a plant group with high diversity in cytogenetic and ecological traits, such as Orchidaceae, a widely distributed family with significant habitat variability and wide variation in chromosome number and genome size. Thus, this project aims to investigate the role of karyotype changes and repetitive sequences in the evolution of Orchidaceae, carrying out studies on three fronts: testing whether there is an association between cytogenetic and ecological characters using the largest subfamily of Orchidaceae, Epidendroideae, testing the role of variation of genome size in the diversification of E. denticulatum populations and, finally, to test the informative potential of the repetome in Scuticaria. Both E. denticulatum and the species of Scuticaria present differentiation between biomes, and the differentiation of the repetome between biomes will be investigated in this project. Thus, here we intend to revisit traditional hypotheses with a more robust and consistent analysis that allows identifying general patterns that can be applied to plants. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

ZAVATIN, DANILO ALVARENGA; PEIXOTO, ARIANE LUNA; GENTILE, CHIARA; EVANGELISTA-SILVA, SAMARA; MORAES, ANA PAULA; DE LIRIO, ELTON JOHN. A new species of Mollinedia (Monimiaceae, Laurales) from Rio de Janeiro state using genomic size estimation as support. BRITTONIA, v. N/A, p. 9-pg., 2024-11-20. (22/05890-3, 22/03949-0, 22/02374-4)

PAULI, MARIA; PEIXOTO, ARIANE LUNA; MORAES, ANA PAULA; ZAVATIN, DANILO ALVARENGA; NEGRAO, RAQUEL; SANO, PAULO TAKEO; DE LIRIO, ELTON JOHN. A new endangered species of Mollinedia (Monimiaceae, Laurales) endemic to the Atlantic forest in the state of Espirito Santo, Brazil, supported by morphology and genome size estimation. Acta Botanica Brasilica, v. 37, p. 12-pg., 2023-01-01. (22/05890-3, 16/05843-4)