Multi species coalescence and concatenation-based phylogeny of Avicennia species

Phylogenetic analyses of Avicennia species have been carried out using diverse molecular datasets, including chloroplast genome sequences and multilocus nuclear gene markers. These studies have contributed valuable insights into evolutionary relationships within the genus and clarified its placement in the Acanthaceae family. Concatenated sequence datasets provide broader genomic information and can enhance the resolution and reliability of phylogenetic trees. In parallel, the multispecies coalescent (MSC) model offers a robust framework for addressing evolutionary questions such as estimating species divergence times, population sizes, species tree topologies despite gene tree discordance, interspecific gene flow, and species delimitation.The genus Avicennia L., comprising approximately eight species, represents a key group of mangrove plants, some of which occur along the southern coasts of Iran. However, considerable uncertainty remains regarding the molecular phylogeny of these species. Therefore, this study applies both MSC-based and concatenation-based phylogenetic approaches to investigate species relationships within Avicennia, using molecular data from nuclear ITS and chloroplast psbA sequences. We constructed species trees using BEAST (StarBEAST), performed gene-based analyses in Mesquite, and generated maximum likelihood trees. The results revealed two major divergent clades, with evidence of deep coalescence, interspecific introgression, and structural DNA variations, suggesting a complex evolutionary history within the genus.

Nitric oxide (NO): an important signaling molecule in plant growth and development

Objective: Plants, as sessile organisms, are subjected to diverse abiotic stresses, including salinity, metal toxicity, thermal fluctuations, and hypoxia at different phases of plant growth. Plants can activate messenger molecules to initiate a signaling cascade in response to environmental stresses, resulting in either cell death or plant acclimation. Nitric oxide (NO) is a small, , gaseous, redox-active molecule that plays a plethora of physiological roles in plants and has emerged as a key regulator of plant growth, development, flowering, senescence, stomatal closure, dormancy, photosynthesis, geotropism, and responses to abiotic and biotic stressors. It can also facilitate alteration in protein function and reprogram the gene profiling by direct or indirect interaction with different target molecules. As a key redox molecule, nitric oxide is an important signaling molecule with diverse physiological functions in plants was classified as a phytohormone that might regulate plant growth. NO had physiological effects in plants, such as growth and development, dormancy, regulation of metabolism, aging, cell death, stomata, photosynthesis, geotropism, flowering, and response to abiotic and biotic stressors.

Conclusions: This review discusses some aspects related to NO in plants, such as chemical properties, synthesis pathways, and physiological and biochemical changes that occur in plants under stress conditions.

یافته های نوین در علوم زیستی

Multi species coalescence and concatenation-based phylogeny of Avicennia species

Nitric oxide (NO): an important signaling molecule in plant growth and development