Plant height variation and genetic diversity between Prunus ledebouriana (Schlecht.) YY Yao and Prunus tenella Batsch based on using SSR markers in East Kazakhstan

Abstract

Background Genetic differences between isolated endemic populations of plant species and those with widely known twin species are relevant for conserving the biological diversity of our planet’s flora. Prunus ledebouriana (Schlecht.) YY Yao is an endangered and endemic species of shrub almond from central Asia. Few studies have explored this species, which is closely related and morphologically similar to the well-known Prunus tenella Batsch. In this article, we present a comparative analysis of studies of three P. ledebouriana populations and one close population of P. tenella in Eastern Kazakhstan in order to determine the particular geographic mutual replacement of the two species. Methods The populations were collected from different ecological niches, including one steppe population near Ust-Kamenogorsk (P. tenella) and three populations (P. ledebouriana) in the mountainous area. Estimation of plant height using a t-test suggested a statistically significant difference between the populations and the two species (P < 0.0001). DNA simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers were applied to study the two species’ genetic diversity and population structure. Results A total of 19 polymorphic SSR loci were analyzed, and the results showed that the population collected in mountainous areas had a lower variation level than steppe populations. The highest level of Nei’s genetic diversity index was demonstrated in the 4-UK population (0.622) of P. tenella. The lowest was recorded in population 3-KA (0.461) of P. ledebouriana, collected at the highest altitude of the four populations (2,086 meters above sea level). The total genetic variation of P. ledebouriana was distributed 73% within populations and 27% between populations. STRUCTURE results showed that two morphologically similar species diverged starting at step K = 3, with limited population mixing. The results confirmed the morphological and genetic differences between P. tenella and P. ledebouriana and described the level of genetic variation for P. ledebouriana. The study’s results proved that the steppe zone and mountain altitude factor between P. tenella and isolated mountain samples of P. ledebouriana.

Revised checklist of endemic vascular plants of Kazakhstan

“…Following the compilation of a list of endemic taxa, we conducted a comprehensive re-assessment of the distribution of each species by cross-referencing published floristic records encompassing the administrative and geographical regions of Kazakhstan ( Goloskokov 1949 ; Stepanova 1962 ; Karmysheva 1973 , 1982 ; Pavlov 1980 ; Baitenov 1985 ; Pugachev 1994 ; Safronova 1996 ; Kotukhov 2005 ; Aralbay et al 2006 ; Kadenova et al 2008 ; Aipeisova 2012 , 2013 ; Ishmuratova et al 2016a ; Kokoreva et al 2018 ; Ivashchenko 2020 ; Kupriyanov 2020 ; Sitpayeva et al 2020 ; Kubentayev et al 2021 ; Orazov et al 2022 , 2024 ; Khasanov et al 2023 ; Kulymbet et al 2023 ; Osmonali et al 2023 ; Sumbembayev et al 2023 ). Furthermore, in order to clarify the presence of presumably endemic plants of Kazakhstan in neighbouring countries, we consulted floristic records of those territories ( Kamelin 1990 ; Yakovlev 2003 ; Kulikov 2005 ; Wu et al 2008 ; Ryabinina and Knyazev 2009 ; Lazkov and Sultanova 2014 ; Knyazev 2016 ; Nowak et al 2020 ; Vaganov and Shmakov 2020 ; Sennikov and Tojibaev 2021 ; Baasanmunkh et al 2022 ), as well as publications documenting the discovery of former Kazakhstan endemics outside their native range ( Ho and Fu 1993 ; Yakovlev 2003 ; Kurtto et al 2004 ; German 2005 ; Mavrodiev et al 2005 ; German 2006a , 2006b ; German et al 2006 ; Belkin 2009 ; Sennikov et al 2011 ; Soskov 2011 ; German et al 2012 ; German et al 2013 ; Byalt and Bubyreva 2014 ; German 2014 ; Nobis et al 2014 ; Pimenov and Kljuykov 2014 ...…”

Current Status and Resources of Alhagi pseudalhagi (Fabaceae) in the Atyrau Region, Western Kazakhstan

“…However, raw material reserves and procurement possibilities in the arid region of Kazakhstan have not been sufficiently studied. There is research on various environmental factors affecting the biological mass of plants and their genetic characteristics [34].…”

Study of the Floristic, Morphological, and Genetic (atpF–atpH, Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS), matK, psbK–psbI, rbcL, and trnH–psbA) Differences in Crataegus ambigua Populations in Mangistau (Kazakhstan)

“…However, there are studies on the centre of genetic diversity of the section Crataegus , which extends from Turkey to Iran [ 30 ]. Modern advances in molecular biology make it possible to carry out genomic typing of plants from C. ambigua populations based on data on the primary DNA structure [ 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 ], allowing standardising the procedure for identifying Crataegus species using reference DNA loci [ 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 ].…”