1.
Silene ciliata (Caryophyllaceae) as a model species in
a climate change scenario: our multidisciplinary
approaches
García-Fernández, A., Morente-López, J., Lara-Romero, C.,
Rubio-Teso, M.L., Iriondo, J.M.
Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos,
E-28933 Móstoles, Madrid, Spain.

2.
10 years with Silene ciliata in 10 minutes using 10
slides
García-Fernández, A., Morente-López, J., Lara-Romero, C.,
Rubio-Teso, M.L., Iriondo, J.M.
Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos,
E-28933 Móstoles, Madrid, Spain.

3.
• Circum-mediterranean alpine chamaephyte
• Elevation range: 1500 – 2500 m
• 2 important features:
• Polyploid karyotypes
– 2n = 24 to 2n = 192
• Phenotype variability
• Description of subspecies:
– Subsp. graffieri (Eastern mountains)
– Subsp. ciliata (Western mountains)
– Other subsp. and varieties
Silene ciliata Pourret
Introduction Past studies Current researches Future prospects

4.
Silene ciliata Pourret
Introduction Past studies Current researches Future prospects
• Plastid markers support the existence of two
subspecies
• More haplotype diversity in western group
• Vicariance processes, dispersal barriers and
geographical disconnection associated to
glaciation-interglaciation periods
Kyrkou et al. (2015) PeerJ

5.
Introduction Past studies Current researches Future prospects
Silene ciliata Pourret
• During the last decade, more than 10 papers
published with the species.
• Mediterranean mountains, hotspot of
biodiversity and endemisms.
• Altitudinal gradients summarize environmental
variabilities.

6.
Introduction Past studies Current researches Future prospects
Silene ciliata Pourret
• Floral asynchrony
Intermediate
population
Low population
High population
Gimenez-Benavides et al. (2007) New Phyto.

7.
Introduction Past studies Current researches Future prospects
Silene ciliata Pourret
• Floral asynchrony
• Local adaptation, reciprocal transplants
Intermediate
population
Low population
High population
Gimenez-Benavides et al. (2007) Ann. Bot.

8.
Introduction Past studies Current researches Future prospects
Silene ciliata Pourret
• Floral asynchrony
• Local adaptation, drought resistance
Intermediate
population
Low population
High population
Fv/Fmphtosynteticstatus
Days without water supply
García-Fernández et al. (2012) Plant Bio.
Low pop.
Inter. pop.
High pop.

9.
Introduction Past studies Current research Future prospects
Silene ciliata Pourret • Central – marginal hypothesis
• Niche model prediction in Central Spain

10.
GuadarramaGredosBéjar
Introduction Past studies Current research Future prospects
Silene ciliata Pourret
• Central population
• Marginal populations
• Central – marginal theory
• Niche model prediction in Central Spain
• Populations selection, based in:
– 3 mountains
– Different population size

11.
Introduction Past studies Current research Future prospects
Silene ciliata Pourret • Central – marginal theory
• Niche model prediction in Central Spain
• Populations selection
• Two complementary approaches:
 Ex situ sowing
experiment at
optimum conditions in
growth chamber and
greenhouse
environment (mother
plant x type of cross x
block x pop. = 8640
seeds).
 In situ sowing
experiment at the
locations of the 6
marginal populations
(mother plant x type of
cross x block x pop. =
24000 seeds)

12.
Introduction Past studies Current research Future prospects
Silene ciliata Pourret
Reference-based
transcriptome assembly
Silene latifolia Reference Genome
T G T C G G T C T
T G T C G G T C T
T G T C A G T C T
T G T C A G T C T
SNP calling – Reads2SNP
High
Low
Differential expression
Candidate Genes
High
Low Candidate Genes
Functional annotation
&
Enrichment analysis
• Next Generation Sequencing.
• Transcriptome analyses and SNP calling.

13.
Introduction Past studies Current research Future prospects
Silene ciliata Pourret
Thanks for your attention
Prof. Jose M. Iriondo
Group leader
Javier Morente-López
Ph.D student
Luisa Rubio
Ph.D student
Dr. Alfredo García-Fernández
Dr. Carlos Lara-Romero

14.
RUI AGI CAM SES NAJMOR
F1
F2
F3
F1>F2F1<F3 F1=F2,F3 F1=F2,F3F1=F2,F3
Inbreeding
depression
No inbreeding depression
F1<F2
Adaptation
from MOR
Maladaptation
from RUI
In situ
F1<F2,F3F1<F2,F3 F1=F2,F3 F1=F2,F3
Inbreeding depression No inbreeding depression
F1<F2,F3
Inbreeding
depression
Ex situ F1=F2,F3
He= 0.63
FIS= 0.33
Ne= 10
He= 0.75
FIS= 0.32
Ne= 25
He= 0.66
FIS= 0.19
Ne= 12
He= 0.70
FIS= -0.12
Ne= inf
He= 0.70
FIS= 0.39
Ne= 66
He= 0.51
FIS= 0.31
Ne= 131
Introduction Past studies Current research Future prospects

15.
Introduction Past studies Current research Future prospects
Silene ciliata Pourret • Next Generation Sequencing.
• Transcriptome analyses and SNP calling
– 288 genes expressed differentially