Paper · 2026 · American Journal of Botany

Phylotranscriptomics and genome size evolution in Leucaena (Fabaceae): Paleotetraploid genomic stability overshadows diploidization and environmental effects

Alex Abair; Ashley N. Egan; Brittany Bugg; et al.

5
claims
11
verbatim quotes
0
citations
2
research areas
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Not open access

Abstract

PREMISE: Advances in transcriptomic and reduced representation genomic sequencing are deepening our understanding of how hybridization, reticulation, and environmental variation impact species diversification and genome size. Leucaena is a useful system for exploring the genomic basis of allopatric and allopolyploid speciation events and the effect of environmental pressures on genome size across 30° of latitude. We investigate phylogenetic relationships, the roles of polyploidy and hybridization in speciation, and genome size evolution in the genus. METHODS: Using newly generated RNA-sequencing data for Leucaena, we applied reference-guided and de novo phylotranscriptomics to reconstruct nuclear and organellar phylogenies. We then used comparative genome sizes from 252 samples and phylogenetic methods to investigate genome size evolution broadly and the impacts of environmental variables specifically. RESULTS: The phylogenetic results supported cladogenetic, rather than reticulate/hybrid, origins for most of the 19 paleotetraploid species. By contrast, gene tree data supported hybrid origins for octoploid Leucaena. The ancestral paleotetraploid genome size (1.52 pg/2 C) is relatively conserved among the paleotetraploids, rejecting our hypothesis associated with environmental variables significantly impacting genome sizes. CONCLUSIONS: The phylogenetic results illustrate the complex interplay of intrinsic and external factors that impact speciation, including ancient whole-genome duplication (WGD), cladogenesis, secondary contact, and allopolyploidy. A weak relationship between genome size and environmental variables suggests that other factors, including paleotetraploid genomic stability, have constrained genome size variation following a WGD 16+ million years ago. The findings are consistent with a small but growing number of studies identifying groups with ancient WGDs that resist diploidization associated with gene and DNA loss.

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Claims 5

Observationobservedoriginal resultmeasured

Claim · model-written summary

Phylogenetic results supported cladogenetic rather than hybrid origins for most of the 19 paleotetraploid Leucaena species.

Taxon
LeucaenaLeucaenat0
Outcome
origins for most of the 19 paleotetraploid speciese1
Qualifier
cladogenetic, rather than reticulate/hybride1

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Leucaena
Leucaena · Taxon · picture of the genus (one of its species)Tauʻolunga · CC BY-SA 2.5 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e1

“The phylogenetic results supported cladogenetic, rather than reticulate/hybrid, origins for most of the 19 paleotetraploid species”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 925–1055 · show in text ↑
t0

“Leucaena (Fabaceae)”

✓ located verbatim in the source · title, characters 50–69 · show in text ↑
Observationobservedoriginal resultmeasured

Claim · model-written summary

Gene tree data supported hybrid origins for octoploid Leucaena.

Taxon
octoploid Leucaenae2
Outcome
hybrid originse2
Qualifier
gene tree datae2

Verbatim

e2

“By contrast, gene tree data supported hybrid origins for octoploid Leucaena”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 1057–1132 · show in text ↑
t0

“Leucaena (Fabaceae)”

✓ located verbatim in the source · title, characters 50–69 · show in text ↑
Observationobservedoriginal resultmeasured

Claim · model-written summary

The ancestral paleotetraploid genome size of Leucaena (1.52 pg/2C) is relatively conserved among the paleotetraploids.

Taxon
LeucaenaLeucaenat0
Outcome
ancestral paleotetraploid genome sizee3
Value
1.52 pg/2 Ce3
Qualifier
relatively conserved among the paleotetraploidse3

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Leucaena
Leucaena · Taxon · picture of the genus (one of its species)Tauʻolunga · CC BY-SA 2.5 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e3

“The ancestral paleotetraploid genome size (1.52 pg/2 C) is relatively conserved among the paleotetraploids”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 1134–1240 · show in text ↑
t0

“Leucaena (Fabaceae)”

✓ located verbatim in the source · title, characters 50–69 · show in text ↑
Associationobservedoriginal resultno effectnot significant (as stated)measured

Claim · model-written summary

Genome size showed only a weak relationship with environmental variables, and the hypothesis of significant environmental impact on genome size was rejected.

Taxon
LeucaenaLeucaenat0
Treatment
environmental variablese5
Outcome
genome sizee5
Qualifier
weak relationshipe5

Not reportedDirection

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Leucaena
Leucaena · Taxon · picture of the genus (one of its species)Tauʻolunga · CC BY-SA 2.5 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e4

“rejecting our hypothesis associated with environmental variables significantly impacting genome sizes”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 1242–1343 · show in text ↑
e5

“A weak relationship between genome size and environmental variables suggests that other factors, including paleotetraploid genomic stability, have constrained genome size variation following a WGD 16+ million years ago”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 1577–1795 · show in text ↑
t0

“Leucaena (Fabaceae)”

✓ located verbatim in the source · title, characters 50–69 · show in text ↑
Mechanismauthor interpretationoriginal resultmeasured

Claim · model-written summary

Other factors, including paleotetraploid genomic stability, are suggested to have constrained genome size variation in Leucaena since a whole-genome duplication 16+ million years ago.

Taxon
LeucaenaLeucaenat0
Outcome
genome size variatione5
Qualifier
paleotetraploid genomic stabilitye5

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Leucaena
Leucaena · Taxon · picture of the genus (one of its species)Tauʻolunga · CC BY-SA 2.5 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e5

“A weak relationship between genome size and environmental variables suggests that other factors, including paleotetraploid genomic stability, have constrained genome size variation following a WGD 16+ million years ago”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 1577–1795 · show in text ↑
t0

“Leucaena (Fabaceae)”

✓ located verbatim in the source · title, characters 50–69 · show in text ↑