Yew (Taxus baccata L.) is a tertiary relict and a long-lived dioecious tree species of great ecological and economic value, it is found across a wide natural range of locations, and it has been a major component of forests for many years. However, this tree has recently come under threat, with the number and distribution of natural populations drastically decreasing in many parts of Europe. At the genetic level, the species is diploid (2n = 24) with an estimated genome size of 10.5 Gb. Previous research on the genetic structure of T. baccata in Europe using different marker systems, particularly SSR markers, demonstrated a high level of overall genetic variation and significant differentiation between populations. In the present study, 96 individuals from three wild populations of European yew, located in three different Italian regions (Sardinia, Lazio and Lombardy), were sampled and analysed using 11,120 SNP markers generated through the ddRAD approach. The sampling sites were selected in areas where yews grow naturally. These sites were characterised by differences in altitude, climate, geography, sun exposure, temperature, water availability and soil types and compositions. A high level of genetic variability was observed, with each plant being unique. The three populations are clearly distinct based on the geographic origin of the collected plants. Within each population, there is no particular evidence of separation between male and female plants. Admixture analysis revealed three distinct ancestral genetic backgrounds, with a very low or absent level of admixture between the populations, supporting the idea of long-term reproductive isolation. The analyses show a higher number of loci in homozygosity than in heterozygosity and an observed heterozygosity lower than expected. Finally, the Sardinian population results genetically more isolated than the other two populations, which are genetically closer.
Busconi, M., Piovesan, G., Petretto, E., Stagnati, L., Soffritti, G., Lanubile, A., Baliva, M., Mereu, S., Genomics variation in yew (Taxus baccata L.): a study involving three populations from different italian regions, Abstract de <<LXVIII SIGA Annual Congress>>, (Viterbo, 09-12 September 2025 ), Società Italiana di Genetica Agraria, Napoli 2025: 1-2 [https://hdl.handle.net/10807/323018]
Genomics variation in yew (Taxus baccata L.): a study involving three populations from different italian regions
Busconi, Matteo
;Petretto, Elena;Stagnati, Lorenzo;Soffritti, Giovanna;Lanubile, Alessandra;
2025
Abstract
Yew (Taxus baccata L.) is a tertiary relict and a long-lived dioecious tree species of great ecological and economic value, it is found across a wide natural range of locations, and it has been a major component of forests for many years. However, this tree has recently come under threat, with the number and distribution of natural populations drastically decreasing in many parts of Europe. At the genetic level, the species is diploid (2n = 24) with an estimated genome size of 10.5 Gb. Previous research on the genetic structure of T. baccata in Europe using different marker systems, particularly SSR markers, demonstrated a high level of overall genetic variation and significant differentiation between populations. In the present study, 96 individuals from three wild populations of European yew, located in three different Italian regions (Sardinia, Lazio and Lombardy), were sampled and analysed using 11,120 SNP markers generated through the ddRAD approach. The sampling sites were selected in areas where yews grow naturally. These sites were characterised by differences in altitude, climate, geography, sun exposure, temperature, water availability and soil types and compositions. A high level of genetic variability was observed, with each plant being unique. The three populations are clearly distinct based on the geographic origin of the collected plants. Within each population, there is no particular evidence of separation between male and female plants. Admixture analysis revealed three distinct ancestral genetic backgrounds, with a very low or absent level of admixture between the populations, supporting the idea of long-term reproductive isolation. The analyses show a higher number of loci in homozygosity than in heterozygosity and an observed heterozygosity lower than expected. Finally, the Sardinian population results genetically more isolated than the other two populations, which are genetically closer.
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