Genetic Diversity and Population Structure in Elymus Species

The genus Elymus encompasses a range of perennial grasses of critical importance for forage production and ecosystem stability across temperate Eurasia. Many species are polyploid, notably allotetraploid E. sibiricus and hexaploid E. tangutorum, and exhibit adaptations to a diversity of alpine, steppe and wetland habitats. Contemporary research exploits a suite of molecular tools—simple sequence repeats (SSRs), single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), chloroplast DNA markers and genome-wide sequencing—to quantify allelic richness, heterozygosity and differentiation. Multivariate analyses including principal coordinate analysis and model-based clustering consistently reveal hierarchical population structure shaped by Pleistocene refugia, orographic barriers and climatic gradients such as precipitation and temperature. Elucidating gene flow dynamics and locally adaptive loci underpins strategies for germplasm conservation, breeding of resilient forage cultivars and restoration of degraded grasslands on a global scale.

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Genetic Diversity and Population Structure in Elymus Species publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in genetic diversity and population structure in elymus species across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Simple sequence repeat (SSR): Short tandem DNA motifs used as polymorphic molecular markers.

Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP): Variation at a single base pair in a genomic sequence among individuals.

Genome skimming: Low-coverage sequencing capturing high-copy genomic regions, notably organellar DNA.

Transcriptome: Complete set of RNA transcripts expressed by an organism or tissue at a particular time.

Chloroplast haplotype: Distinct sequence variant in the chloroplast genome reflecting maternal lineage and historical demography.

Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA): Method to detect modules of co-expressed genes and identify central regulatory hubs.

Isolation by distance (IBD): Pattern where genetic differentiation increases with geographic separation between populations.

Isolation by environment (IBE): Genetic divergence driven by environmental heterogeneity rather than spatial distance alone.

Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA): Multivariate ordination technique visualising genetic relationships among samples.

References

1. Extensive transcriptome data providing great efficacy in genetic research and adaptive gene discovery: a case study of Elymus sibiricus L. (Poaceae, Triticeae). Frontiers in Plant Science (2024).
2. Effects of Climatic Change on Phylogeography and Ecological Niche of the Endemic Herb Elymus breviaristatus on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Plants (2023).
3. Inflorescence Trait Diversity and Genotypic Differentiation as Influenced by the Environment in Elymus nutans Griseb. from Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. Agronomy (2023).