C. sativus (saffron) is the source of the world's most expensive spice. Despite its economic significance, the genome structure is poorly studied. C. sativus is a sterile triploid (2n = 3x = 24) species, traditionally considered to exhibit minimal genetic variation. In this study, we analysed 45 individuals representing 15 accessions of C. sativus obtained from farmers in the Davutobası and Yukarıçiftlik villages of Safranbolu-an important centre of saffron cultivation in Türkiye. These populations represent an underexplored reservoir of germplasm with potential implications for biodiversity, conservation, and genetic improvement. Flow cytometry based on propidium iodide staining was used to assess nuclear DNA content, a key cytogenetic characteristic relevant to taxonomy, breeding, and molecular research. Nuclear DNA content among individuals ranged from 10.45 pg/2C DNA to 10.9 pg/2C DNA, all sharing the expected triploid chromosome number (2n = 3x = 24). Although variation was subtle, the observed polymorphism suggests the presence of detectable genomic diversity within these genotypes. These findings highlight the importance of analysing genotypes in understanding the genetic landscape of C. sativus. Selected individuals exhibiting variation in genome size may serve as valuable material for further molecular and breeding studies aimed at improving this culturally and economically significant crop.

Sainfoin (Onobrychis spp.) is a perennial legume forage crop valued for its adaptation to dry environments, nitrogen fixation capacity, and ecosystem service benefits. Despite its agronomic importance, broad comparative evaluations of cultivated sainfoin germplasm across environments remain limited. In this study, a diverse global panel of cultivated sainfoin germplasm representing O. arenaria, O. transcaucasica and O. viciifolia was evaluated in replicated field trials in Tekirdağ, Türkiye and Salina, Kansas, USA. Significant environmental, species, and accession effects were detected for numerous agronomic and forage-related traits, indicating substantial phenotypic diversity and strong environmental responsiveness across the evaluated germplasm. Several vegetative and forage-related traits, including stem length, forage dry matter, and canopy height, exhibited moderate to relatively high entry-mean repeatability across environments. Correlation analyses revealed strong positive associations between stem morphology traits and forage biomass production, suggesting that vegetative architecture traits may serve as useful indirect selection criteria for forage improvement. Principal Component Analysis revealed substantial phenotypic overlap among cultivated sainfoin taxa, indicating that the evaluated agronomic traits alone did not clearly separate species groups. Several plant introduction accessions performed comparably to or exceeded commercial cultivars for forage-related traits, highlighting the value of broad germplasm collections for sainfoin improvement. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that cultivated sainfoin germplasm contains substantial breeding-relevant diversity and support continued multi-environment evaluation and regionally adapted breeding strategies for perennial forage improvement.

Sunflower genus (Helianthus spp.), native to North America, includes 37 perennials and 14 annual species, many of which possess valuable genes related to biotic and abiotic stress tolerance that can enhance yield and yield-related traits in cultivated sunflower. However, it is crucial to characterize wild species to incorporate these beneficial traits into breeding programs. The study aim was to determine the nuclear DNA content of 133 sunflower accessions representing 52 species of the genus by flow cytometer and use the obtained information to determine their ploidy levels and verify their taxonomic identities. Based on flow cytometrical analysis, nuclear DNA content of the individual plants and the average values of accessions of the same species generally showed a high degree of similarity, except in some cases. However, the average 2C nuclear DNA content of Helianthus species was estimated to range from 5.61 pg (H. porteri) to 27.05 pg (H. tuberosus). The differences among the species were statistically significant. Based on the study results, it was determined that approximately 80% (41 species) of the wild species (15 annuals, 26 perennials) are diploid. The ploidy level of the remaining species exhibited variability, and 12 species were tetraploid (4x) while 2 species were hexaploid (6x). The study results indicated that some accessions of some species were either identified incorrectly or they are progenies of natural interspecific hybrids. The study's results confirm that flow cytometer can be used to characterize the sunflower genetic resources before including them in breeding programs.

Although certain trace elements are essential for normal plant functionality, an excessive increase in their concentration can disrupt plant development and physiology due to phytotoxicity. This study aims to determine the toxic tolerance limits for different concentrations of Ni and Cr (50, 100, 200, and 400 ppm) and Pb (20, 50, 100, and 200 ppm) in maize seedlings grown in soil collected near the Ferronikel smelter in Drenas, Kosovo. We will assess these limits using sensitive biomarkers, including δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALA-D) activity, δ-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) content, chlorophyll content, glutathione (GSH) levels, and lipid peroxidation (MDA), as well as by evaluating DNA content and cell cycle dynamics. All the investigated heavy metals showed a significant increase in concentration in leaves; in particular, Ni showed a strong significant association between its concentration in treatment and in the leaves. At concentrations of 400 ppm, Ni and Cr had significant negative effects on all biomarkers, with ALA-D activity inhibited by up to 50%, and total chlorophyll content significantly decreased. A robust correlation was observed between Ni and Cr and the level of cellular oxidative stress in leaves, as monitored through GSH, lipid peroxidation, and ALA levels. Additionally, the cell cycle, especially in the G1 and G2/M phases, was arrested. These findings emphasize the significant adverse impact of high concentrations of Ni and Cr in plant metabolism. This research contributes to our understanding of managing and mitigating heavy metal contamination in agricultural areas and its potential implications for plant defense mechanisms.

Detailed karyological analyses of the Nigelleae tribe which includes taxa belonging to both genera Garidella and Nigella were performed. All studied taxa are diploid with 2 n = 12 and all the chromosomes are Ranunculus-type, chromosome size is large, and all taxa exhibit metacentric chromosomes. The karyotype formulas for Nigella and Garidella are 10m+2st and 12m, respectively, and only Nigella orientalis has satellite (SAT) chromosomes among the studied taxa. Secondary constrictions were documented in N. elata and N. orientalis . Genome size was determined using flow cytometry (FCM) and 2C genome sizes of some diploid Nigella species ranged from 21.25 to 23.48 pg. In contrast, a much smaller genome size, 17.68 pg, was determined in Garidella nigellastrum . UPGM cluster analyses were carried out to evaluate the correspondence between chromosomal features and the taxonomy of the tribe. The results showed that karyological parameters are highly useful in taxonomic delimitation at the generic level.

The origin and genome composition of tetraploid cultivated Onobrychis viciifolia (2n = 4x = 28) were analyzed using dot-blot and genomic in situ hybridization (GISH) techniques. Dot-blot hybridization was used to find a genomic affinity between O. viciifolia and 16 diploid Onobrychis species. The hypothesis on the origin of the O. viciifolia was tested using GISH. Dot-blot analyses suggested a genomic affinity between O. viciifolia and four diploid Onobrychis species (O. kachetica, O. supina, O. pallasii, and O. vaginalis). Hybridization signals were observed on O. viciifolia chromosomes when gDNA of O. kachetica, O. supina, O. pallasi, and O. hypargyrea were used as probes. However, the observed chromosomal distribution of hybridization signals did not resemble GISH results. The observed signals colocalized with 35S rDNA or dispearse signals on all chromosomes were observed depending on the probe. Further investigations using more comprehensive and comparative analysis with both coding and repetitive DNA regions may provide a better understanding of the genome composition and evolution of O. viciifolia.

The Ferronikel smelter in Drenas is one of the main industrial areas in the Kosovo and pollution by heavy metals causes serious threat for all living organisms on this area. The objective of this study was to determine the concentration of some heavy metals (Fe, Cu, Mn, Cr, Cd, Ni and Pb) in agricultural soils and in maize plants, and their potential toxic effects on this plant through some sensitive biochemical and molecular markers. Maize seedlings growth in nine soil samples from different locations of this area. The highest concentrations of heavy metals in soils and maize leaves were conducted close to the Ferronikel smelter, and in some locations, the nickel and chromium concertation in soils exceeded 800 mg kg-1. A significant effects of heavy metals induced toxicity resulted in the, build-up aminolevulinic acid and reduced activity of & delta;-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase, and chlorophyll content in the maize leaves. In general, maize seedlings growth in polluted locations showed an increase in nuclear DNA content and in G2M phase. We concluded that locations close to the smelter are affected by soil heavy metals pollution and these biochemical and molecular analysis would be a powerful ecotoxicological tool in biomonitoring of heavy metal pollution.

: One of the key uses of flow cytometry is the estimation of nuclear DNA content and ploidy level, which has proven a reliable and effective approach in many studies. The primary goal of this research is to estimate the nuclear DNA content and ploidy level of the apple genetic resource collection maintained in the Fruit Research Institute’s living Malus collection for the first time using flow cytometry (for autochthonous varieties). Fresh apple leaf tissues were used for the flow cytometry analysis. For each genotype, nuclear DNA analysis was performed on three individual plants. Propidium iodide (PI) is used as a fluorochrome. Common vetch (3.65 pg/2C) was used as an internal standard. The 2C nuclear DNA content ranged from 1.46 pg to 2.45 pg. The variation in nuclear DNA content within the collection was statistically significant. Apple genotypes were split into two groups, diploid and triploid, according to their nuclear DNA content. Based on these results, 16.47% of apple genotypes were triploid, while 83.53% were diploid. The 2C nuclear DNA content in triploid genotypes varied from 2.04 to 2.45 pg and in diploids from 1.46 to 1.69 pg. The average nuclear DNA content in diploids was 1.56 pg, whereas it was 2.29 pg in triploids. The results of the study will be useful to determine the best strategies in breeding programs, as ploidy is one of the most important characteristics to consider in selecting parents for breeding purposes in addition to their agronomic characteristics.

The Balkan Peninsula is considered an important centre of native tulip species. Tulipa kosovarica and Tulipa luanica are new species recently discovered in Kosovo, and Tulipa albanica in Albania. The current study aims at the investigating the nuclear DNA content and chromosome number of these three tulipa species in order to provide for the first time data on their genome size and differences among these three Tulipa species. Analysis of nuclear DNA content was performed by flow cytometer (Partec CyFlow Space) in mature fresh leaves for each Tulipa species. Samples for chromosome analysis were taken from the root tip meristem of the bulbs. Results showed significantly higher amounts of nuclear DNA (2C) in T. luanica compared to T. kosovarica and T. albanica. The chromosome number for these three species was 2n = 2x = 24, while the chromosome sizes of T. luanica resulted larger, compared to that of T. kosovarica and T. albanica. A correlation between the nuclear DNA content and chromosome size was found among these tulipa species. Moreover, nuclear DNA content and chromosome sizes of T. luanica, T. kosovarica and T. albanica showed clear differences among these species.

Turkey is in a very convenient position for animal husbandry in terms of both natural resources and ecological conditions. Forage crops, which has a very important place in agricultural activities, is the insurance of plant and animal production. Sainfoin is a perennial forage legume species that grown in the northern temperate regions of the world from the Mediterranean region and the Caucasus, and to Central Asia. In this study the genetic diversity of 100 genotypes representing 44 accessions from 18 different Onobrychis species (O. arenaria subsp. arenaria, O. inermis, O. petraea, O. cyri, O. iberica, O. altissima, O. vassilczenkoi, O. conferta subsp. argentea, O. alba subsp. laconica, O. biebersteinii, O. grandis, O. kachetica, O. kemulariae, O. oxyodonta, O. megataphros, O. pallasii, Onobrychis spp., and O. viciifolia) were evaluated using 8 simple sequence repeat (microsatellite) markers. Based on the results, OVK036, OVK094, OVK125, OVM033, OVK161, OVK046, OVM061, and OVK174 loci were polymorphic. The observed number of alleles per SSR locus ranged from 6 to 21 alleles (mean of 11.625). Maximum allele frequency ranged from 0.51 to 0.93 with a mean value of 0.73. The PIC value ranged from 0.124 to 0.244. The mean polymorphism information content of loci was 0.188. Genetic diversity coefficients according to the UPGMA ranged from 0.000 to 0.9375. Cluster analysis divided the 100 sainfoin genotypes into two main groups (Cluster-I and Cluster-II). All diploid genotypes (except for 1 diploid genotype) used in the study formed a separate group within Cluster-I. The results revealed that SSR markers used in this study are useful for molecular characterization and assessing genetic diversity of sainfoin accessions. The obtained SSR alleles and genetic variability in a studied certain loci provided significant information about the genetic structure of sainfoin accessions that could be used as parental lines in sainfoin breeding programs.

The aim of this study was to gain a better understanding of how Tulipa luanica adapts to growth in soil with higher concentrations of heavy metals and to assess potential toxic effects using various biomarkers, in comparison to Tulipa kosovarica, a typical serpentine species. For this purpose, we analyzed the concentrations of Al, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn in the soil, as well as their accumulation in plants and their associated stress effects. The results indicate that, despite the presence of some metals in very high concentrations in the soil (Al, Fe, Mn, and Ni), they are translocated in minimal amounts within plant organs, particularly in T. luanica. Nearly all metals exhibited significantly higher concentrations in T. kosovarica when compared to T. luanica. Based on the analysis of biomarkers, it is apparent that T. luanica shows greater sensitivity to these conditions. This is evident through the decreased activity of δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase and levels of δ-aminolevulinic acid, malondialdehyde, and glutathione observed in T. luanica. It appears that T. luanica effectively restricts the absorption of metals in serpentine soils; however, it experiences oxidative stress induced by these metals, setting it apart from the more resilient T. kosovarica.

The evolution of chromosome number and ribosomal DNA (rDNA) loci number and localisation were studied in Onobrychis Mill. Diploid and tetraploid species, as well as two basic chromosome numbers, x = 7 and x = 8, were observed among analysed taxa. The chromosomal distribution of rDNA loci was presented here for the first time using fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) with 5S and 35S rDNA probes. Onobrychis species showed a high polymorphism in the number and localisation of rDNA loci among diploids, whereas the rDNA loci pattern was very similar in polyploids. Phylogenetic relationships among the species, inferred from nrITS sequences, were used as a framework to reconstruct the patterns of basic chromosome number and rDNA loci evolution. Analysis of the evolution of the basic chromosome numbers allowed the inference of x = 8 as the ancestral number and the descending dysploidy and polyploidisation as the major mechanisms of the chromosome number evolution. Analyses of chromosomal patterns of rRNA gene loci in a phylogenetic context resulted in the reconstruction of one locus of 5S rDNA and one locus of 35S rDNA in the interstitial chromosomal position as the ancestral state in this genus.

The emergence of some physiological and fruit quality problems due to the common squash rootstocks used in watermelon has led researchers to search for alternative rootstocks sources. Exploitation of novel Citrullus germplasm such as citronmelon (Citrullus lanatus var. citroides) is an alternative to avoid these problems. In this study, rootstocks potential of auto and allotetraploid citrullus genotypes for watermelon were investigated as regard to plant growth and some physiological parameters under hyroponic conditions. Plant length was significantly affected by rootstock genotype and the longest plant stem was measured in watermelon plants grafted on N7-4T tetraploid rootstock (62.67 cm) while the shortest stem was measured in grafted plants onto autotetraploid Calhounn Gray with 14.33 cm. Among the graft combinations, N7-4T/CT (93.33 g) and CN7-5T/CT 95.00 g) graft combination produced the highest shoot fresh and dry weight. As in shoot fresh weight, the exploitationted on to tetraploid rootstock produced higher root fresh and dry weight than the plants grafted on diploid rootstocks and commercial rootstock. The highest root fresh and dry weight were determined in the plants grafted on to autotetraploid N5-4T and allotetraploid CN7-5T. Root characteristics were significantly affected by rootstock genotypes. The N, P, K and Ca contents of the leaves of the CT watermelon cultivar grafted on different rootstocks were significantly affected by the rootstocks. This study showed that citrullus tetraploid genotypes (auto and allo) to be produced by polyploidy method can be an important alternative rootstock source for watermelon.

Procalcitonin (PCT) is a glicopeptide of 116 amino acid and precursor of calcitonin hormone. At the present day procalcitonin take attention because of being specific to bacterial infection and also is a new indicator for infection which do not affected from viral infection and Systemic Inflamatuar Response Syndrome. The objective of this study was to show the effect of neurosurgical procedures to procalcitonin levels and to distinguish neurosurgical procedure inflammatory reaction from postsurgical associated infection. We carried out our study in Çukurova University Neurosurgery department between May 2007- December 2007. Total number of 44 intracranial tumor existing patients carried out in the study. One day preoperative and four days postoperative values of procalcitonin, white blood cell, C-reactive protein (CRP) and fever were investigated. Results were analyzed in SPSS 15.0 program. In all infection developing patients of the study procalsitonin levels found over 0.1 ng/ml. According to our results patients with a higher of 0.1 ng/ml procalsitonin values in postoperative second and third need attention to followed carefully for postoperative infection. In our study crp exposed a similar kinetic activity in infection developing and infection free patients. We exposed high levels of crp (CRP>5 ng/ml) in both groups. This predicate that crp can not be used in the following of postoperative infection. We may suggest procalcitonin is superior to other existing infection parameters because of not effecting from surgical associated inflamatuar response and a quicker response to routine used other parameters. We suggest that procalcitonin will be a safe and serious parameter in following neurosurgical associated systemic complications by results of new studies which includes more patients and different surgical procedures.

Background Onobrychis viciifolia Scop. is a short-lived perennial cool-season legume used for forage production. It is a common native species in Asia Minor, especially in Turkey, the districts of the Caucasus, and the Caspian fringes. It can grow well in a broad range of climatic and soil types found in Asia, Europe, and North America. It is a non-bloating crop, making it suitable for use in both hay and pasture. Methods and results The aim was to assess the diversity of the 83 sainfoin genotypes selected based on their high agronomic performance from a germplasm collection evaluated in the experimental field of Tekirdag Namik Kemal University, Turkey. Ten nuclear simple sequence repeat (nSSR) primers (OVK036, OVK046, OVK094, OVK101, OVK125, OVK161, OVK174, OVM033, OVM061, and OVM125) were used in the study. All nSSR loci were found to be polymorphic and totally 92 alleles were detected. The mean observed number of alleles per locus was calculated as 9.2. Among the genetic diversity parameters, Shannon Index (I = 0.375), unbiased genetic diversity value (uh = 0.243), and mean polymorphic information content (PIC = 0.240) were calculated. The genetic distance value varied between 0.43 and 0.95. Based on the dendrogram built by the UPGMA clustering method using genetic distance values, it was observed that the studied sainfoin genotypes were divided into two main clusters, whereas the STRUCTURE analysis results had high support for three clusters. Conclusions The results obtained from this study provide important information on the genetic structures of the studied sainfoin genotypes and their genetic relationship. Therefore acquired genetic data will be useful in designing more efficient polycross nurseries, allowing open pollination of best performing and genetically diverse genotypes in the isolated conditions, which will increase genetic gain in sainfoin breeding programs.

Sorbus has an extensive speciation in Turkey and among its species, an unusually distinctive population was discovered in the Irano-Turanian phytogeographical region. Specimens of the population are closely related to S. aucuparia with several important distinctive characteristics: the outline of the leaves, shape of terminal leaflets, numbers of flowers, fruits per infructescence, fruit size and genome size. Based on the distinguishing morphological characters and the genomic data, the population is described as a new species with the name Sorbus erzincanica. Measurements of the nuclear DNA content of the proposed new species, closely related taxa (S. aucuparia, S. roopiana) and the other Sorbus species which occur in the same habitat (S. umbellata and S. kuznetzovii) are presented for the first time. The micromorphology of leaves and seed surfaces of the new species were investigated using SEM. A morphometric study using twenty characters from twelve specimens was carried out using principal coordinate analysis. The leaf architecture of S. erzincanica is very similar to that of the British local endemic S. pseudomeinichii, an autopolyploid apomictic species generated from several parents.

Brachypodium distachyon (Brachypodium) is a non-domesticated model grass that has been used to assess population level genomic variation. We have previously established a collection of 55 Brachypodium accessions that were sampled to reflect five different climatic regions of Turkey; designated 1a, 1c, 2, 3 and 4. Genomic and methylomic variation differentiated the collection into two subpopulations designated as coastal and central (respectively from regions 1a, 1c and the other from 2, 3 and 4) which were linked to environmental variables such as relative precipitation. Here, we assessed how far genomic variation would be reflected in the metabolomes and if this could be linked to an adaptive trait. Metabolites were extracted from eight-week-old seedlings from each accession and assessed using flow infusion high-resolution mass spectrometry (FIE-HRMS). Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of the derived metabolomes differentiated between samples from coastal and central subpopulations. The major sources of variation between seedling from the coastal and central subpopulations were identified. The central subpopulation was typified by significant increases in alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism and the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. Coastal subpopulation exhibited elevated levels of the auxin, indolacetic acid and rhamnose. The metabolomes of the seedling were also determined following the imposition of drought stress for seven days. The central subpopulation exhibited a metabolomic shift in response to drought, but no significant changes were seen in the coastal one. The drought responses in the central subpopulation were typified by changes in amino acids, increasing the glutamine that could be functioning as a stress signal. There were also changes in sugars that were likely to be an osmotic counter to drought, and changes in bioenergetic metabolism. These data indicate that genomic variation in our Turkish Brachypodium collection is largely reflected as distinctive metabolomes ("metabolotypes") through which drought tolerance might be mediated.

Bu araştırmada, 9 farklı parlak brom (Bromus catharticus Vahl.) hattının Tekirdağ ve Edirne koşullarında bazı morfolojik özelliklerinin ve ot verimlerinin belirlenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Denemeler Tesadüf Blokları Deneme Desenine göre üç tekrarlamalı olarak Tekirdağ Namık Kemal Üniversitesi Ziraat Fakültesi Tarla Bitkileri Bölümü ve Edirne Trakya Tarımsal Araştırma Enstitüsü Müdürlüğü deneme arazilerinde 2015-2016 yılları arasında yürütülmüştür. Araştırmada morfolojik özellik olarak ana sap uzunluğu, ana sap kalınlığı, boğum arası uzunluk, ana saptaki boğum sayısı, bayrak yaprak eni ve boyu ile yeşil ve kuru ot verimleri tespit edilmiştir. Parlak brom hatlarının ana sap uzunluğu, ana sap kalınlığı, boğum arası uzunluk, ana saptaki boğum sayısı, bayrak yaprak eni ve boyu ile yeşil ve kuru ot verimleri arasında istatistiki olarak önemli farklar ortaya çıkmıştır. Ana sap uzunluğu, Tekirdağ lokasyonunda 72.57-99.05 cm, Edirne lokasyonunda ise 94.36-111.73 cm arasında belirlenmiştir. Ana sap kalınlığı Tekirdağ lokasyonunda 1.58-2.23 mm, Edirne lokasyonunda 2.57-4.52 mm arasında ölçülmüştür. Boğum arası uzunlukları Tekirdağ lokasyonunda 9.95-13.26 cm, Edirne lokasyonunda 14.09- 22.30 cm olarak belirlenmiştir. Ana saptaki boğum sayısı Tekirdağ lokasyonunda 3.93-4.67 adet, Edirne lokasyonunda 3.47-4.60 adet arasındadır. Bayrak yaprak boyu Tekirdağ lokasyonunda 23.76-26.40 cm, Edirne lokasyonunda 17.46-26.40 cm olmuştur. Bayrak yaprak eni ise Tekirdağ lokasyonunda 4.93-8.90 mm, Edirne lokasyonunda 2.84-4.85 mm arasında değişmiştir. Yeşil ot verimi, Tekirdağ lokasyonunda 2.208,57-3.521,27 kg da-1 olurken, Edirne lokasyonunda ise 2.567,73- 4.032,06 kg da-1 arasında tespit edilmiştir. Kuru ot verimi Tekirdağ lokasyonunda 638.89-956.07 kg da-1, Edirne lokasyonunda 739.24 1.075,44 kg da-1 arasında saptanmıştır. En yüksek yeşil ve kuru ot verimleri Edirne lokasyonunda 197848 nolu hatta Tekirdağ lokasyonunda 217583 ve 197848 nolu hatlarda tespit edilmiştir. Sonuç olarak, Türkiye’nin Trakya kesimi koşullarında 197848 ve 217583 nolu parlak brom hatları yüksek yeşil ve kuru ot verimleri ile yeni çeşit adayı olarak geliştirilebilir.