Masoud SHEIDAI - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Masoud SHEIDAI

Acta Botanica Croatica, Apr 1, 2018

The genus Crocus L. (Iridaceae) is monophyletic and contains about 100 species throughout the wor... more The genus Crocus L. (Iridaceae) is monophyletic and contains about 100 species throughout the world. Crocus species have horticultural, medicinal and pharmacological importance. Saffron is the dried styles of C. sativus and is one of the world's most expensive spices by weight. Controversy exits about the taxonomy of the genus and the species relationship. Exploring genetic diversity and inter-specific cross-ability are important tasks for conservation of wild taxa and for breeding of cultivated C. sativus. The present study was performed to study genetic variability and population structure in five Crocus L. species including Crocus almehensis Brickell & Mathew, C. caspius Fischer & Meyer, C. speciosus Marschall von Biberstein, C. haussknechtii Boissier, and C. sativus L. by inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) molecular markers. We also used published internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences to study species relationship and compare the results with ISSR data. The results revealed a high degree of genetic variability both within and among the studied species. Neighbor joining (NJ) tree and network analysis revealed that ISSR markers are useful in Crocus species delimitation. Population fragmentation occurred in C. caspius and C. sativus. Both ISSR and sequenced based analyses separated C. sativus from the other studied species. Close genetic affinity of C. sativus and C. pallisii and inter-specific gene flow was supported by both data sets.

Biochemical Systematics and Ecology, Dec 1, 2016

The genus Cousinia Cass. (Family Asteraceae) with about 600e700 species is distributed in central... more The genus Cousinia Cass. (Family Asteraceae) with about 600e700 species is distributed in central and western Asia. Iran has more than 200 Cousinia species that grow in mountainous areas. Cousinia is not monophyletic and with the genus Arctium, comprise the Arctium-Cousinia complex. The Cousinia species are distributed in 70 sections. The species relationship in the sect. Cousinia is not known, moreover, in few cases, inter-specific hybrids and intermediate forms are recognized. Therefore, we undertook a detailed morphological, micro-morphological and molecular (Cp-DNA and ISSRs) study of the section Cousinia with the following objectives: 1-to delimitate the species, 2-to identify potential intermediate forms, 3-to investigate the species interrelationship. The present study revealed that combination of morphological, micro-morphological and ISSR data can delimit the species. We did not encounter any intermediate forms throughout the studied area. AMOVA and STRUCTURE analysis revealed that the species of this section are genetically differentiated but have some degree of shared common alleles. Reticulation analysis by T-REX also showed some degree of gene flow for Cp-DNA. This low degree of genetic and morphological variability in Cousinia, can help the species to cope with environmental variability they face.

Phytotaxa, Mar 9, 2018

Tamarix (Tamaricaceae) is an ancient genus in Asia that contains about 54 to 90 species with unre... more Tamarix (Tamaricaceae) is an ancient genus in Asia that contains about 54 to 90 species with unresolved taxonomy. Tamarix has major center of speciation in the Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran-Turkmenistan-S-Kazakhstan-W-China area and in the eastern Mediterranean area. Tamarix species are highly plastic and tolerant to adversity being able to occupy different habitats, thus showing a wide range of ecological variations. Tamarix species have commercial value in the landscape and horticultural trade and are planted for erosion control and as wind breaks. In the genus Tamarix, many species are morphologically very similar probably due, in part, inter-specific hybridization. Tamarix species live in sympatry in Sistan and Baloochestan province of Iran and we have no report on the number of species and their genetic structure. Therefore, we performed morphometric study to delimit the species growing in these two provinces and also used combined ISSR (Inter simple sequence repeat) and RAPD (Random amplified polymorphic DNA) molecular markers to study their genetic structure. Morphological analyses separated plants of 6 studied species in different groups, indicating that morphological characters used can delimit Tamarix species. We also encountered some plants having intermediate morphological characters. AMOVA and Hickory test showed significant genetic differences of the studied species and Mantel test showed significant correlation between genetic distance and geographical distance. STRUCTURE analysis and population assignment test revealed some degree of genetic admixture among the studied species. Assignment tests showed that gene flow mainly occurred among the species that were growing in neighborhood regions. This genetic admixture may be the reason for intermediate morphological characters observed in some the plants.

Brazilian Journal of Botany, Jan 24, 2021

Besides Quercus, Acer L. genus is the largest tree genus in the Northern Hemisphere and consists ... more Besides Quercus, Acer L. genus is the largest tree genus in the Northern Hemisphere and consists of about 124–156 species. High morphological and molecular variability has led to infra-specific complexity within most species of this genus. In Iran, the Acer cappadocicum subsp. cappadocicum Gled. is distributed in eastern to western parts of the Hyrcanian forests. In this study, three leaf-morphotypes in A. cappadocicum Gled. were identified during sampling in a forest located in the Hyrcanian region, leading to obscuring taxonomic situations of this taxon. Against this backdrop, the present study was performed to clarify intraspecific situation of this valuable tree using both macro-/micromorphological and molecular approaches. Forty-five plant samples of A. cappadocicum were randomly selected within nine geographical regions of four provinces in Hyrcanian forests of Iran. Internal transcribed spacer (ITS) (for eight individuals) and inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) molecular markers (for 45 individuals) were used along with the epidermal scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the leaf epidermis. Considering the obtained results, acceptance of the expected lower taxa in A. cappadocicum ssp. cappadocicum in north of Iran could not be supported by molecular evidence. Results of the study indicated no correlation between variations in leaf-morphology, ISSRs, and ITS. However, there are two main clusters in ITS tree without discrete morphological characters showing differentiation and variability in ITS region within this species. This subspecies was compared also with other subspecies.

Biologia, Apr 13, 2013

The present study considers genetic diversity of 38 populations in 4 Cirsium species of the genus... more The present study considers genetic diversity of 38 populations in 4 Cirsium species of the genus Cirsium Mill. (Asteraceae), occurring in different ecological regions and tries to compare degree of genetic variability among the species with wide geographical distribution versus endemic C. pyramidale showing confined geographical distribution. The results showed that the endemic species has similar value of genetic diversity parameters as the species with wider distribution. We also studied the possible admixture nature of these populations and tried to understand the relation between genetic changes, geographical distribution and polyploidy level and chromosome pairing in these species. ISSR analysis showed population difference in allele composition and frequency. Clustering and PcoA ordination produced different groupings in each species, while STRUCTURE and reticulation analyses revealed high degree of genetic admixture and gene exchange among populations as well as allelic rearrangement. No significant correlation was observed between geographical distance and genetic distance of the populations and AMOVA test revealed no significant difference among populations in each species studied. However, high amount of within population variation occurred in all 4 species indicating their cross-pollination nature and high genetic admixture. The populations also varied in chiasma frequency and chromosome pairing as well as the occurrence of heterozygote translocations all creating more variability to be used by plants for local adaptation.

Gaceta Sanitaria, 2016

Cribado genético de cultivares diploides y tetraploides de algodón, basado en marcadores de polim... more Cribado genético de cultivares diploides y tetraploides de algodón, basado en marcadores de polimorfismo de microsatélites en retrotransposones amplificados (REMAP) La selección artificial continuada y el uso de variedades ha llevado a erosión genética y pérdida de loci genéticos del germoplasma disponible. El objetivo fue evaluar variedades diploides y tetraploides de algodón por REMAP. Se observó baja variabilidad genética dentro de cada variedad, pero alta dentro de cada especie (18-68%). El AMOVA reveló que el 63% de la variabilidad genética total se produjo debido a diferencia entre especies. Se detectaron alelos únicos en las especies estudiadas, que pueden ser empleados para discriminación. REMAP podrían discriminar eficazmente las especies diploides de las tetraploides y ser últiles para el cribado rápido, actuar como huella genética del gran germoplasma de algodón y para la planificación de programas de hibridadción.

Caryologia

The genus Crocus L. of Iridaceae family contains about 160 species and is considered as a complex... more The genus Crocus L. of Iridaceae family contains about 160 species and is considered as a complex group of plant taxa with regard to evolutionary and phylogenetic events. Inter-specific hybridization and gene flow contribute to species genetic homogeneity in one hand and high within species genetic variability and species genetic content overlaps caused species resolution a problem. In spite of extensive molecular phylogenetic studies in this genus, nothing is known about DNA sequences or Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) which are of adaptive nature. Moreover, nothing is known about which geographical or environmental factors plays role in species local adaptation and speciation events within Crocus L. genus. Therefore, the present study was conducted to answer the above said questions. We used a combined molecular data set of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) nuclear gene and trnL-F intergenic spacer (trnL-F) sequences of chloroplast genome. A multiple analytical method of Ca...

Tragopogon L. (Cichorioideae, Lactuceae, Scorzonerinae) is an Old World genus with 150 species, R... more Tragopogon L. (Cichorioideae, Lactuceae, Scorzonerinae) is an Old World genus with 150 species, Rechinger in Flora Iranica divided this genus in 13 section and 37 species that 26 species of them are exist in Iran. Safavi et al. divided it into 26 species without sections in flora Iran. Despite the anatomical and molecular studies done around the world, the exact classification of this genus is not clear due to the high number of secret species, hybridization, polyploidy and rapid diversification. The morphology studies of 32 species and Molecular studies (ISSR, ITS, cp DNA) of 22 species of the genus Tragopogon was investigated . The purpose of these studies are classification and determination of interspecific relationship in this genus. Sections of Rubriflori, Sosnowskya, Chromopappus, Majores, Angustissimi, Krascheninnikovia in flora of Iranica are confirmed on the basis of morphometry and molecular data. Section of Profundisulcati in flora Iranica is confirmed on the base of mor...

Phytologia Balcanica: International Journal of Balkan Flora and Vegetation, 2016

Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) is one of the most important cultivated oil-producing plants that i... more Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) is one of the most important cultivated oil-producing plants that is highly evaluated for its fatty acid components. Studying and using wild relatives of cultivated crop plants as a spore of gene pool for breeding and hybridization is considered very important now. Therefore, the aim of present investigation was to provide data on saturated and unsaturated fatty acids of three Linum species, Linum usitatissimum, L. austriacum and L. album. We also studied the magnitude of oil composition variability within populations of these species and attempted to find out if oil composition data can be used in the Linum species delimitation. The saturated (C16:0, C18:0 and C20:0) and unsaturated (C18:1, C18:2, C18:3 and C20:1) fatty acids identified by GC represented inter- and intraspecies variations in the linseed and wild linum species. The linolenic (C18:3), linoleic (C18:2) and oleic acid as unsaturated fatty acids had an average of 52.7%, 12.4% and 20.6% resp...

Modern Phytomorphology, 2018

Linum nervosum is among species that can hybridize with L. usitatissimum and produce fertile offs... more Linum nervosum is among species that can hybridize with L. usitatissimum and produce fertile offsprings. Genetic diversity analysis of this wild relative of flax is important from conservation and breeding points of view. In the present study, 55 randomly selected plants of six different populations of L. nervosum varieties, including var. nervosum and var. bungei, were studied for morphological and genetic variability as well as population structure. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) did not show significant morphological difference between populations. PCA as well as PCA biplot confirmed that some morphological traits have taxonomic value. UPGMA clustering separated the populations of varieties in two distinct clusters, indicating degrees of morphological differentiation between them. Furthermore, UPGMA confirmed the variability in morphological characters within populations. Neighbor Joining tree and Neighbor-Net analysis of ISSR data revealed inter- and intrapopulation genetic variab...

Heterostyly is the occurrence of flowers with different sexual organ arrangements in different pl... more Heterostyly is the occurrence of flowers with different sexual organ arrangements in different plants of the same species. This floral polymorphism occurs in four sections of genus Linum. The present study compares the morphological, palynologycal and genome size (C-value content) characteristics in the long-styled and short-styled plants in three Linum species, that is, Linum austriacum L., Linum album Ky.ex Boiss. and L. glaucum Boiss. & Nöe . 15 qualitative and quantitative morphological characters from both vegetative and reproductive organs of these plants were studied. A higher mean value of the plant height, size of the basal leaves width, flower leaves width, calyx length, sepal length and petal length occurred in the long-styled plants, while the mean value of branch number, basal leaves length, flower leaves length, calyx width, pedicel length and sepal length was higher in the short-styled plant populations. T-test analysis of morphological characters showed significant d...

Pomegranate Punica granatum (Lythraceae) is one of the most important horticultural plants of Ira... more Pomegranate Punica granatum (Lythraceae) is one of the most important horticultural plants of Iran cultivated in different areas with different cultivars having specific fruit characteristic such as size, color, time of ripening, disease resistance, taste, etc. The present study considers morphological and RAPD analysis of eighteen pomegranate cultivars of the country. Agro-morphological characters were studied by using factor analyses. Clustering separated cultivars in distinct groups indicating their morphological differences. Forty RAPD primers used produced 182 bands, out of which 414 bands were polymorphic (about 44%) with average of 4.55 polymorphic bands for each primer. Eight unique bands (cultivar-specific) were observed. Two cultivars of Malas Yazdi and Poost Ghermez Mamooli showed the highest similarity among the cultivars studied.

The cultivated apple ( Malus domestica) is one of the most important fruit crops cultivated in di... more The cultivated apple ( Malus domestica) is one of the most important fruit crops cultivated in different regions of the world including Iran. For production and breeding of high quality apple, the knowledge of genetic diversity of the cultivated apples is necessary. Therefore we studied gene tic diversity of 25 genotypes by using ISSR molecular markers. In present study, ten ISSR primers produced 85% polymorphism. (AGC)5GG and (GA)9C primers produced the highest number of bands, while primers (GA)9A, (GA)9A and UBC 807 produced the lowest numb er. Some of the genotypes showed presence of specific bands. PCoA (principal co -ordinate analysis) plot of genotypes based on geographical origin (Netherland, France, Lebonan and Iran) grouped cultivars from different geographical regions together and inte rmixed. UPGMA

European Journal of Experimental Biology, 2014

Genetic stability versus somaclonal variation was studied in one-year old tissue culture regenera... more Genetic stability versus somaclonal variation was studied in one-year old tissue culture regenerated olive plants by using SSR and ISSR molecular markers. Fifty olive plants including mother plant were used in this study. NJ tree and NeigborNet analysis grouped the studied plants in three distinct groups, which were supported by K-Means clustering and Evanno test. AMOVA and Gst analyses revealed significant molecular difference among these three genetic groups. STRUCTURE analysis showed genetic variability both within and among these groups. The regenerated plants differed in allelic composition and allele frequency. The somaclonal variants obtained may be used in further hybridization and olive breeding program.

Modern Phytomorphology, 2015

Polygonum aviculare is a widely distributed annual herb. Number of segregates from this highly va... more Polygonum aviculare is a widely distributed annual herb. Number of segregates from this highly variable taxon has been described as independent species or different subspecies on the basis of habit, heterophyllous and homophyllous leaves and the length of perianth tube. Most proposed subspecies are partially sympatric and their distributions have been affected greatly by humans. Our studies show that P. aviculare has two subspecies in Iran. These infra-specific taxa can be differentiated by length of perianth tube and some features of outer tepals.

The cultivated apple (Malus domestica) is important fruit crops cultivated in world. For producti... more The cultivated apple (Malus domestica) is important fruit crops cultivated in world. For production and breeding of high quality apple, inducing and enhancing new genetic diversity and suitable traits are necessary. In Iran, different local and imported apple genotypes are cultivated and common apple root stocks (Malling 7) M7 and (Malling 9) M9 are mostly used root stocks in the country. Therefore, we studied genetic diversity of M7 an M9 tissue culture regenerated plants produced by different treatments by using twenty ISSR markers. In total 51 randomly selected plants were studied for the occurrence of somaclonal variation in apple mother plants and tissue culture regenerated plants. Four different treatments were used for tissue culture. Genetic diversity parameters, genetic distance and polymorphism percentage were studied in regenerated plants. Variations in loci frequency and combination were checked by STRUCTURE and the presence of similar loci in the plants was studied by r...

Genetika, 2020

It is estimated that about 15% of couples concern with the inability to conceive after 1 year of ... more It is estimated that about 15% of couples concern with the inability to conceive after 1 year of unprotected intercourse. Genetic and environmental factors play important roles in male infertility. MTHFR (Methylene Tetrahydro Folate Reductase) is encoded by a gene which maps to human chromosome 1p36.22. The c.677C>T mutation causes an amino - acid change of Alanine to Valine (Ala222Val) in exon 4 which is related to oligospermia and azoospermia. Our purpose was to investigate the association of rs1801133 in MTHFR gene with azoospermia and also genetic diversity of some Iranian folks. Peripheral blood samples of 100 men suffered from azoospermia and 55 controls collected from Infertility Clinic of Jihad-university of Qom. DNA was extracted by salting-out method and SNP-Genotyping was performed by PCR-RFLP technique and sequencing. Furthermore, statistical and population genetics analysis were done. The rs1801133 showed no significant relation with azoospermia according to statisti...

Genetika, 2018

L. amplexicaule L. grows in different regions of Iran and forms several populations that can be i... more L. amplexicaule L. grows in different regions of Iran and forms several populations that can be invasive in some area. Morphological and genetic variation of L. amplexicaule in Iran was studied to evaluate the differentiation among three presumed varieties within this species. Morphometric study was accompanied by the analysis of ISSR and chloroplast genome (psbA-trnH). Results of the molecular methods show that L. amplexicaule var. bornmuelleri Mennema. does not form any genetically distinct group. Genetic study of 103 plant specimens of 13 different populations using ISSR molecular marker revealed a high degree of within-population (67%) and among (33%) populations genetic diversity. AMOVA and Gst analyses produced a significant difference. Nm estimation revealed certain degree of gene flow/shared alleles between these populations, indicating that L. amplexicaule is predominantly an out-crossing species in Iran. Mantel test produced significant correlation between genetic distance...

Genetika, 2018

The genus Senecio (Asteraceae, Senecioneae) with about 1250 species is one of the largest genera ... more The genus Senecio (Asteraceae, Senecioneae) with about 1250 species is one of the largest genera in the family. Due to historical and present time inter-specific hybridization and reticulate evolution in the genus, the morphological and molecular phylogenetic evolution are disjunct. The genus contains 17 species belonging to four sections, sect. Crociseris, sect. Quadridentati, sect. Jacobaea and sect. Senecio, in Iran out of which, six are endemic. Therefore, the present study was performed with the aim to provide data on the above issues. In general, ISSR molecular markers could delimit the studied Senecio species and revealed the species relationships, but did not support any of the sections. The ITS and cp-DNA sequencing of six species of S. iranicus, S. vulcanicus, S. kotschyanus, S. paulsenii subsp. khorasanicus and S. joharchii were obtained for the first time. S-DIVA suggests three possible ancestral ranges, of Kordestan (A), Mazandaran (G), and West-Azarbayejan (D), for Sec...

Genetika, 2017

The genus Tragopogon L. with about 110-150 species is distributed in Asia and Europe, while it is... more The genus Tragopogon L. with about 110-150 species is distributed in Asia and Europe, while it is represented by 26 species in Iran. Hybridization and polyploidy occurs in the genus Tragopogon that bring about extensive morphological variation in its species. Tragopogon buphthalmoides (Asteraceae) is a perennial herb with common Persian name "Sheng e Iran" and "Sheng e cheshmgaavi" and is used as traditional medicine. Two varieties have been cited for this species in the country, but due to extensive morphological variability, it is difficult to delimit the two varieties. Therefore, the present study was performed to delimit these varieties by using both morphological and molecular markers (cpDNA and ISSRs). We also aimed to provide data on population genetics of the studied species due to its medicinal importance. In total 134 plant specimens of T. buphthalmoides were randomly collected from 16 geographical populations in 7 provinces. The studied plants were con...

Acta Botanica Croatica, Apr 1, 2018

The genus Crocus L. (Iridaceae) is monophyletic and contains about 100 species throughout the wor... more The genus Crocus L. (Iridaceae) is monophyletic and contains about 100 species throughout the world. Crocus species have horticultural, medicinal and pharmacological importance. Saffron is the dried styles of C. sativus and is one of the world's most expensive spices by weight. Controversy exits about the taxonomy of the genus and the species relationship. Exploring genetic diversity and inter-specific cross-ability are important tasks for conservation of wild taxa and for breeding of cultivated C. sativus. The present study was performed to study genetic variability and population structure in five Crocus L. species including Crocus almehensis Brickell & Mathew, C. caspius Fischer & Meyer, C. speciosus Marschall von Biberstein, C. haussknechtii Boissier, and C. sativus L. by inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) molecular markers. We also used published internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences to study species relationship and compare the results with ISSR data. The results revealed a high degree of genetic variability both within and among the studied species. Neighbor joining (NJ) tree and network analysis revealed that ISSR markers are useful in Crocus species delimitation. Population fragmentation occurred in C. caspius and C. sativus. Both ISSR and sequenced based analyses separated C. sativus from the other studied species. Close genetic affinity of C. sativus and C. pallisii and inter-specific gene flow was supported by both data sets.

Biochemical Systematics and Ecology, Dec 1, 2016

The genus Cousinia Cass. (Family Asteraceae) with about 600e700 species is distributed in central... more The genus Cousinia Cass. (Family Asteraceae) with about 600e700 species is distributed in central and western Asia. Iran has more than 200 Cousinia species that grow in mountainous areas. Cousinia is not monophyletic and with the genus Arctium, comprise the Arctium-Cousinia complex. The Cousinia species are distributed in 70 sections. The species relationship in the sect. Cousinia is not known, moreover, in few cases, inter-specific hybrids and intermediate forms are recognized. Therefore, we undertook a detailed morphological, micro-morphological and molecular (Cp-DNA and ISSRs) study of the section Cousinia with the following objectives: 1-to delimitate the species, 2-to identify potential intermediate forms, 3-to investigate the species interrelationship. The present study revealed that combination of morphological, micro-morphological and ISSR data can delimit the species. We did not encounter any intermediate forms throughout the studied area. AMOVA and STRUCTURE analysis revealed that the species of this section are genetically differentiated but have some degree of shared common alleles. Reticulation analysis by T-REX also showed some degree of gene flow for Cp-DNA. This low degree of genetic and morphological variability in Cousinia, can help the species to cope with environmental variability they face.

Phytotaxa, Mar 9, 2018

Tamarix (Tamaricaceae) is an ancient genus in Asia that contains about 54 to 90 species with unre... more Tamarix (Tamaricaceae) is an ancient genus in Asia that contains about 54 to 90 species with unresolved taxonomy. Tamarix has major center of speciation in the Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran-Turkmenistan-S-Kazakhstan-W-China area and in the eastern Mediterranean area. Tamarix species are highly plastic and tolerant to adversity being able to occupy different habitats, thus showing a wide range of ecological variations. Tamarix species have commercial value in the landscape and horticultural trade and are planted for erosion control and as wind breaks. In the genus Tamarix, many species are morphologically very similar probably due, in part, inter-specific hybridization. Tamarix species live in sympatry in Sistan and Baloochestan province of Iran and we have no report on the number of species and their genetic structure. Therefore, we performed morphometric study to delimit the species growing in these two provinces and also used combined ISSR (Inter simple sequence repeat) and RAPD (Random amplified polymorphic DNA) molecular markers to study their genetic structure. Morphological analyses separated plants of 6 studied species in different groups, indicating that morphological characters used can delimit Tamarix species. We also encountered some plants having intermediate morphological characters. AMOVA and Hickory test showed significant genetic differences of the studied species and Mantel test showed significant correlation between genetic distance and geographical distance. STRUCTURE analysis and population assignment test revealed some degree of genetic admixture among the studied species. Assignment tests showed that gene flow mainly occurred among the species that were growing in neighborhood regions. This genetic admixture may be the reason for intermediate morphological characters observed in some the plants.

Brazilian Journal of Botany, Jan 24, 2021

Besides Quercus, Acer L. genus is the largest tree genus in the Northern Hemisphere and consists ... more Besides Quercus, Acer L. genus is the largest tree genus in the Northern Hemisphere and consists of about 124–156 species. High morphological and molecular variability has led to infra-specific complexity within most species of this genus. In Iran, the Acer cappadocicum subsp. cappadocicum Gled. is distributed in eastern to western parts of the Hyrcanian forests. In this study, three leaf-morphotypes in A. cappadocicum Gled. were identified during sampling in a forest located in the Hyrcanian region, leading to obscuring taxonomic situations of this taxon. Against this backdrop, the present study was performed to clarify intraspecific situation of this valuable tree using both macro-/micromorphological and molecular approaches. Forty-five plant samples of A. cappadocicum were randomly selected within nine geographical regions of four provinces in Hyrcanian forests of Iran. Internal transcribed spacer (ITS) (for eight individuals) and inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) molecular markers (for 45 individuals) were used along with the epidermal scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the leaf epidermis. Considering the obtained results, acceptance of the expected lower taxa in A. cappadocicum ssp. cappadocicum in north of Iran could not be supported by molecular evidence. Results of the study indicated no correlation between variations in leaf-morphology, ISSRs, and ITS. However, there are two main clusters in ITS tree without discrete morphological characters showing differentiation and variability in ITS region within this species. This subspecies was compared also with other subspecies.

Biologia, Apr 13, 2013

The present study considers genetic diversity of 38 populations in 4 Cirsium species of the genus... more The present study considers genetic diversity of 38 populations in 4 Cirsium species of the genus Cirsium Mill. (Asteraceae), occurring in different ecological regions and tries to compare degree of genetic variability among the species with wide geographical distribution versus endemic C. pyramidale showing confined geographical distribution. The results showed that the endemic species has similar value of genetic diversity parameters as the species with wider distribution. We also studied the possible admixture nature of these populations and tried to understand the relation between genetic changes, geographical distribution and polyploidy level and chromosome pairing in these species. ISSR analysis showed population difference in allele composition and frequency. Clustering and PcoA ordination produced different groupings in each species, while STRUCTURE and reticulation analyses revealed high degree of genetic admixture and gene exchange among populations as well as allelic rearrangement. No significant correlation was observed between geographical distance and genetic distance of the populations and AMOVA test revealed no significant difference among populations in each species studied. However, high amount of within population variation occurred in all 4 species indicating their cross-pollination nature and high genetic admixture. The populations also varied in chiasma frequency and chromosome pairing as well as the occurrence of heterozygote translocations all creating more variability to be used by plants for local adaptation.

Gaceta Sanitaria, 2016

Cribado genético de cultivares diploides y tetraploides de algodón, basado en marcadores de polim... more Cribado genético de cultivares diploides y tetraploides de algodón, basado en marcadores de polimorfismo de microsatélites en retrotransposones amplificados (REMAP) La selección artificial continuada y el uso de variedades ha llevado a erosión genética y pérdida de loci genéticos del germoplasma disponible. El objetivo fue evaluar variedades diploides y tetraploides de algodón por REMAP. Se observó baja variabilidad genética dentro de cada variedad, pero alta dentro de cada especie (18-68%). El AMOVA reveló que el 63% de la variabilidad genética total se produjo debido a diferencia entre especies. Se detectaron alelos únicos en las especies estudiadas, que pueden ser empleados para discriminación. REMAP podrían discriminar eficazmente las especies diploides de las tetraploides y ser últiles para el cribado rápido, actuar como huella genética del gran germoplasma de algodón y para la planificación de programas de hibridadción.

Caryologia

The genus Crocus L. of Iridaceae family contains about 160 species and is considered as a complex... more The genus Crocus L. of Iridaceae family contains about 160 species and is considered as a complex group of plant taxa with regard to evolutionary and phylogenetic events. Inter-specific hybridization and gene flow contribute to species genetic homogeneity in one hand and high within species genetic variability and species genetic content overlaps caused species resolution a problem. In spite of extensive molecular phylogenetic studies in this genus, nothing is known about DNA sequences or Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) which are of adaptive nature. Moreover, nothing is known about which geographical or environmental factors plays role in species local adaptation and speciation events within Crocus L. genus. Therefore, the present study was conducted to answer the above said questions. We used a combined molecular data set of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) nuclear gene and trnL-F intergenic spacer (trnL-F) sequences of chloroplast genome. A multiple analytical method of Ca...

Tragopogon L. (Cichorioideae, Lactuceae, Scorzonerinae) is an Old World genus with 150 species, R... more Tragopogon L. (Cichorioideae, Lactuceae, Scorzonerinae) is an Old World genus with 150 species, Rechinger in Flora Iranica divided this genus in 13 section and 37 species that 26 species of them are exist in Iran. Safavi et al. divided it into 26 species without sections in flora Iran. Despite the anatomical and molecular studies done around the world, the exact classification of this genus is not clear due to the high number of secret species, hybridization, polyploidy and rapid diversification. The morphology studies of 32 species and Molecular studies (ISSR, ITS, cp DNA) of 22 species of the genus Tragopogon was investigated . The purpose of these studies are classification and determination of interspecific relationship in this genus. Sections of Rubriflori, Sosnowskya, Chromopappus, Majores, Angustissimi, Krascheninnikovia in flora of Iranica are confirmed on the basis of morphometry and molecular data. Section of Profundisulcati in flora Iranica is confirmed on the base of mor...

Phytologia Balcanica: International Journal of Balkan Flora and Vegetation, 2016

Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) is one of the most important cultivated oil-producing plants that i... more Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) is one of the most important cultivated oil-producing plants that is highly evaluated for its fatty acid components. Studying and using wild relatives of cultivated crop plants as a spore of gene pool for breeding and hybridization is considered very important now. Therefore, the aim of present investigation was to provide data on saturated and unsaturated fatty acids of three Linum species, Linum usitatissimum, L. austriacum and L. album. We also studied the magnitude of oil composition variability within populations of these species and attempted to find out if oil composition data can be used in the Linum species delimitation. The saturated (C16:0, C18:0 and C20:0) and unsaturated (C18:1, C18:2, C18:3 and C20:1) fatty acids identified by GC represented inter- and intraspecies variations in the linseed and wild linum species. The linolenic (C18:3), linoleic (C18:2) and oleic acid as unsaturated fatty acids had an average of 52.7%, 12.4% and 20.6% resp...

Modern Phytomorphology, 2018

Linum nervosum is among species that can hybridize with L. usitatissimum and produce fertile offs... more Linum nervosum is among species that can hybridize with L. usitatissimum and produce fertile offsprings. Genetic diversity analysis of this wild relative of flax is important from conservation and breeding points of view. In the present study, 55 randomly selected plants of six different populations of L. nervosum varieties, including var. nervosum and var. bungei, were studied for morphological and genetic variability as well as population structure. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) did not show significant morphological difference between populations. PCA as well as PCA biplot confirmed that some morphological traits have taxonomic value. UPGMA clustering separated the populations of varieties in two distinct clusters, indicating degrees of morphological differentiation between them. Furthermore, UPGMA confirmed the variability in morphological characters within populations. Neighbor Joining tree and Neighbor-Net analysis of ISSR data revealed inter- and intrapopulation genetic variab...

Heterostyly is the occurrence of flowers with different sexual organ arrangements in different pl... more Heterostyly is the occurrence of flowers with different sexual organ arrangements in different plants of the same species. This floral polymorphism occurs in four sections of genus Linum. The present study compares the morphological, palynologycal and genome size (C-value content) characteristics in the long-styled and short-styled plants in three Linum species, that is, Linum austriacum L., Linum album Ky.ex Boiss. and L. glaucum Boiss. & Nöe . 15 qualitative and quantitative morphological characters from both vegetative and reproductive organs of these plants were studied. A higher mean value of the plant height, size of the basal leaves width, flower leaves width, calyx length, sepal length and petal length occurred in the long-styled plants, while the mean value of branch number, basal leaves length, flower leaves length, calyx width, pedicel length and sepal length was higher in the short-styled plant populations. T-test analysis of morphological characters showed significant d...

Pomegranate Punica granatum (Lythraceae) is one of the most important horticultural plants of Ira... more Pomegranate Punica granatum (Lythraceae) is one of the most important horticultural plants of Iran cultivated in different areas with different cultivars having specific fruit characteristic such as size, color, time of ripening, disease resistance, taste, etc. The present study considers morphological and RAPD analysis of eighteen pomegranate cultivars of the country. Agro-morphological characters were studied by using factor analyses. Clustering separated cultivars in distinct groups indicating their morphological differences. Forty RAPD primers used produced 182 bands, out of which 414 bands were polymorphic (about 44%) with average of 4.55 polymorphic bands for each primer. Eight unique bands (cultivar-specific) were observed. Two cultivars of Malas Yazdi and Poost Ghermez Mamooli showed the highest similarity among the cultivars studied.

The cultivated apple ( Malus domestica) is one of the most important fruit crops cultivated in di... more The cultivated apple ( Malus domestica) is one of the most important fruit crops cultivated in different regions of the world including Iran. For production and breeding of high quality apple, the knowledge of genetic diversity of the cultivated apples is necessary. Therefore we studied gene tic diversity of 25 genotypes by using ISSR molecular markers. In present study, ten ISSR primers produced 85% polymorphism. (AGC)5GG and (GA)9C primers produced the highest number of bands, while primers (GA)9A, (GA)9A and UBC 807 produced the lowest numb er. Some of the genotypes showed presence of specific bands. PCoA (principal co -ordinate analysis) plot of genotypes based on geographical origin (Netherland, France, Lebonan and Iran) grouped cultivars from different geographical regions together and inte rmixed. UPGMA

European Journal of Experimental Biology, 2014

Genetic stability versus somaclonal variation was studied in one-year old tissue culture regenera... more Genetic stability versus somaclonal variation was studied in one-year old tissue culture regenerated olive plants by using SSR and ISSR molecular markers. Fifty olive plants including mother plant were used in this study. NJ tree and NeigborNet analysis grouped the studied plants in three distinct groups, which were supported by K-Means clustering and Evanno test. AMOVA and Gst analyses revealed significant molecular difference among these three genetic groups. STRUCTURE analysis showed genetic variability both within and among these groups. The regenerated plants differed in allelic composition and allele frequency. The somaclonal variants obtained may be used in further hybridization and olive breeding program.

Modern Phytomorphology, 2015

Polygonum aviculare is a widely distributed annual herb. Number of segregates from this highly va... more Polygonum aviculare is a widely distributed annual herb. Number of segregates from this highly variable taxon has been described as independent species or different subspecies on the basis of habit, heterophyllous and homophyllous leaves and the length of perianth tube. Most proposed subspecies are partially sympatric and their distributions have been affected greatly by humans. Our studies show that P. aviculare has two subspecies in Iran. These infra-specific taxa can be differentiated by length of perianth tube and some features of outer tepals.

The cultivated apple (Malus domestica) is important fruit crops cultivated in world. For producti... more The cultivated apple (Malus domestica) is important fruit crops cultivated in world. For production and breeding of high quality apple, inducing and enhancing new genetic diversity and suitable traits are necessary. In Iran, different local and imported apple genotypes are cultivated and common apple root stocks (Malling 7) M7 and (Malling 9) M9 are mostly used root stocks in the country. Therefore, we studied genetic diversity of M7 an M9 tissue culture regenerated plants produced by different treatments by using twenty ISSR markers. In total 51 randomly selected plants were studied for the occurrence of somaclonal variation in apple mother plants and tissue culture regenerated plants. Four different treatments were used for tissue culture. Genetic diversity parameters, genetic distance and polymorphism percentage were studied in regenerated plants. Variations in loci frequency and combination were checked by STRUCTURE and the presence of similar loci in the plants was studied by r...

Genetika, 2020

It is estimated that about 15% of couples concern with the inability to conceive after 1 year of ... more It is estimated that about 15% of couples concern with the inability to conceive after 1 year of unprotected intercourse. Genetic and environmental factors play important roles in male infertility. MTHFR (Methylene Tetrahydro Folate Reductase) is encoded by a gene which maps to human chromosome 1p36.22. The c.677C>T mutation causes an amino - acid change of Alanine to Valine (Ala222Val) in exon 4 which is related to oligospermia and azoospermia. Our purpose was to investigate the association of rs1801133 in MTHFR gene with azoospermia and also genetic diversity of some Iranian folks. Peripheral blood samples of 100 men suffered from azoospermia and 55 controls collected from Infertility Clinic of Jihad-university of Qom. DNA was extracted by salting-out method and SNP-Genotyping was performed by PCR-RFLP technique and sequencing. Furthermore, statistical and population genetics analysis were done. The rs1801133 showed no significant relation with azoospermia according to statisti...

Genetika, 2018

L. amplexicaule L. grows in different regions of Iran and forms several populations that can be i... more L. amplexicaule L. grows in different regions of Iran and forms several populations that can be invasive in some area. Morphological and genetic variation of L. amplexicaule in Iran was studied to evaluate the differentiation among three presumed varieties within this species. Morphometric study was accompanied by the analysis of ISSR and chloroplast genome (psbA-trnH). Results of the molecular methods show that L. amplexicaule var. bornmuelleri Mennema. does not form any genetically distinct group. Genetic study of 103 plant specimens of 13 different populations using ISSR molecular marker revealed a high degree of within-population (67%) and among (33%) populations genetic diversity. AMOVA and Gst analyses produced a significant difference. Nm estimation revealed certain degree of gene flow/shared alleles between these populations, indicating that L. amplexicaule is predominantly an out-crossing species in Iran. Mantel test produced significant correlation between genetic distance...

Genetika, 2018

The genus Senecio (Asteraceae, Senecioneae) with about 1250 species is one of the largest genera ... more The genus Senecio (Asteraceae, Senecioneae) with about 1250 species is one of the largest genera in the family. Due to historical and present time inter-specific hybridization and reticulate evolution in the genus, the morphological and molecular phylogenetic evolution are disjunct. The genus contains 17 species belonging to four sections, sect. Crociseris, sect. Quadridentati, sect. Jacobaea and sect. Senecio, in Iran out of which, six are endemic. Therefore, the present study was performed with the aim to provide data on the above issues. In general, ISSR molecular markers could delimit the studied Senecio species and revealed the species relationships, but did not support any of the sections. The ITS and cp-DNA sequencing of six species of S. iranicus, S. vulcanicus, S. kotschyanus, S. paulsenii subsp. khorasanicus and S. joharchii were obtained for the first time. S-DIVA suggests three possible ancestral ranges, of Kordestan (A), Mazandaran (G), and West-Azarbayejan (D), for Sec...

Genetika, 2017

The genus Tragopogon L. with about 110-150 species is distributed in Asia and Europe, while it is... more The genus Tragopogon L. with about 110-150 species is distributed in Asia and Europe, while it is represented by 26 species in Iran. Hybridization and polyploidy occurs in the genus Tragopogon that bring about extensive morphological variation in its species. Tragopogon buphthalmoides (Asteraceae) is a perennial herb with common Persian name "Sheng e Iran" and "Sheng e cheshmgaavi" and is used as traditional medicine. Two varieties have been cited for this species in the country, but due to extensive morphological variability, it is difficult to delimit the two varieties. Therefore, the present study was performed to delimit these varieties by using both morphological and molecular markers (cpDNA and ISSRs). We also aimed to provide data on population genetics of the studied species due to its medicinal importance. In total 134 plant specimens of T. buphthalmoides were randomly collected from 16 geographical populations in 7 provinces. The studied plants were con...