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Chromosome research in orchids: current status and future prospects with special emphasis from molecular and epigenetic perspective

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Abstract

Having more than 25,000 species belonging to >800 genera, orchids are renowned for the abundance of morphotypes, with apparently everlasting compilation of extraordinary and fantastic adaptations, and represent a highly advanced terminal line of floral evolution in the angiosperms. The pattern of speciation and evolution in the family Orchidaceae is still elusive due to lack of information on valuable chromosome landmarks including centromeres, telomeres, nucleolar organizing regions (NORs), accessory chromosomes, structural rearrangements, eu/hetero-chromatin structure that ultimately resulted in complex genome organization. Therefore, an attempt has been made to catalog the available information on chromosome research in orchids encompassing the wide spectrum of conventional/molecular cytogenetics. Further, the recent developments in the broad scope of epi-cytogenetics involving nuclear architecture, spatial-temporal chromosomal distribution of DNA/histone modification marks, and their interplay in the formation of chromatin environment during cell division have been discussed. The application of flow-cytogenetics in unrevealing the complex genome architecture and ploidy of orchids has also been considered significantly. Further, in view of recent availability of the transcriptome and genome sequences of orchids, the potential of next-generation cytogenetics in discovery of myriad cytogenetic milestones for uncovering the mysteries of orchid’s genome and concurrent evolution has also been addressed. In particular, this review ultimately provides a broad scope and perspectives in different aspects of chromosome research on the highly evolved yet complex orchid family.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), Japan for providing post-doctoral fellowship (SKS, no. P13399) and Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C) (YM, no. 25450006) in the field of orchid cytogenetics. Sincere thanks are also due to Prof. Maki Yamamoto, Kansai University of Welfare Sciences, Osaka, and Prof. Go Suzuki and all members of Plant Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Osaka Kyoiku University, Osaka, Japan for their constant encouragement and help. We also thank Osaka Kyoiku University, Osaka, Japan for providing the facilities. Sincere apologies to those authors whose work(s) we could not cite due to space limitations.

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  1. Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, Division of Natural Sciences, Osaka Kyoiku University, Kashiwara, Osaka, 582-8582, Japan

    Santosh Kumar Sharma & Yasuhiko Mukai

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  1. Santosh Kumar Sharma
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Correspondence to Santosh Kumar Sharma.

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Authors declare no conflict of interest. SKS and YM designed the theme of the study. SKS did the experiments and wrote the manuscript. YM provided valuable inputs for significant improvement of the quality of the manuscript.

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Sharma, S.K., Mukai, Y. Chromosome research in orchids: current status and future prospects with special emphasis from molecular and epigenetic perspective. Nucleus 58, 173–184 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13237-015-0152-1

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