ABSTRACT. Melanoxylon brauna (Fabaceae -Caesalpinioideae) is an endemic and valuable hardwood tree species in the Brazilian Atlantic rainforest; it is comparable to African ebony wood. We tested three protocols of DNA extraction based on the citrimonium bromide (CTAB) method and evaluated the quantity, purity and integrity of the DNA. We also determined whether these procedures interfere with PCR amplification in order to develop a protocol for M. brauna. We found that the quality and integrity of DNA were improved with the use of proteinase K in the extraction buffer and by modifications in the centrifugation speed. The lowest concentration of DNA was obtained with Doyle and Doyle's protocol (5.42 ng/μL). Ferreira and Grattapaglia's protocol modified for M. brauna provided the most DNA (36.89 ng/μL) and the highest quality DNA (purity ratio of 1.80 nm). The original Ferreira and Grattapaglia protocol provided 13.42 ng/μL DNA; however, the purity ratio (1.44 nm) indicates protein contamination. PCR results showed that Ferreira and Grattapaglia's protocol modified for M. brauna gave satisfactory quantity and purity of DNA for molecular studies.
We developed microsatellites for Manilkara multifida for future conservation genetics studies. M. multifida is a tropical tree that is endemic to Brazil which is currently restricted to fragmented landscapes. Our analysis indicated that all eight microsatellites are promising for assessing population genetics questions in this species.
Forest loss and fragmentation are the main threats to the maintenance of the Atlantic Forest, an important global biodiversity hotspot. Because of the current critical level of deforestation, ecological corridors are needed to facilitate species dispersion and gene flow among fragments. This study was conducted to investigate the genetic variability and gene pool sharing of Eschweilera ovata in five forest remnants in southern Bahia, Brazil using nuclear simple sequence repeat (nSSR) and plastid simple sequence repeat (cpSSR) microsatellite markers. cpSSR marker analysis revealed the domains of four haplotypes, showing that 80% of the individuals had only four maternal origins, reflecting a founder effect and/or genetic bottleneck. The results of cpSSR and nSSR analyses indicated moderate genetic diversity, particularly in conservation units with full protection, which showed the best parameters of all areas evaluated. Another indication of the susceptibility of these populations to forest loss and fragmentation was the strong genetic bottleneck observed. In contrast, genetic structure analyses (FST and discriminant analysis of principal components) revealed gene pool sharing between the subpopulations, which may reflect the historical gene flow that occurred before forest fragmentation.
Moldenhawera is a small genus of caesalpinioid legumes from eastern Brazil, characterized by the presence of T-shaped trichomes, flowers lacking a hypanthium, clawed petals with wrinkled margins, and dimorphic androecium with only one fertile stamen. Moldenhawera longipedicellata is described as a new species from the Atlantic Forest phytogeographical domain in Espírito Santo State, Brazil. It is similar to M. floribunda, M. polysperma and M. papillanthera by presenting slender staminodia filaments, longer than the anthers. However, it can be distinguished from those related species by the once-pinnate leaves (vs. bipinnate), flowers with long pedicels (2–5.9 cm long) and larger sepals (16–25 × 4–8 mm) and petals (petal claw 10–19 mm long and petal blade 14–24 × 13–23 mm).
The first microsatellite (SSR) markers were developed for Moldenhawera blanchetiana and transferred to M. luschnathiana, two species endemic to the Atlantic Forest, Brazil. Sixteen loci for M. blanchetiana were characterized, 15 of which showed high levels of heterozygosity (H E = 0.645 and H O = 0.559). The fifteen loci were transferred to M. luschnathiana where 14 were polymorphic (H E = 0.567 and H O = 0.550). The average numbers of alleles per locus was 6.6 for M. blanchetiana and 4.5 for M. luschnathiana. High values of the combined exclusion probability (Q [ 0.999, for both species) demonstrated the potential of these loci for paternity testing. These microsatellite markers are useful tools for performing genetic and evolutionary studies as well as for the management and conservation of populations of these two species.
Moldenhawera is a small genus of Caesalpinioideae (Leguminosae), characterized by biramous (T-shaped) trichomes, compoundly pinnate stipules, hypanthium absence, clawed petals, dimorphic androecium, and anther connective of the fertile stamen pubescent. Moldenhawera congestiflora, a new species from the Atlantic Forest in Bahia State, Brazil is described and illustrated. It is distinguished from other species of the M. sect. Brasilianae by the combination of its tree habit, leaves relatively long (rachis > 24 cm long), leaflets elliptic to oblong with apex acuminate, flower buds densely grouped at the inflorescence apex, flowers pentamerous, petal blades relatively small (6–8 × 4–5 mm), and base of fertile stamen villous. Additionally we provide a new identification key for the section Brasilianae.
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