Geographical variables of invasive Mikania micrantha populations

Why invasive species can rapidly adapt to novel environments is a puzzling question known as the genetic paradox of invasive species. This paradox is explainable in terms of transposable elements (TEs) activity, which are theorized to be powerful mutational forces to create genetic variation. Mikania micrantha, a noxious invasive weed, in this sense provides an excellent opportunity to test the explanation. The genetic and epigenetic variation of 21 invasive populations of M. micrantha in southern China have been examined by using Transposon DisplayTD) and Transposon Methylation Display (TMD) techniques to survey 12 TE superfamilies. Our results showed that M. micrantha populations maintained an almost equally high level of TE-based genetic and epigenetic variation and they have been differentiated into subpopulations genetically and epigenetically. A similar positive spatial genetic and epigenetic structure pattern was observed within 300 m. Six and seven TE superfamilies presented sig...

入侵物种为何能快速适应全新环境，是一个长期困扰学界的难解问题，即入侵物种遗传悖论（genetic paradox of invasive species）。该悖论可通过转座因子（transposable elements, TEs）的活性加以解释——这类因子被认为是产生遗传变异的强效诱变力量。在该研究框架下，恶性入侵杂草薇甘菊（Mikania micrantha）为验证该假说提供了绝佳的实验体系。本研究针对中国南部21个薇甘菊入侵种群，采用转座子显示技术（Transposon Display, TD）与转座子甲基化显示技术（Transposon Methylation Display, TMD），对12个转座因子超家族开展检测以分析其遗传与表观遗传变异特征。研究结果显示，薇甘菊种群维持着近乎相当的基于转座因子的遗传与表观遗传变异水平，且已在遗传与表观遗传层面分化为不同亚种群。在300米尺度范围内，研究还观测到了相似的正向空间遗传与表观遗传结构模式。共计6个及7个转座因子超家族呈现出sig...