Abstract
With the help of 21 putative isoenzyme loci, the genetic diversity and variations of <em>Viscum album</em> ssp. <em>album</em> L. from 42 species, subspecies, varieties and hybrids of broadleaf trees, <em>Viscum album</em> ssp. <em>austriacum</em> (Wiesb.) Vollmann, from 4 populations of Scots pine (<em>Pinus sylvestris</em> L.) and <em>Viscum album</em> ssp. <em>abietis</em> (Wiesb.) Abromeit, from 8 populations of European silver fir (<em>Abies alba</em> Mill.) were analyzed. On the dendrogram, the three investigated subspecies form three clusters, each clearly separated from the other, so we suggest a revision of the systematic nomenclature proposed to take into consideration a return to an earlier system of dividing the European mistletoe into three species: <em>Viscum album</em> L., <em>Viscum abietis</em> Beck, and <em>Viscum laxum</em> Boiss. et Reut. From among the 21 tested loci only one locus, SOD-A, was monomorphic. The average number of actual alleles (Na) and effective alleles (Ne) was 2.23 and 1.61 respectively. The observed heterozygosity (Ho) varied from 0.199 in <em>V. album</em> ssp. <em>abietis</em> to 0.345 in the <em>V.a.</em> ssp. <em>album</em> populations. Average FST = 0.277 indicates that about 28% of genetic differentiation is due to an interpopulation diversity of <em>Viscum album</em> populations. There is a small gene flux between <em>Viscum album</em> populations with only one immigrant successfully entering a population per two generations (Nm = 0,653).
Highlights
There is a vast literature, about 12 000 papers, on mistletoe, dealing mainly with two areas: 1) medical and pharmaceutical application of mistletoe in drug production, and 2) list of host species
As neither the controlled crosses nor the offspring of single mistletoe shrubs were available, we carried out the genetic analysis comparing the putative mistletoe leaf isozymes loci to the well-known isoenzyme zymograms of megagametophytes of previously studied host species of Abies alba and Pinus sylvestris, used as standard references (Bergmann and Mejnartowicz 2001, 2002; Mejnartowicz 1996, 2004; Mejnartowicz and Bergmann 2003)
The presence of a large number of rare isoenzyme alleles only in some mistletoe populations seemed to indicate that gene flow inside the population was rather small and genetic diversity, resulting from many subpopulations, quite great (Table 4 and 6). Such conclusion can be confirmed by the gene flow (Nm) estimated with Wrights indirect method FST, using differences between populations in allele frequency: Nm = 1/ (4Nm+1), where N = population size, m = fraction of N replaced with immigrants
Summary
There is a vast literature, about 12 000 papers, on mistletoe, dealing mainly with two areas: 1) medical and pharmaceutical application of mistletoe in drug production, and 2) list of host species. The semiparasitic mistletoe attacks many species of deciduous trees and some conifers, mainly the European silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.). In Poland, and in many other European countries, the occurrence of mistletoe has increased drastically over the last two decades, occupying new areas and new species in forests, parks and fruit-tree collections (Barney et al 1998; Böhling et al 2002; Stypiñski 1997; Vallauri 1998; Zieliñski 1997). There is, very little literature dealing with mistletoe genetic variations. Abietis Beck.) growing on the European silver fir tree and (3) Viscum album ssp. Are there any differences in types and in frequency of occurrence of different alleles in presumed isozymes loci of Viscum subspecies growing on different hosts of deciduous trees and coniferous Scots pine and silver-fir? Are there any differences in the isozymes allele frequencies between male and female mistletoe shrubs?
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
