Corchorus Species Research Articles

Phenological traits and molecular markers established genetic relationship and population structure in jute (Corchorus species) populations collected from Southern India

Phenological traits and molecular markers established genetic relationship and population structure in jute (Corchorus species) populations collected from Southern India

Reversible Fluorescent Banding Analysis in Six Wild <i>Corchorus</i> Species from Bangladesh

Fluorescence chromosome bandings with CMA- and DAPI- were analyzed in six wild Corchorus species to find out the diversity in the number and location of AT- and GC-rich sequences. These six wild Corchorus species had variation in somatic chromosome numbers viz. C. brevicornatus (2n=14), C. septentrionalis (2n=14), C. urticifolius (2n=14), C. hirtus (2n=28), C. siliquosus (2n=28) and C. pinnatipartitus (2n=78). A wide range of CMA- and DAPI-positive bands were found in the metaphase chromosomes of six wild Corchorus species. A total number of 35 and 32 terminal CMA- and DAPI-bands were generated which recommended the tendency of accumulation of GC- and AT-rich sequences at the terminal region of chromosomes, respectively. In some species, CMA-banded satellites were extended in prometaphase while contracted at the terminal region of the short arm in the metaphase stage. Reshuffling of chromosomal segments was detected following CMA- and DAPI-banding. After reversible fluorescent banding, C. brevicornatus, C. urticifolius and C. siliquosus had a few CMA-positive and DAPI- negative banded chromosomes which could be used as marker chromosomes. In addition, few chromosomes of C. pinnatipartitus could be used as markers due to their unique DAPI-banding pattern. Each species had its characteristic CMA- and DAPI-banding pattern.

Genome-wide investigation of SnRK2 gene family in two jute species: Corchorus olitorius and Corchorus capsularis

BackgroundSucrose non-fermenting-1 (SNF1)-related protein kinase 2 (SnRK2), a plant-specific serine/threonine kinase family, is associated with metabolic responses, including abscisic acid signaling under biotic and abiotic stresses. So far, no information on a genome-wide investigation and stress-mediated expression profiling of jute SnRK2 is available. Recent whole-genome sequencing of two Corchorus species prompted to identify and characterize this SnRK2 gene family. ResultWe identified seven SnRK2 genes of each of Corchorus olitorius (Co) and C. capsularis (Cc) genomes, with similar physico-molecular properties and sub-group patterns of other models and related crops. In both species, the SnRK2 gene family showed an evolutionarily distinct trend. Highly variable C-terminal and conserved N-terminal regions were observed. Co- and CcSnRK2.3, Co- and CcSnRk2.5, Co- and CcSnRk2.7, and Co- and CcSnRK2.8 were upregulated in response to drought and salinity stresses. In waterlogging conditions, Co- and CcSnRk2.6 and Co- and CcSnRK2.8 showed higher activity when exposed to hypoxic conditions. Expression analysis in different plant parts showed that SnRK2.5 in both Corchorus species is highly expressed in fiber cells providing evidence of the role of fiber formation. ConclusionThis is the first comprehensive study of SnRK2 genes in both Corchorus species. All seven genes identified in this study showed an almost similar pattern of gene structures and molecular properties. Gene expression patterns of these genes varied depending on the plant parts and in response to abiotic stresses.

Typification of Linnaean names in the Grewioideae (Malvaceae)

AbstractTypes are designated for five species of Grewioideae (Malvaceae) described by Linnaeus. These include three lectotypes and one neotype of names of Corchorus species and one lectotype of the name of a Triumfetta species. Three of the lectotypes are illustrations and one is a specimen in Linnaeus's herbarium. In addition, an epitype for T. lappula is designated to facilitate the interpretation of the lectotype specimen, which lacks flowers that are diagnostic for the unambiguous application of the name.

Yield, quality and cost of jute (Corchorus species) seed production as influenced by herbicide application time

Jute is the most important fibre crop for Bangladesh and second important for world. Bangladesh requires about 6000 tons of jute seed. Among this quantity Bangladesh produce whole amount of Corchorus capsularis L. (white jute) seed but only very little amount of Corchorus olitorius L. (tossa jute) seed. Production of tossa jute seed is not too profitable because of high production cost for that reason farmers of Bangladesh are not interested to produce seed of tossa jute. And production cost of jute seed is mainly associated with labor cost that is mainly for weeding. This study was conducted to assess the best herbicide application time to enhance seed productivity, quality and reduction the cost of production. In this experiment two Corchorus species were grown using three different herbicide application times and no herbicide application used as control. The results indicated that for tossa jute (BJRI tossa pat-8) maximum plant population, plant height, branch/plant, capsule/plant, seed/capsule, seed yield, germination capacity, field emergence capacity, seed vigour and CVG were found in Control plot. Maximum 1000 seed weight and MGT were recorded in herbicide applied at 13th days after cutting transplanting. Maximum capsule length found at 10th days of herbicide application. For white jute (CVL-1) highest plant population, plant height, branch/plant, seed/capsule, capsule length, germination capacity, field emergence capacity, seed vigour and CVG were recorded in control plot. Highest capsule/plant, 1000 seed weight and seed yield were found in herbicide applied at 13th days after cutting transplanting. Maximum MGT found in herbicide applied at 16th days after cutting transplanting. Result revealed that herbicide use reduce the production cost of jute seed compare to manual seed production technology.  Â

Efficacy of scarification treatments on release of seed coat imposed dormancy in five wild species of genus Corchorus

In India, six wild species of the genus Corchorus, namely C. pseudo-olitorius, C. aestuans, C. trilocularis, C. fascicularis, C. tridens and C. pseudo-capsularis are known to occur in diverse ecological conditions. These wild species are very important due to the presence of genetic variability for yield attributing traits and resistance to biotic stress. Seed of wild Corchorus species exhibit 100% seed dormancy due to hardseededness. Seed dormancy in wild species limits their scope of utilization in breeding programmes due to failure of germination in a desired period. Seed dormancy also creates problems in maintenance of these wild germplasms. Various types of scarification treatments, like mechanical scarification with sandpaper, hot water treatments (at 80 °C) and acid scarification with concentrated H2SO4, have been reported by several workers to remove hardseededness in wild Corchorus species. The present investigation was carried out to find out the effects of eighteen different scarification treatments including solo and some specific combinations in completely randomized design to identify the best suited scarification protocols in five wild Corchorus species. The study revealed that acid scarification with concentrated H2SO4 significantly improved seed germination but scarification with concentrated H2SO4 for 5 and 10 min prior to hot water treatment (2 min at 100 °C) resulted in the highest seed germination in C. pseudo-olitorius (90%) and C. aestuans (92%) respectively. Acid scarification in concentrated HCl for 10 min prior to hot water treatment (2 min at 100 °C) provided the significantly highest seed germination in both C. tridens (84%) and C. trilocularis (71%). However, acid scarification with H2SO4 for 30 min was capable of providing maximum seed germination (56%) in C. fascicularis. These species-specific treatment combinations can be utilized to maximise seed germination in wild Corchorus species.

De novo assembly of chloroplast genomes of Corchorus capsularis and C. olitorius yields species-specific InDel markers

Jute (Corchorus spp.) is a member of the Malvaceae family, which comprises more than 100 species. The systematic positions of jute species have remained unsettled. Chloroplasts are maternally inherited and their genomes are widely used for plant phylogenetic studies. In the present study, the chloroplast genomes of Corchorus capsularis and C. olitorius were assembled, with sizes of respectively 161,088 and 161,766 bp. Both genomes contained 112 unique genes (78 protein-coding, four rRNA, and 30 tRNA genes). Four regions with high variation between the two species were located in single-copy rather than inverted-repeat regions. A total of 66 simple sequence repeats (SSRs) were identified in the C. capsularis chloroplast genome and 56 in that of C. olitorius. Comparison of the two chloroplast genome sequences permitted the evaluation of nucleotide variation including 2417 single-nucleotide polymorphisms sites and 294 insertion or deletion sites, of which one marker (cpInDel 205) could discriminate the two jute species. Comparison of the C. capsularis and C. olitorius chloroplast genomes with those of other species in the Malvaceae revealed breakpoints in the accD locus, which is involved in fatty acid synthesis, in C. capsularis and C. olitorius. This finding suggests that genes from the chloroplast genome might have been transferred to the nuclear genome in some Corchorus species. This hypothesis was supported by synteny analysis of the accD region among the nuclear, chloroplast, and mitochondrial genomes. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the assembled chloroplast genome sequences of C. capsularis and C. olitorius. C. capsularis and C. olitorius are closely related to Gossypium species and there are abundant microstructure variations between these two genera. These results will expand our understanding of the systematics of species in the Malvaceae.

Jute: A Potential Candidate for Phytoremediation of Metals-A Review.

Jute (Corchorus capsularis) is a widely cultivated fibrous species with important physiological characteristics including biomass, a deep rooting system, and tolerance to metal stress. Furthermore, Corchorus species are indigenous leafy vegetables and show phytoremediation potential for different heavy metals. This species has been used for the phytoremediation of different toxic pollutants such as copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), zinc (Zn), mercury (Hg) and lead (Pb). The current literature highlights the physiological and morphological characteristics of jute that are useful to achieve successful phytoremediation of different pollutants. The accumulation of these toxic heavy metals in agricultural regions initiates concerns regarding food safety and reductions in plant productivity and crop yield. We discuss some innovative approaches to increase jute phytoremediation using different chelating agents. There is a need to remediate soils contaminated with toxic substances, and phytoremediation is a cheap, effective, and in situ alternative, and jute can be used for this purpose.

Characterisation of agro-morphological traits of corchorus accessions

ABSTRACTThe genus Corchorus includes nutrient-rich indigenous leafy vegetables often grown or harvested in the wild in Africa. It has potential to contribute to food security, but there is need to improve it as a crop through plant breeding. However, not much is known about the genetic variability among Corchorus species. The aim of this study was thus to characterise the available germplasm of Corchorus accessions and investigate heritability of their agro-morphological traits. Eleven Corchorus accessions (4 South African and 7 from the World Vegetable Center) were evaluated in a field study at Roodeplaat, South Africa, for their morpho-agronomic traits using a randomised complete block design with three replications across two seasons (2015/2016 and 2016/2017). Data were subjected to ANOVA, principal component analysis and cluster analysis. Broad sense heritability, genetic advance, genetic parameters and correlations were determined among the accessions and traits. The Corchorus accessions showed significant (P < .05) differences in all the quantitative traits evaluated. The data showed significant variability among the studied Corchorus accessions in their agro-morphological traits for exploitation in future breeding programmes that in turn can contribute to the improvement of this crop.

De novo transcriptome sequencing of two cultivated jute species under salinity stress.

Soil salinity, a major environmental stress, reduces agricultural productivity by restricting plant development and growth. Jute (Corchorus spp.), a commercially important bast fiber crop, includes two commercially cultivated species, Corchorus capsularis and Corchorus olitorius. We conducted high-throughput transcriptome sequencing of 24 C. capsularis and C. olitorius samples under salt stress and found 127 common differentially expressed genes (DEGs); additionally, 4489 and 492 common DEGs were identified in the root and leaf tissues, respectively, of both Corchorus species. Further, 32, 196, and 11 common differentially expressed transcription factors (DTFs) were detected in the leaf, root, or both tissues, respectively. Several Gene Ontology (GO) terms were enriched in NY and YY. A Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis revealed numerous DEGs in both species. Abscisic acid and cytokinin signal pathways enriched respectively about 20 DEGs in leaves and roots of both NY and YY. The Ca2+, mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling and oxidative phosphorylation pathways were also found to be related to the plant response to salt stress, as evidenced by the DEGs in the roots of both species. These results provide insight into salt stress response mechanisms in plants as well as a basis for future breeding of salt-tolerant cultivars.

The genus Corchorus L. (Malvaceae) in India: species distribution and ethnobotany

Understanding phyto-geographical distribution pattern and ethnobotanical applications are critical for comprehensive conservation and utilisation of native plant genetic resources. Dearth of such scientific reports on Corchorus species in India seriously compromises inclusiveness, precision and penetration of national endeavour to conserve the valuable resources. In this context, an ecogeographical study conducted to analyse geographical distribution, ecological adaptation, species richness and ethnobotanical applications of the genus in the country. The study revealed pandemic distribution of the genus with differential habitat preferences. Combine geographical, edaphic and precipitation based distribution profile of Corchorus spp. demonstrated multilayer interactions between species and environment that led to their differential spatial distribution. The highest species concentration was found in Tamil Nadu followed by Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. Complementarity analysis showed that the major diversity hotspots for the genus present in Tamil Nadu and Gujarat. Besides, wide spectrum ethnobotanical applications of the genus reflect their long association with prevailing ethnic communities across regions. Documentation of such time honoured traditional practices has special bearing on designing comprehensive conservation and management strategies. This information will help to prioritise both ex-situ and in-situ conservation efforts for the genus particularly in ecologically vulnerable sites of India.

Etude Ethnobotanique De Quelques Espèces Du Genre Corchorus Rencontrées En Côte d’Ivoire

To contribute to the valorization of Corchorus plants, fifteen (15) communities in Côte d'Ivoire have been visited and 432 participants were selected, during an ethnobotanical survey. This survey helped us to identify four (4) different species of Corchorus which are: C. aestuans, C. lobatus, C. olitorius and C. tridens. These different species are grown by farmers in general and also by farmers of vegetables and foods crops. In Côte d'Ivoire these plants are called “Kroala”. Kroala is the name given by Baoulé people from the centre part of Côte d’Ivoire. Krola can be used as main ingredient in the cooking of soups and it can also be used as medicinal plant. At food level, the leaves of different species of Corchorus are used in the cooking of soups for several meals throughout the country. At ethnomedicinal level, these different plant species are used in the treatment of several pathologies such as anemia, constipation... For instance, leaves, roots, leafy stems and seeds of these plant species are used to make several monospecific drugs recipes. For the benefits brought by Corchorus plants to people, the growing of these plants must be encouraged throughout the country.

Organelle genetic diversity in a global collection of Jute (Corchorus capsularis and C. olitorius, Malvaceae)

We investigated organelle genetic diversity of 160 jute (C. capsularis and C. olitorius) genotypes comprising of diverse accessions from countries using 13 mitochondrial and one chloroplast DNA specific markers. Mitochondrial markers ALM_4/ALM_5 and nad3 each amplified 15 amplicons in C. capsularis. Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) and cluster based grouping exhibited close similarity, revealing five groups in C. capsularis (Cα, Cβ, Cγ, Cδ and Cε) and three groups in C. olitorius (Oα, Oβ and Oγ). Representative amplicons of each group were determined based on the shared amplicons (>60%) among genotypes within each group. The C. capsularis groups were characterized by 41 (Cα and Cβ), 39 (Cδ), 36 (Cγ) and 35 (Cε) amplicons from 14 loci. The three C. olitorius groups were characterized by 35 (Oβ and Oγ) and 33 (Oα) amplicons. The organelle DNA of C. olitorius exhibited lower heterozygosity and diversity compared to that of C. capsularis. Molecular variance among the groups accounted for 51% of the total variation, while within-group variation was very low (6%). The organelle genetic group of the wild Corchorus species was distinct from the cultivated species, exhibiting closer association with C. capsularis. The classification of groups matched well with both Bayesian structure analysis and non-Bayesian recollection approach. Within each species, organelle genetic groups were associated with geographical distribution. The high genetic association of C. capsularis organelle genetic groups with that of wild Corchorus suggests a possible African origin of C. capsularis. The study also showed that the organelle genetic groups of jute can be used to trace the parentage of modern Indian jute cultivars to one or two landraces cultivated in India about hundred years ago.

SDS-PAGE Characterisation of Crude Seed and Leaf Proteins in &lt;i&gt;Corchorus&lt;/i&gt; Species

Crude protein separation was carried out for Corchorus incisifolious, Corchorus aestuans, Corchorus tridens and Corchorus olitorious using Sodium Dodecyl Sulphate-Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Plants were collected both from wild and cultivated sites and samples included leaves and seeds for the electrophoretic study. Distinct polymorphism in electrophoretic banding patterns of seed and leaf proteins following SDS- PAGE was observed in the four Corchorus species studied. Forty- two polypeptide bands were observed in the seed and a total of eleven polypeptide bands were observed in the leaves of the Corchorus species studied. The electrophoretic study revealed protein bands with various intensities ranging from high, to low and faint. The results showed that there was variation in both the seed and leaf proteins of the Corchorus species studied. A dendrogram constructed based on the Single Linkage Cluster Analysis (SLCA) clustering method revealed three major clusters for seeds. Cluster I consisted of C. incisifolious and C. aestuans, cluster II consisted of C. tridens, while cluster III consisted of C. olitorious. The leaf protein extracts were grouped into two clusters, cluster one containing C. incisifolious and C. aestuans, while the other contained C. tridens and C. olitorious.

SDS-PAGE Characterisation of Crude Seed and Leaf Proteins in &lt;i&gt;Corchorus&lt;/i&gt; Species

Crude protein separation was carried out for Corchorus incisifolious, Corchorus aestuans, Corchorus tridens and Corchorus olitorious using Sodium Dodecyl Sulphate-Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Plants were collected both from wild and cultivated sites and samples included leaves and seeds for the electrophoretic study. Distinct polymorphism in electrophoretic banding patterns of seed and leaf proteins following SDS- PAGE was observed in the four Corchorus species studied. Forty- two polypeptide bands were observed in the seed and a total of eleven polypeptide bands were observed in the leaves of the Corchorus species studied. The electrophoretic study revealed protein bands with various intensities ranging from high, to low and faint. The results showed that there was variation in both the seed and leaf proteins of the Corchorus species studied. A dendrogram constructed based on the Single Linkage Cluster Analysis (SLCA) clustering method revealed three major clusters for seeds. Cluster I consisted of C. incisifolious and C. aestuans, cluster II consisted of C. tridens, while cluster III consisted of C. olitorious. The leaf protein extracts were grouped into two clusters, cluster one containing C. incisifolious and C. aestuans, while the other contained C. tridens and C. olitorious.

Antioxidant properties and in vitro α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory properties of phenolics constituents from different varieties of Corchorus spp.

Abstract Objectives This study investigated the phenolic constituents, antioxidant properties and effect of aqueous extracts from some Corchorus species (C. aestuans, C. bougoudo, C. capsularis, C. olitorius and C. urtifolicus) on α-amylase and α-glucosidase activities in vitro. Methods Gas Chromatography with Flame Ionization Detector (GC-FID) was used to characterize the phenolic constituents. Aqueous extracts were prepared weight/volume (w/v) and their effects on α-amylase and α-glucosidase activities, Fe 2+ induced lipid peroxidation, and 1,1-diphenyl-2 picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging properties were determined. Fe 2+ chelating abilities and Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) properties were also studied. Results The predominant phenolics detected by GC-FID were kaempferol, rutin, apigenin, luteolin, caffeic acid and quercetin. The results showed that all the Corchorus species significantly (P Corchorus species inhibited α-glucosidase better than α-amylase and also exhibited antioxidant properties. Conclusions The enzyme inhibitory and antioxidant properties exhibited by the Corchorus species could be attributed to their phenolic constituents and vitamin C content; a possible mechanism by which Corchorus species could elicit therapeutic effects on type 2 diabetes mellitus as obtained in folklore medicine.

Genetic Analysis of Population Structure Using Peroxidase Gene and Phenylalanine Ammonia‐Lyase Gene‐Based DNA Markers: A Case Study in Jute (Corchorus spp.)

ABSTRACTInformation on genetic structure of population and crop genetic diversity provides crucial input for genetic improvement of crop species. Plant peroxidase gene (POG) and phenylalanine ammonia‐lyase gene (PALG) sequences are multigene families that can be used to design DNA marker systems for genetic diversity and population structure analysis. In the present study, genetic diversity and population structure of 110 Corchorus genotypes were investigated with 17 POG and six PALG markers and compared with results based on 15 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. A protocol for using PALG sequences as DNA markers was established, and an earlier protocol for POG marker system was improved. A total of 269 POG and PALG loci were identified revealing 89.2% and 98.5% polymorphism for POG and PALG markers, respectively. The SSR markers amplified 61 alleles in the population. The PALG markers generated comparatively more number of observed and effective alleles, with higher Shannon's information index and expected heterozygosity. Pairwise comparison of population using Nei's genetic distance and genetic identity revealed close association between geographically isolated populations of C. olitorius. Wild Corchorus species exhibited more genetic association with C. olitorius than C. capsularis. Analysis of molecular variance identified 67, 88, and 56% within population variations for POG, PALG, and SSR, respectively. Bayesian structure and hierarchical clustering analyses based on POG polymorphism identified five distinct groups and allelic variations between geographically isolated Indian and African C. olitorius populations with low genetic admixture. PALG‐based population structure analysis revealed three groups with high genetic admixture among populations, while SSR‐based structure identified three genetic groups with low admixture. A combination of all the marker systems improved population structure‐based classification, fitting well to phylogenetic classification. The results establish POG and PALG markers as efficient functional DNA marker systems and provide valuable information for genetic enhancement of cultivated Corchorus species.

Karyotype analysis and chromosomal evolution in Asian species of Corchorus (Malvaceae s. l.)

Here, we report the karyotypes and mean haploid idiograms of the ten Asian Corchorus species (2n = 2x = 14). Chromosomes were small, with a mean chromosome length of 2.30 μm. The largest chromosome was recorded in C. pseudo-olitorius (3.50 μm) and the shortest in C. pseudocapsularis (1.60 μm). The karyotypes of the two cultivated species (C. capsularis and C. olitorius) and C. pseudo-olitorius were the most diverse and specialized, whereas those of C. depressus and C. trilocularis were the least diverse. C. fascicularis had the most asymmetrical and C. urticifolius the most symmetrical karyotypes. An increase in genome size was accompanied by increasing karyotype diversity in terms of morphologically distinct chromosome types and interchromosomal asymmetry, with uneven distribution of additional DNA throughout the karyotype. A positive correlation between interchromosomal asymmetry and dispersion index suggested that size differences between chromosomes were mainly associated with karyotype asymmetry. Karyotypes of the Corchorus species became progressively asymmetrical in the course of evolution. Relationships among the ten Corchorus species were defined by using a neighbor-joining tree inferred from inter-simple sequence repeat data. C. fascicularis and C. pseudocapsularis, with shorter karyotypes and smaller genomes, were closely related to C. pseudo-olitorius and C. capsularis, respectively, which were characterized by relatively longer karyotypes and larger genomes. However, the two cultivated species with different levels of interchromosomal asymmetries, dispersion indices and genome sizes were distantly related. Taking this molecular evidence into consideration, we have discussed chromosomal evolution in relation to karyological data including genome size.

Comparative molecular cytogenetic analyses of a major tandemly repeated DNA family and retrotransposon sequences in cultivated jute Corchorus species (Malvaceae)

The cultivated jute species Corchorus olitorius and Corchorus capsularis are important fibre crops. The analysis of repetitive DNA sequences, comprising a major part of plant genomes, has not been carried out in jute but is useful to investigate the long-range organization of chromosomes. The aim of this study was the identification of repetitive DNA sequences to facilitate comparative molecular and cytogenetic studies of two jute cultivars and to develop a fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) karyotype for chromosome identification. A plasmid library was generated from C. olitorius and C. capsularis with genomic restriction fragments of 100-500 bp, which was complemented by targeted cloning of satellite DNA by PCR. The diversity of the repetitive DNA families was analysed comparatively. The genomic abundance and chromosomal localization of different repeat classes were investigated by Southern analysis and FISH, respectively. The cytosine methylation of satellite arrays was studied by immunolabelling. Major satellite repeats and retrotransposons have been identified from C. olitorius and C. capsularis. The satellite family CoSat I forms two undermethylated species-specific subfamilies, while the long terminal repeat (LTR) retrotransposons CoRetro I and CoRetro II show similarity to the Metaviridea of plant retroelements. FISH karyotypes were developed by multicolour FISH using these repetitive DNA sequences in combination with 5S and 18S-5·8S-25S rRNA genes which enable the unequivocal chromosome discrimination in both jute species. The analysis of the structure and diversity of the repeated DNA is crucial for genome sequence annotation. The reference karyotypes will be useful for breeding of jute and provide the basis for karyotyping homeologous chromosomes of wild jute species to reveal the genetic and evolutionary relationship between cultivated and wild Corchorus species.

Origins of white (Corchorus capsularis L.) and dark (C. olitorius L.) jute: a reevaluation based on nuclear and chloroplast microsatellites

Using a suite of morphological traits and neutral molecular markers, we have reevaluated the origins of the two cultivated jute species. The nine Corchorus species, which are restricted to both Africa and Asia, were phenotyped for bast fibre yield- and quality-linked traits, morpho-phenetically classified based on those traits’ similarities, genotyped by nuclear microsatellites and haplotyped by chloroplast microsatellites. The two cultivated jute species contain ~70% of the neutral genetic diversity present in their wild relatives. Phylogenetic analyses using 38 highly polymorphic nuclear microsatellites identified C. aestuans as the common ancestor to both the cultivated jute species. C. urticifolius is the nuclear progenitor of C. olitorius (dark jute), but no close nuclear progenitor of C. capsularis (white jute) could be identified. Although either C. aestuans or C. pseudo-olitorius or both appear to be the possible cytoplasmic progenitors of white jute, the matrilineal ancestry of dark jute remains obscure. However, the presence of a single, unique chloroplast haplotype in each of the two cultivated species indicates the involvement of other unknown wild relatives. Taken together with archaeobotanical evidence, our results suggest that dark jute had its origin in equatorial region of east Africa, but was domesticated in India. We could not support an Indo-Myanmar origin of white jute, and possibly it also originated in Africa, but was domesticated in Asia.