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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Poplarville, Mississippi » Southern Horticultural Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #388459
Research Project: Blueberry and Woody Ornamental Plant Improvement in the Southeast United States

Location: Southern Horticultural Research Unit

Title: Nuclear DNA content and chromosome number determination in a Sahel medicinal plant, Combretum micranthum G. Don

Author
item Sakhanokho, Hamidou
item NURUAL, ISLAM-FARIDI - Us Forest Service (FS)
item Smith, Barbara

Submitted to: Journal of Crop Improvement
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/22/2022
Publication Date: 2/8/2022
Citation: Sakhanokho, H.F., Nurual, I., Smith, B.J. 2022. Nuclear DNA content and chromosome number determination in a Sahel medicinal plant, Combretum micranthum G. Don. Journal of Crop Improvement. https://doi.org/10.1080/15427528.2022.2030447.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/15427528.2022.2030447

Interpretive Summary: Combretum micranthum, commonly known as kinkéliba, is an undomesticated multipurpose plant that grows as shrub or tree. The plant is native to West Africa where it is widely used for both its nutritional and medicinal values. The herbal tea from the leaves is very popular in several West African countries where it is also used for the treatment of several ailments including diabetes and high blood pressure. Despite these beneficial attributes, very few genetic studies have been conducted on the plant. For these reasons, we decided to conduct some basic genetic work to determine the nuclear DNA content or the genome size of the plant as well as its chromosome number. These goals were successfully achieved. The results obtained from this study can help in learning about the evolution history of this species and how it is related to other plant species belonging to the same genus or family. They can also be helpful in sequencing projects as well as in breeding and domestication projects of the kinkéliba plant.

Technical Abstract: Combretum micranthum G. Don, also known as kinkéliba, is native to West Africa where the plant grows wild as a shrub, liana, or tree and is valued for its numerous attributes including health and nutritional benefits. Despite this, genetic information commensurate to its economic value is lacking. The aim of this study was to determine the nuclear DNA content and chromosome numbers of C. micranthum germplasm from eastern Senegal, West Africa. Genome size estimates were determined, for the first time, and chromosome number was analyzed using actively growing root tips. The mean, median, minimum, and maximum genome size estimates were 1587.44 Mb, 1540.85 Mb, 1472.24 Mb, and 2146.66 M b, respectively. Cytological analysis revealed a chromosome number of 2n = 2x = 26. The results of this investigation can be useful for structural and functional genomics, genome sequencing endeavors, and phylogenic studies as well as breeding and domestication programs.