Fatima Pustahija
University of Sarajevo, Faculty of Forestry in Sarajevo, Faculty Member
UDK: 582.632.1:581.45(497.6) Natural interspecies hybrids of black (Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn) and grey (A. incana (L.) Moench) alder are not frequent in nature but they are registered, and according to modern systematic nomenclature... more
UDK: 582.632.1:581.45(497.6) Natural interspecies hybrids of black (Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn) and grey (A. incana (L.) Moench) alder are not frequent in nature but they are registered, and according to modern systematic nomenclature are classified within nothospecies A. × pubescens Tausch.. Since the presence of spontaneous intermediate forms of the genus Alnus in Bosnia and Herzegovina is insufficiently explored, the first results of comparative morphological analysis (seven leaf’s characters) of black and grey alder and their hybrids are given in this study. About 10% of hybrid individuals were present in the studied sympatric populations, and they had more heterogeneous leaves than parental species. Good diagnostic characters showed intermediate values in comparison to the parental species, which are: number of pairs of lateral veins, angle from the top of the leaflet to the top of the upper 3rd nerve, and distance from the top of the leaflet to the top of the upper 3rd vein. ...
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Abstract Sisyrinchium micranthum and S. rosulatum are part of a species complex in which S. micranthum displays considerable morphological variation. S. rosulatum is a tetraploid species, whereas S. micranthum plants may present three... more
Abstract Sisyrinchium micranthum and S. rosulatum are part of a species complex in which S. micranthum displays considerable morphological variation. S. rosulatum is a tetraploid species, whereas S. micranthum plants may present three different ploidy levels (2x, 4x, and 6x), so that polyploidy might have an important role in the diversification of this group. Notwithstanding, most cytogenetic studies on these species are based on chromosome counting. Aiming to understand how polyploidy may have impacted the genomes of these species, the DNA content of 184 specimens was estimated; fluorochrome banding with chromomycin A3 and fluorescent in situ hybridization using an 18S-5.8S-26S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) probe were also performed. The results showed a reduction in monoploid genome size (1Cx), as well as in the number of heterochromatin bands and rDNA sites per monoploid genome, from diploids to polyploids. Additionally, intraspecific and within-ploidy variations in genome size and number of rDNA sites were observed. The source of varying structure in genome organization of these plants may be the multiple independent formations of polyploids along with an ongoing diploidization process. However, the intraspecific and within-ploidy polymorphisms indicate genetic mechanisms other than genome duplication and diploidization to be important to the genome evolution of these taxa.
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Research Interests: Chemistry and Antioxidant
UDK: 581.19:547.56:582.477 Various phenolic compounds can be found in a gymnosperms and have been related to their bioactive properties, esspecially as a allelochemicals. Total phenol, flavonoid (flavone and flavonol) and... more
UDK: 581.19:547.56:582.477 Various phenolic compounds can be found in a gymnosperms and have been related to their bioactive properties, esspecially as a allelochemicals. Total phenol, flavonoid (flavone and flavonol) and protoanthocyanindin content was estimated quantitatively by using spectrophotometric method in the needle methanol extracts of mature Cryptomeria japonica, Cupressocyparis × leylandii „Castewellan Gold“ and Sequoiadendron giganteum individuals. Although there is a strong intraspecific variability on the basis of the studied group of compounds, Duncan's test showed that C. japonica is clearly distinguishable from the other two taxa analyzed, and in particular on the basis of total proanthocyanidins and phenolics content. On the other hand, S. giganteum and C. × leylandii only differ on the basis of the flavonoid content calculated in terms of quercetin equivalent. In all three taxa proanthocyanidins had the highest variability. The ratios and relatively high con...
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UDK: 577.13:582 Plants produce a numerous and diverse secondary metabolites, organic compounds which are not essential and do not participate directly in the growth and development, but may have very important role in their adaptation... more
UDK: 577.13:582 Plants produce a numerous and diverse secondary metabolites, organic compounds which are not essential and do not participate directly in the growth and development, but may have very important role in their adaptation and adjustment to particular environmental conditions. For humans, secondary metabolites are very important in medicine, pharmacology, food and cosmetics industries. The presence of eight types of secondary metabolites (anthocyanins, coumarins, emodins, fatty acids, phenols, saponins, steroids and tannins) in water extracts of leaves and barks of 25 broadleaf deciduous species from 15 families was qualitatively investigated by rapid phytochemical screening methods. According to literature data, in this study for the first time is determined the presence of six types of secondary metabolites in analyzed dendro species: anthocyanins in one species; both coumarins and phenols in five species; emodins in six species; saponins in eight species; and tannins...
581.19:547.56]:582.971.1 Methanol extracts obtained from the berries of three Symphoricarpos taxa (Caprifoliaceae) were used to determine their total phenols concentrations, and antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. According to our... more
581.19:547.56]:582.971.1 Methanol extracts obtained from the berries of three Symphoricarpos taxa (Caprifoliaceae) were used to determine their total phenols concentrations, and antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. According to our knowledge, total concentrations of phenolic compounds and antimicrobial activities for of S. × chenaultii and S. orbiculatus, as well as antioxidant activity of all three analyzed taxa are for the first time analyzed in this study. Based on obtained results, it was noticed that the highest average values of the total phenols, flavonoids and flavanols had methanol extracts of S. orbiculatus berries (3.525 mg GAE g-1 DW, and 11.037 and 0.881 mg CE g-1 DW, respectively), while methanol extracts of S. albus berries had the lowest (1.430 mg GAE g-1 DW, and 4.154 and 0.211 mg CE g-1 DW respectively). Symphoricarpos orbiculatus extract (IC50 = 5.299 mg mL-1) possessed the highest antioxidant activity while the lowest had S. albus (IC50 = 20.017 mg mL-1). Th...
FIGURE 1. Gymnospermium maloi (A) and G. scipetarum (B): A1, B1, habit. A2, B2, part of raceme. A3, B3, sepals and stamens. A4, B4, basal leaves. Bar scale 1 cm.
FIGURE 2. Gymnospermium maloi: locus classicus on Mt Picari with S. Malo, on the right.
FIGURE 5. Gymnospermium maloi: metaphase plate (2n = 14) and corresponding karyogram. Bar scale 10 µm.
FIGURE 3. Gymnospermium maloi and G. scipetarum: A, basal leaves. B, cauline leaves. Bar scale 1 cm.
FIGURE 6. Gymnospermium peloponnesiacum: A, plant showing subglobose tuber. B, compact raceme. C, plant in fruiting stage. D, seeds. Bar scale 1 cm.
FIGURE 7. Distribution map of Gymnospermium scipetarum, G. maloi and G. peloponnesiacum in the Balkan Peninsula.
FIGURE 4. Gymnospermium scipetarum and G. maloi: tubers. Bar scale 1 cm.
3. <i>Gymnospermium peloponnesiacum</i> (Phitos) Strid in Karl & Strid (2009: 338).― Fig. 6. Synonym:— <i>Gymnospermium altaicum</i> (Pallas) Spach subsp. <i>peloponnesiacum</i> Phitos (2003: 81);... more
3. <i>Gymnospermium peloponnesiacum</i> (Phitos) Strid in Karl & Strid (2009: 338).― Fig. 6. Synonym:— <i>Gymnospermium altaicum</i> (Pallas) Spach subsp. <i>peloponnesiacum</i> Phitos (2003: 81); <i>G. altaicum</i> subsp. <i>odessanum</i> sensu Kosenko (1977: 238) <i>non</i> E.Mayer & Pulević in Mayer (1984: 278). Type:― GREECE. Peloponnese: Mons Panachaikon, in declivibus occidentalis, in petrosis calc., 1400–1500 m, 13 May 1987, <i>Phitos & Kamari 19922</i> (holotype UPA!, isotype private herbarium <i>Strid</i>). Glabrous perennial herb with depressed, subglobose <i>tuber</i> (1.5–)2.5–3.5(–6) cm (mean 3 cm) across (Fig. 6A). <i>Flowering stems</i> 4–6, terete, green to reddish-purple, 2–3 mm in diameter, 10–20 cm long, subterranean for 2/3–3/4 of their length; each flowering stem with a ± subsessile, cauline leaf immediately below the raceme. <i>Basal lea...
Genome size and chromosome number are characteristic species trait important in systematics, taxonomy and evaluation of biodiversity. The Adriatic coast of Croatia presents a unique area for biological and chemical research of plant... more
Genome size and chromosome number are characteristic species trait important in systematics, taxonomy and evaluation of biodiversity. The Adriatic coast of Croatia presents a unique area for biological and chemical research of plant material. Genus Centaurea (Asteraceae family) is already known for many medicinal plants that present a valuable source of potential medicines. In Croatia 79 Centaurea taxa have been listed, comprising 27 endemics. Previous chemical and biological observations of extracts and volatiles isolated from Centaurea species, showed differences in chemical composition and biological activity of volatile substances between different species. Some Centaurea species have many similarities in their morphological appearance, therefore the criteria of genome size and number of chromosomes contribute to plant material identification. Due to a high demand for a clear and authentic plant material identification in chemical research, genome size and number of chromosomes ...
Research Interests: Biology and Asteraceae
Fluorochrome banding (chromomycin, Hoechst, and DAPI) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) are excellent molecular cytogenetic tools providing various possibilities in the study of chromosomal evolution and genome organization.... more
Fluorochrome banding (chromomycin, Hoechst, and DAPI) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) are excellent molecular cytogenetic tools providing various possibilities in the study of chromosomal evolution and genome organization. The constitutive heterochromatin and rRNA genes are the most widely used FISH markers. The rDNA is organized into two distinct gene families (18S-5.8S-26S and 5S) whose number and location vary within the complex of closely related species. Therefore, they are widely used as chromosomal landmarks to provide valuable evidence concerning genome evolution at chromosomal levels.
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A revision of the genus Gymnospermium (Berberidaceae) in the Balkan Peninsula is carried out. Three species are recognised. Gymnospermium maloi is described as a new species from Mt. Picari in Gjirokastra district, southern Albania. It is... more
A revision of the genus Gymnospermium (Berberidaceae) in the Balkan Peninsula is carried out. Three species are recognised. Gymnospermium maloi is described as a new species from Mt. Picari in Gjirokastra district, southern Albania. It is compared with the closely related G. scipetarum which has a different habitat and distribution in central Albania and southern Montenegro. The chromosome number and karyotype features of G. maloi are provided for the first time. The chromosome formula of 2n = 2x = 14 (1 metacentric, 1 meta-submetacentric and 5 submetacentric chromosome pairs) is unusual as 2n = 16 has been reported for other members of the genus. The nuclear DNA content (2C-value) of all three species was determined. The genome size of G. maloi is 29.44 (+/- 0.47) pg, for G. scipetarum (chromosome number still unknown) 29.55 (+/- 1.35) pg, and for G. peloponnesiacum (2n = 2x = 16) 31.93 (+/- 2.38) pg. These values are the first genome size measurements for the genus. All three spec...
Research Interests: Biology and Berberidaceae
UDK: 582.661.51:631.53.027]:547.913 In order to investigate the effects of seed priming with silver fir and oregano essential oils on certain important seedling characteristic and seed vigour of interesting endemic and horticultural... more
UDK: 582.661.51:631.53.027]:547.913 In order to investigate the effects of seed priming with silver fir and oregano essential oils on certain important seedling characteristic and seed vigour of interesting endemic and horticultural species Silene sendtneri, an experiment was conducted based on randomized completely design with three replications. Traits such as germination rate, water content, dry weight, vigour index and photosynthetic pigments were analysed. Results revealed that the seedlings obtained with priming seeds showed increased growth, water content, vigour and photosynthetic pigment contents but decreased germination rate and dry weight compared with that obtained with non-primed seeds. Analysis of seed priming effects had demonstrated even germination rate is smaller the seedling vigour is slightly higher especially with all oregano oil treatments. We suggest that oregano oil has a potential as a priming agent for improvement of seedling synchrony, although at lower r...
Four spontaneous diploid taxa (2n = 2x = 16 chromosomes) of the genus Hedysarum L. were studied for the first time using molecular cytogenetic approach and a tetraploid one as an additional comparative control. This study follows the work... more
Four spontaneous diploid taxa (2n = 2x = 16 chromosomes) of the genus Hedysarum L. were studied for the first time using molecular cytogenetic approach and a tetraploid one as an additional comparative control. This study follows the work undertaken on this genus as part of the preservation and valorization of fodder and pastoral phytogenetic resources in Algeria. Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) results revealed the same number of 35S rDNA loci for all diploid taxa, but differences in the number and position of 5S ribosomal genes. Chromomycin fluorochrome banding displayed that all chromomycin positive bands (GC-rich heterochromatin) were colocalized with rDNA signals. 2C DNA values (genome size), estimated by flow cytometry, indicated greater than two-fold difference among diploid taxa where nuclear DNA amount ranged from 2C = 1.26 pg in H. carnosum Desf. to 2C = 3.36 pg in H. naudinianum Coss. Genome size of tetraploid H. perrauderianum Coss. & Durieu (2n = 4x = 32) also estimated for the first time, was 6.64 pg which is almost twice of the value of diploid H. naudinianum 2C = 3.36 pg. Palynological analysis by light microscopy shows two types of pollen grains: prolate and tricolpate for H. naudinianum and H. perrauderianum , subprolate and tricolporate for H. carnosum, H. spinosissimum subsp. capitatum (Desf.) Asch. & Gr. and H. pallidum Desf. These new data enrich the knowledge about relationships among these species and also allow proposing and discussing the possible origin of the tetraploid H. perrauderianum from the diploid H. naudinianum .
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The Balkan Peninsula is one of the 250 centres for plant diversity identified in the World, and one of the major biodiversity hotspot plant areas in Europe. Balkan flora has been well studied at the morphological, phytogeographical and... more
The Balkan Peninsula is one of the 250 centres for plant diversity identified in the World, and one of the major biodiversity hotspot plant areas in Europe. Balkan flora has been well studied at the morphological, phytogeographical and taxonomic levels, but a scarce attention had been paid to genome size. This work consists of two distinct parts. The first concerned the contribution for 2C values of Balkan plants, taking into account mainly the plants with unknown genome size. On the one hand, 54 accessions of 51 species or infraspecific taxa belonging to 43 genera and 25 families were studied for their nuclear DNA amount. Among the obtained values, 46 are novel (four for genera, 31 for species, 10 for subspecies and one for a hybrid). The novelties represent the 6.43% of the 731 taxa with nuclear DNA amount assessed in the Balkans to date. Three taxa presented two ploidy levels in different populations. Partial endoreplication has been detected in Dactylorhiza cordigera subsp. bosniaca. This observation brings a new addition to the list of partial endoreplication cases in Orchidaceae, a family which, with Brassicaceae, shows this phenomenon most frequently. On the other hand, we compiled all bibliographic data concerning C-values for plants of the Balkan region, aiming to establish a genome size database, which is available online and will be regularly updated. We presented some numeric analyses on the 1013 accessions and 731 taxa for which data are currently accumulated and concluded with a discussion on the usefulness of such a database.
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Solidago litoralis (Asteraceae) is a psammophile plant endemic to the northern coasts of Tuscany, Italy. During time, different authors have considered it either as a separate species, subspecies or variety of the European S. virgaurea,... more
Solidago litoralis (Asteraceae) is a psammophile plant endemic to the northern coasts of Tuscany, Italy. During time, different authors have considered it either as a separate species, subspecies or variety of the European S. virgaurea, but few studies of experimental taxonomy have been investigating the relationship between these two taxa. Aim of this study is to compare S. litoralis and S. virgaurea from different points of view: cytogenetic (karyotype analysis, localization of rDNA loci and genome size estimation), molecular (using two plastidial molecular markers), and ecological (by comparing functional characters). A difference in ecological responses to habitats is confirmed, even though S. virgaurea is potentially capable of assuming ecological strategies similar to those of S. litoralis. Despite this, cytogenetic and molecular analyses failed to reveal any significant difference supporting a specific distinction of S. litoralis. The latter taxon is here hypothesized as bein...
Research Interests: Biology and Asteraceae
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Epigenetic variation in natural populations with contrasting habitats might be an important element, in addition to the genetic variation, in plant adaptation to environmental stress. Here, we assessed genetic, epigenetic, and cytogenetic... more
Epigenetic variation in natural populations with contrasting habitats might be an important element, in addition to the genetic variation, in plant adaptation to environmental stress. Here, we assessed genetic, epigenetic, and cytogenetic structure of the three Lilium bosniacum populations growing on distinct habitats. One population was growing under habitual ecological conditions for this species and the other two were growing under stress associated with high altitude and serpentine soil. Amplified fragment length polymorphism and methylation-sensitive amplification polymorphism analyses revealed that the three populations did not differentiate genetically, but were clearly separated in three distinct clusters according to DNA methylation profiles. Principal coordinate analysis showed that overall epigenetic variation was closely related to habitat conditions. A new methylation-sensitive amplification polymorphism scoring approach allowed identification of mainly unmethylated (φS...
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The first assessments, done by flow cytometry, of nuclear DNA amount for five genera and 30 species of angiosperms (three monocots, 27 eudicots) from the western Balkan Peninsula, including eight taxa with some degree of endemism to this... more
The first assessments, done by flow cytometry, of nuclear DNA amount for five genera and 30 species of angiosperms (three monocots, 27 eudicots) from the western Balkan Peninsula, including eight taxa with some degree of endemism to this area, are presented here. These data complement the substantial existing information on plant genome size in this region, now accounting for 670 species and subspecies studied for this character. Key words: 2C-value, the Balkans, flow cytometry, nuclear DNA amount, vascular plants. INTRODUCTION Genome size is a highly relevant character of living organisms, showing relationships with many other biological and non-biological parameters (Bennett & Leitch 2005). Since the coining of the term C-value by Swift (1950) to define the DNA content of the unreplicated gametic chromosome set of an organism, much effort has been made to clarify the concepts and terms in this field (Greilhuber et al. 2005) and to understand their biological significance. This inc...
Allopolyploidy and intraspecific heteroploid crosses are associated, in certain groups, with changes in the mating system. The genus Sorbus represents an appropriate model to study the relationships between ploidy and reproductive mode... more
Allopolyploidy and intraspecific heteroploid crosses are associated, in certain groups, with changes in the mating system. The genus Sorbus represents an appropriate model to study the relationships between ploidy and reproductive mode variations. Diploid S. aria and tetraploid apomictic S. austriaca were screened for ploidy and mating system variations within pure and sympatric populations in order to gain insights into their putative causalities. Flow cytometry was used to assess genome size and ploidy level among 380 S. aria s.l. and S. austriaca individuals from Bosnia and Herzegovina, with 303 single-seed flow cytometric seed screenings being performed to identify their mating system. Pollen viability and seed set were also determined. Flow cytometry confirmed the presence of di-, tri- and tetraploid cytotype mixtures in mixed-ploidy populations of S. aria and S. austriaca. No ploidy variation was detected in single-species populations. Diploid S. aria mother plants always prod...
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Plant genome size evolution is a very dynamic process: the ancestral genome of the angiosperms has most likely been small which led to a tendency towards genome increase during evolution. However, findings in several Angiosperm lineages... more
Plant genome size evolution is a very dynamic process: the ancestral genome of the angiosperms has most likely been small which led to a tendency towards genome increase during evolution. However, findings in several Angiosperm lineages also demonstrate mechanisms that also led to genome size contraction. Recent molecular investigations on the Asteraceae genus Crepis suggest that several genomic reduction events have occurred during the evolution of the genus. This study focuses on the Mediterranean Crepis sect. Neglectoides. It includes three species with some of the smallest genomes whithin the whole genus. Crepis neglecta has the largest genome in sect. Neglectoides, which is approximately twice the size of that of the other two species, Crepis cretica and Crepis hellenica. Whereas C. cretica and C. hellencia are more closely related to each other than to C. neglecta the karyotypes of the latter species and C. cretica are similar while that of C. hellenica differs considerably. T...
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Fluorochrome banding (chromomycin, Hoechst, and DAPI) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) are excellent molecular cytogenetic tools providing various possibilities in the study of chromosomal evolution and genome organization.... more
Fluorochrome banding (chromomycin, Hoechst, and DAPI) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) are excellent molecular cytogenetic tools providing various possibilities in the study of chromosomal evolution and genome organization. The constitutive heterochromatin and rRNA genes are the most widely used FISH markers. The rDNA is organized into two distinct gene families (18S-5.8S-26S and 5S) whose number and location vary within the complex of closely related species. Therefore, they are widely used as chromosomal landmarks to provide valuable evidence concerning genome evolution at chromosomal levels.
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Genus Artemisia is thought to have reached the Americas across the Bering Strait from Asia during the late Tertiary, but the systematic position of the South American endemic species and the migration routes towards the south have not yet... more
Genus Artemisia is thought to have reached the Americas across the Bering Strait from Asia during the late Tertiary, but the systematic position of the South American endemic species and the migration routes towards the south have not yet been studied. We used nuclear DNA sequences to unravel the interspecific relationships among the South American Artemisia and their connections with the remaining species of the genus, as well as using fluorescent in situ hybridisation and genome size assessments to characterise this polyploid complex. Most of the species are clustered in a monophyletic clade, nested within the American endemic clade, with the exception of A. magellanica Sch. Bip., which appears segregated from the other American species and constitutes a clade together with A. biennis Willd. Fluorescent in situ hybridisation and genome size data revealed that monoploid genome size remains quite constant across ploidy levels and a proportional increase of ribosomal loci was detecte...
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UDK 581.19:547.56]:582.736.3 The aim of this study was to determine the total concentrations of some phenolic compounds and antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of methanol extracts of different parts of Illyrian endemic Petteria... more
UDK 581.19:547.56]:582.736.3 The aim of this study was to determine the total concentrations of some phenolic compounds and antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of methanol extracts of different parts of Illyrian endemic Petteria ramentacea. Concentrations of phenolic compounds were determined with UV/VIS spectrophotometry. The antioxidant activity of plant extracts was determined by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity. Antimicrobial activity of extracts was evaluated by measuring the inhibition's zone against six selected test bacteria and two fungi. The highest average total phenols concentrations were in seeds (10.78 mg GAE g-1 DW), root (10.51 mg GAE g-1 DW) and bark (10.40 mg GAE g-1 DW), and the lowest in inflorescences (2.99 mg GAE g-1 DW) and leaves (3.12 mg GAE g g-1 DW). The total flavonoids concentrations were determined only in leaves (8.25 mg CE g-1 DW) and in stem (5.66 mg CE g-1 DW). Both flavanols and proanthocyanidins (0.75 mg CE g...