Genetic diversity and differentiation characteristics of the widespread plant Phragmites australis in eastern China
Abstract
IntroductionPhragmites australis (common reed) is a globally distributed and highly productive emergent macrophyte with important ecological functions in wetland ecosystems. However, the genetic diversity and population differentiation of P. australis in eastern China remain insufficiently characterized.MethodsIn this study, we performed RAD-seq-based reduced-representation genome sequencing of 98 P. australis individuals collected from populations distributed across eastern China to characterize genetic variation, population structure, and geographic differentiation among populations.ResultsA total of 730,413 high-quality single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified. Population genomic analyses revealed relatively high genetic diversity across eastern Chinese populations and substantial population structure, with the broad geographic distribution of P. australis associated with the formation of multiple genetic clusters. Functional enrichment analyses further indicated that pathways related to plant–pathogen interactions and sugar metabolism, highlighting potential biological processes associated with the genetic variation observed among the sampled populations. Among the sampled populations, the Longqi Bay (LQW) population exhibited the most distinct genetic characteristics, followed by the Baiyangdian Lake (BYD) and Xizhi Lake (XZH) populations. In contrast, the Weishan Lake (WSH) and Panjin (PJ) populations showed relatively low genetic differentiation and displayed genomic variation patterns more similar to those of the reference genome. Notably, the Yangtze River region coincided with a pronounced north–south transition in genetic structure.DiscussionOverall, these findings provide new insights into the population genetic structure, evolutionary history, and geographic differentiation of P. australis in eastern China and provide valuable genomic resources for investigating its evolutionary dynamics and ecological adaptation.
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BibTeX
@article{huo2026genetic,
title = {{Genetic diversity and differentiation characteristics of the widespread plant Phragmites australis in eastern China}},
author = {Xiaokang Huo and Ningxu Li and Haoyang Yu and Chen Wang and Yajie Gao and Hongzhe Zhu and Yabin Wang and Lei Jin and Yajuan Zhang and Cunqi Liu},
journal = {Frontiers in Plant Science},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fpls.2026.1995193},
url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2026.1995193},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Genetic diversity and differentiation characteristics of the widespread plant Phragmites australis in eastern China
AU - Xiaokang Huo
AU - Ningxu Li
AU - Haoyang Yu
AU - Chen Wang
AU - Yajie Gao
AU - Hongzhe Zhu
AU - Yabin Wang
AU - Lei Jin
AU - Yajuan Zhang
AU - Cunqi Liu
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/29
JO - Frontiers in Plant Science
DO - 10.3389/fpls.2026.1995193
UR - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2026.1995193
AB - IntroductionPhragmites australis (common reed) is a globally distributed and highly productive emergent macrophyte with important ecological functions in wetland ecosystems. However, the genetic diversity and population differentiation of P. australis in eastern China remain insufficiently characterized.MethodsIn this study, we performed RAD-seq-based reduced-representation genome sequencing of 98 P. australis individuals collected from populations distributed across eastern China to characterize genetic variation, population structure, and geographic differentiation among populations.ResultsA total of 730,413 high-quality single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified. Population genomic analyses revealed relatively high genetic diversity across eastern Chinese populations and substantial population structure, with the broad geographic distribution of P. australis associated with the formation of multiple genetic clusters. Functional enrichment analyses further indicated that pathways related to plant–pathogen interactions and sugar metabolism, highlighting potential biological processes associated with the genetic variation observed among the sampled populations. Among the sampled populations, the Longqi Bay (LQW) population exhibited the most distinct genetic characteristics, followed by the Baiyangdian Lake (BYD) and Xizhi Lake (XZH) populations. In contrast, the Weishan Lake (WSH) and Panjin (PJ) populations showed relatively low genetic differentiation and displayed genomic variation patterns more similar to those of the reference genome. Notably, the Yangtze River region coincided with a pronounced north–south transition in genetic structure.DiscussionOverall, these findings provide new insights into the population genetic structure, evolutionary history, and geographic differentiation of P. australis in eastern China and provide valuable genomic resources for investigating its evolutionary dynamics and ecological adaptation.
SN - 1664-462X
ER -