How much genetic variation is stored in the endangered and fragmented shrub Tetraena mongolica Maxim?

Yingbiao Zhi; Zhonglou Sun; Ping Sun; Kai Zhao; Yangnan Guo; Dejian Zhang; Baowei Zhang

doi:10.7717/peerj.5645

How much genetic variation is stored in the endangered and fragmented shrub Tetraena mongolica Maxim?

PeerJ. 2018 Sep 21:6:e5645. doi: 10.7717/peerj.5645. eCollection 2018.

Authors

Yingbiao Zhi^#^{1

2

3}, Zhonglou Sun^#², Ping Sun², Kai Zhao⁴, Yangnan Guo^{5

6}, Dejian Zhang⁵, Baowei Zhang²

Affiliations

¹ School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China.
² School of Life Sciences, Anhui University, Hefei, Anhui, China.
³ Ordos Institute of Technology, Ordos, Inner Mongolia, China.
⁴ School of Resource and Environment, Anqing Normal University, Anqing, Anhui, China.
⁵ School of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China.
⁶ China Energy Technology Holdings Ltd., Beijing, China.

^# Contributed equally.

Abstract

Tetraena mongolica Maxim (Zygophyllaceae) is an endangered species endemic to western Inner Mongolia and China, and is currently threatened by habitat loss and human over-exploitation. We explored the genetic background, its genetic diversity, population structure, and demographic history, based on 12 polymorphic nuclear microsatellite loci. Our results indicated high genetic diversity in extant populations, but no distinguishable gene cluster corresponding with a specific biogeography. Population demography analysis using a MSVAR indicated a strong, recent population decline approximately 5,455 years ago. These results suggest that the Yellow River and Zhuozi Mountain range may not prevent pollination between populations. Finally, we surmised that the population demography of T. mongolica was likely to have been affected by early mankind activities.

Keywords: Genetic diversity; Population decline; Population structure; Tetraena mongolica Maxim; Yellow River.

Grants and funding

This study was supported by the Inner Mongolia Science and Technology Plan Foundation (20160415), Inner Mongolia Science and Technology Innovation Guide Fund (CX2016011 and CX2017008), Inner Mongolia Science and Technology Major Foundation (NK2016ZD1024), Inner Mongolia Industrial Innovation Talent Team (20130430, 20171903), Shenhua Shendong Group Science and Technology Foundation (CSIE-HT20162190), Ordos Science and Technology Foundation (20161220) and Ordos High-Level Talent Innovation and Venture Base Foundation (2016121901). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.