![\"Photo](\"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin-new\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/378\/2022\/05\/WHT_invasive_101421CS_knotweed_research_99u0203-2260-1024x408.jpg\")
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Cambridge University Press has published a study with implications for public and private land management strategies co-authored by Nic Tippery, an associate professor of\u00a0biology<\/a>\u00a0at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, and two undergraduate researchers, Alyssa L. Olson and Jenni L. Wendtlandt.<\/p>\n The study,\u00a0\u201cUsing the nuclear \u2018LEAFY\u2019 gene to reconstruct phylogenetic relationships among invasive knotweed (Reynoutria, Polygonaceae) populations,\u201d<\/a>\u00a0was published in the Cambridge University Press journal\u00a0Invasive Plant Science and Management<\/a>.<\/p>\n Japanese knotweed\u00a0(Reynoutria japonica)<\/i>\u00a0is one of the more troublesome invasive plants in North America, along with the related species giant knotweed\u00a0(Reynoutria sachalinensis)<\/i>\u00a0and a hybrid between these species, known as Bohemian knotweed\u00a0(Reynoutria \u00d7 bohemica)<\/i>. Identifying the species and hybrids correctly is important, because not all species may respond to the same treatments such as herbicide and biological control. Moreover, if the knotweeds have a lot of genetic variation, this could enable them to become more invasive over time.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n In a project funded by the university\u2019s\u00a0Undergraduate Research Program<\/a>, researchers Alyssa Olson and Jenni Wendtlandt identified distinctive DNA sequences in the\u00a0LEAFY<\/i>\u00a0gene that could distinguish Japanese knotweed and giant knotweed, as well as hybrids.<\/p>\n During the research process, the team determined that each plant has up to three copies of the\u00a0LEAFY<\/i>\u00a0gene. Some plants have a mixture of copies from Japanese knotweed and giant knotweed, allowing them to be identified as hybrids. The\u00a0LEAFY<\/i>\u00a0data also showed that not all hybrids were genetically the same, with five different kinds of hybrids detected in Wisconsin.<\/p>\n The researchers then developed a relatively simple laboratory tool that can identify the types of\u00a0LEAFY<\/i>\u00a0sequences in plant samples, using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). This tool can be employed relatively inexpensively to identify species and hybrids across North America and enable targeted control of invasive populations in municipal parks, golf courses, and on private property, among other areas.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s been very rewarding to work on a high-profile project like this,\u201d said Tippery. \u201cLand managers across the state are eager to hear about our results, and there are legal implications for how these different knotweeds will be regulated. This tool can be employed relatively inexpensively to identify species and hybrids across North America and enable targeted control of invasive populations.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Study co-author Jenni Wendtlandt started at UW-Whitewater with a marine biology emphasis and moved into the ecology\/evolution emphasis, which involved working with animals, trapping, and looking at data overall.<\/p>\n \u201cWe worked mostly in the lab; we went out to collect specimens once \u2014 usually people sent us samples that were collected in the wild. In the lab we were mostly extracting the DNA, amplifying it to make sure we had the correct sequence.\u201d<\/p>\n Wendtlandt, who graduated in May 2020 with a degree in biology and a minor in environmental studies, is employed in dairy production in New Berlin, working in quality assurance, testing cheese and making sure results come back safe for the public.<\/p>\n \u201cBeing in a lab setting definitely helped with getting a job,\u201d said Wendtlandt. \u201cEmployers want to know: How well do you work in a team? What kind of research have you done? That\u2019s the benefit of a somewhat smaller school \u2014 you really get to know the professor you are working with one-on-one.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHaving undergraduate students work on this kind of project means that they can gain visibility and relevant experience for future careers, and it underscores the high-quality work they can do,\u201d said Tippery.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Since the study\u2019s inception, other students have become involved in the ongoing research.<\/p>\n \u201cIn the past year, a new group of students \u2014 Morgan Sabol, Jenna Boeck, and Colin Topol \u2014 have more than doubled the amount of data we have for the\u00a0LEAFY<\/i>\u00a0gene in knotweeds,\u201d said Tippery. \u201cWe now have an almost complete DNA sequence for the gene, more than half of which was never sequenced in Japanese knotweed before. Having the additional DNA sequence data means that we can design additional tools for identifying knotweed species and hybrids.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The recent breakthroughs propel the work of future students.<\/p>\n \u201cThis project will continue into 2022 and beyond, as we test additional samples from across Wisconsin and other parts of North America,\u201d said Tippery.<\/p>\n For questions about the study or the biology program at UW-Whitewater, contact Nic Tippery, associate professor of biology, at 262-472-1061 or\u00a0tipperyn@uww.edu<\/a>.<\/p>\n Written by\u00a0Kristine Zaballos<\/a>\u00a0| Photos by\u00a0Craig Schreiner<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Nic](\"https:\/\/www.uww.edu\/images\/mmr\/news\/2022\/05May\/101321CS_knotweed_research_paper_cambridge_0165.jpg\")
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