Next-generation sequencing-based population genetics unravels the evolutionary history of Rhodomyrtus tomentosa in China

作者：Xianglong Xu, Bo-yong Liao, Su-jiao Liao, Qiaomei Qin, Chunyan He, Xin Ding, Wei Wu, Long-yuan Wang, Fang-qiu Zhang, Li‐Xia Peng, Bryan T. Drew, Yongquan Li · 发表于：BMC Plant Biology · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1186/s12870-025-06364-6 · 被引用次数：2 · 研究领域：Biological and pharmacological studies of plants、Genetic diversity and population structure、Wood and Agarwood Research

BACKGROUND: Rhodomyrtus tomentosa (Ait.) Hassk. is useful for its ornamental, medicinal, and ecological characteristics, and is considered a "Neglected and Underutilized Crop Species". However, our understanding of the geographic structure and evolutionary history of its wild populations is limited. To address this gap, we investigated genomic data from 284 samples of R. tomentosa from 28 wild populations in southern China. RESULTS: The genetic diversity of populations in different regions revealed the similar trends using whole-genome and RAD-seq data, and Hainan Island having a higher genetic diversity than other regions. The 28 populations clustered into three distinct groups: (a) GROUP1 on the eastern mainland within Guangdong, Fujian, and Hunan Provinces; (b) GROUP2 on the western mainland within Guangxi and Yunnan Provinces; and (c) GROUP3 on Hainan Island. Mantel tests and redundancy analyses revealed population differentiation was affected by distance and environmental factors such as annual average radiation. Demographic history and gene flow analyses indicated the mainland populations and the Hainan Island populations diverged around 0.93 MYA, with gene flow primarily occurring from Hainan Island and the coastal regions (such as Zhanjiang in Guangdong and Fangchenggang in Guangxi) towards the mainland, reflecting an expansion trend within the species. PSMC' analyses indicated that the populations of the three groups underwent a bottleneck during the Pleistocene due ...