Title：
Genetic diversity and adaptive genetic divergence of endangered aquatic plant Brasenia schreberi in China revealed by RAD-seq
Authors：
Corresponding
Author：
Zhihao Qian, Jinming Chen*
Pubyear：
2026
Title of
Journal：
Aquatic Botany
Paper
Code：
Volume：
204
Number：
Page：
204:103992
Others：
Classification：
Source：
Abstract：
Brasenia schreberi is a critically endangered aquatic plant species found sparsely distributed in freshwater ponds and lakes across China. Here, we used RAD-seq to assess the genetic diversity, population structure, and local adaptation of 20 wild populations of this species. Our results revealed extremely low genetic diversity and strong genetic differentiation among populations, likely driven by predominant clonal reproduction and restricted gene flow due to habitat fragmentation. Population structure analyses revealed two major genetic groups. Redundancy analysis demonstrated that this genetic differentiation was caused by the divergent selection due to environmental difference. We further identified 170 candidate genes under selective pressure, which were enriched in functions related to regulation of chromatin organization and modification and abiotic stress response. Our findings have significant implications for the conservation management of B. schreberi and similar endangered aquatic plants, and provide valuable genetic resources for future conservation efforts.
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