Comparison of the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) of the ribosomal RNA genes in wild and cultivated two and six-rowed barleys (Hordeum vulgare L.)

Abstract

The ITS region of the ribosomal RNA genes from two and six-rowed cultivated barley (Hordeum vulgare subsp. distichon and H. v. subsp. hexastichon, respectively), and its two and six-rowed wild relatives (H. v. subsp. spontaneum and H. v. subsp. agriocrithon, respectively) was isolated and sequenced. The entire ITS region is 598bp in the two-rowed taxa (H. v. subsp. distichon and H. v. subsp. spontaneum) and 599bp in the six-rowed ones (agriochriton and hexastichon). The ITS1 is 217bp in the six-rowed barleys (H. v. subsp. agriochriton and H. v. subsp. hexastichon) and 218bp in the two-rowed barleys (H. v. subsp. distichon and H. v. subsp. spontaneum). The 5.8S region is 163bp in all studied H. vulgare taxa. The ITS2 region is 217bp in the two-rowed barleys (H. v. subsp. distichon and H. v. subsp. spontaneum) and 219bp in the six rowed ones (H. v. subsp. hexastichon and H. v. subsp. agriochriton). The ITS sequence data of the studied taxa and that of three other wild Hordeum species (H. murinum, H. marinum and H. chilense) were aligned and a phylogeny tree was reconstructed using the Lasergene Program. H. v. subsp. spontaneum was appeared as the ancestor of all other H. vulgare taxa.