Differences in the Growth of Seedlings and the Selection of Fast-Growing Species in the Gleditsia Genus

Abstract

The Gleditsia genus has various uses, including those for medicinal, edible, chemical, timber, and ornamental purposes, and the genus is widely distributed in China. However, there is still a lack of understanding about the phenotypic and growth differences seen among species within the Gleditsia genus. In this study, we compared and analyzed the various species of Gleditsia seedlings in terms of their genotypes, chromosome numbers, physiological growth, photosynthesis, hormone content, and gene expression. The results showed that the genome size of the Gleditsia genus ranges from 686.08 M to 1034.24 M and that all Gleditsia species are diploid. Among the species studied, G. fera can be divided into fast-growing genotype, exhibited several advantages in terms of leaf type and photosynthetic capacity, high levels of GA3, and fast stem growth, making it a species with the potential for promotion and application. G. delavayi exhibited high levels of auxin and cytokinin and strong photosynthetic capacity, with rapid growth in terms of plant height. G. microphylla had the lowest levels of IAA, IBA, and NAA in the apical, and showed slow growth in terms of plant height. Weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA) identified the hub genes associated with traits. This study lays a material and theoretical foundation for the development of new resources for Gleditsia breeding and rootstock selection and provides a basis for the mechanism of rootstock–scion interaction.

Characterization of the chloroplast genome of Gleditsia species and comparative analysis

“…G. microphylla is used currently for food, health care products, and cosmetics, as well as for the treatment of various cancers and heart, vascular, and infectious diseases 39 . G. japonica pod flat, irregularly twisted; G. delavayi distributed only in Yunnan and Guizhou Province, China; G. fera distributed gentle slopes, mountain valleys, forests, beside villages, near roads, sunny places, occasionally cultivated, among the species studied, G. fera can be divided into fast-growing genotype 5 ; G. australis seed implantation site is obviously swollen, few fruitless necks 40 . G. velutina is endemic to Hunan Province, China, and is a rare and endangered plant under national key protection 41 .…”

“…G. sinensis (Fam. : Leguminosae ; Gen.: Gleditsia ), deciduous tree or shrub-like, contains both diploids and having 2n = 28 chromosomes 5 . G. sinensis is widely distributed in China and is resistant to drought, cold, pollution, and has strong stress resistance, it integrates medicinal, edible, chemical, material, and ornamental purposes 6 .…”

Transcriptome analysis reveals regulatory mechanisms of different drought-tolerant Gleditsia sinensis seedlings under drought stress

“…The test materials consisted of seeds collected from wild Gleditsia sinensis germplasm resources in Guizhou Province, as previously reported. The HS1 and HR1 families were identified in the collected seeds [ 14 , 15 ]. The nursery soil underwent treatment with 0.1 percent potassium permanganate.…”

Metabolite components and nutritional composition of the endosperm in seven species from Gleditsia

“…The pod of G. velutina is densely yellowish green velutinous and is is a rare and endangered plant endemic to China ( Yi, Junsheng, & Yonghong, 2023 ). G. fera has been subjected to artificial selection and is currently available as a cultivar with a fast-growing phenotype ( Xiao, Zhao, Wang, & Jian, 2023a ).…”