Abstract
Genetic relationship of a newly discovered teosinte from Nicaragua, Zea nicaraguensis with waterlogging tolerance, was determined based on randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences of nuclear ribosomal DNA using 14 accessions from Zea species. RAPD analysis showed that a total of 5,303 fragments were produced by 136 random decamer primers, of which 84.86% bands were polymorphic. RAPD-based UPGMA analysis demonstrated that the genus Zea can be divided into section Luxuriantes including Zea diploperennis, Zea luxurians, Zea perennis and Zea nicaraguensis, and section Zea including Zea mays ssp. mexicana, Zea mays ssp. parviglumis, Zea mays ssp. huehuetenangensis and Zea mays ssp. mays. ITS sequence analysis showed the lengths of the entire ITS region of the 14 taxa in Zea varied from 597 to 605 bp. The average GC content was 67.8%. In addition to the insertion/deletions, 78 variable sites were recorded in the total ITS region with 47 in ITS1, 5 in 5.8S, and 26 in ITS2. Sequences of these taxa were analyzed with neighbor-joining (NJ) and maximum parsimony (MP) methods to construct the phylogenetic trees, selecting Tripsacum dactyloides L. as the outgroup. The phylogenetic relationships of Zea species inferred from the ITS sequences are highly concordant with the RAPD evidence that resolved two major subgenus clades. Both RAPD and ITS sequence analyses indicate that Zea nicaraguensis is more closely related to Zea luxurians than the other teosintes and cultivated maize, which should be regarded as a section Luxuriantes species.
Highlights
The genus Zea has been classified into two sections [1,2], section Luxuriantes, which is composed of Zea diploperennis, Zea luxurians and Zea perennis, and section Zea, which contains four subspecies: Zea mays ssp. mays, Zea mays ssp. mexicana, Zea mays ssp. parviglumis and Zea mays ssp. huehuetenangensis [3]
Both randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequence analyses indicate that Zea nicaraguensis is more closely related to Zea luxurians than the other teosintes and cultivated maize, which should be regarded as a section Luxuriantes species
We present the first molecular marker analyses for the genetic relationship of Z. nicaraguensis in Zea species by using randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences of nuclear ribosomal DNA, which have both been used to resolve relationships among closely related taxa [15], and a sample of 14 maize and teosinte species
Summary
The genus Zea has been classified into two sections [1,2], section Luxuriantes, which is composed of Zea diploperennis, Zea luxurians and Zea perennis, and section Zea, which contains four subspecies: Zea mays ssp. mays, Zea mays ssp. mexicana, Zea mays ssp. parviglumis and Zea mays ssp. huehuetenangensis [3]. The genus Zea has been classified into two sections [1,2], section Luxuriantes, which is composed of Zea diploperennis, Zea luxurians and Zea perennis, and section Zea, which contains four subspecies: Zea mays ssp. As the closest wild relative of maize, teosinte, which is indigenous to Mexico and Central America [4], is a potentially important resource for the study of maize genetics and evolution and for plant breeding. The closest relative to Nicaraguan teosinte, Z. nicaraguensis, is probably Z. luxurians of southeastern Guatemala [5]. The actual genetic relationship of Z. nicaraguensis in Zea species is uncertain until now. Iltis and Benz [5] considered Z. nicaraguensis as a new species based on differences in ecology and tassel and plant morphology. The genetic relationship of Z. nicaraguensis in Zea species should be further investigated systematically
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