Intra and inter populational genetic variability in Maytenus ilicifolia Mart. ex Reiss. 1861, through RAPD markers

Abstract

Maytenus ilicifolia is a medicinal plant largely used in the South Brazilian folk medicine. The aim of this study was to quantify the intra and inter populational genetic variability in three populations of M. ilicifolia, focusing on the genetic conservation of this species, which has been threatened by anthropic action. RAPD (Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA) markers were used to analyze 30 plants of each of the three populations collected in the Alto Uruguai Gaúcho region. Fourteen selected primers generated a total of 158 bands, 71.5% of which were polymorphic. The comparison of Jaccard's distances showed that the intra populational variation was higher than the inter populational variability, and cluster analysis allowed the separation of the three populations. Just 7.6% of the bands were specific of at least two populations. Data indicate that the analyzed M. ilicifolia populations represent a single genetic pool, and therefore any of the population thoroughly can represent the overall genetic variability of the species in the sampled region.Keywords: conservation, espinheira santa, native populations, molecular markers. Variabilidade genética intra e interpopulacional em Maytenus ilicifolia Mart. ex Reiss, utilizando marcadores RAPD ResumoMaytenus ilicifolia é uma planta medicinal bastante utilizada na medicina popular da região sul do Brasil. O objetivo deste estudo foi quantificar a variabilidade genética intra e interpopulacional em três populações de M. ilicifolia visando a conservação genética desta espécie, que se encontra ameaçada pela ação antrópica. Marcadores RAPD (Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA) foram utilizados para analisar 30 plantas de cada uma das três populações coletadas na região do Alto Uruguai Gaúcho. Foram selecionados 14 primers, que geraram 158 bandas, das quais 71,5% foram polimórficas. A comparação das distâncias de Jaccard mostraram que a variabilidade intra populacional foi maior que a interpopulacional, e a análise de agrupamentos permitiu a separação das três populações. Somente 7.6% das bandas foram específicas de pelo menos duas populações. Os resultados indicam que as populações de M. ilicifolia analisadas representam um único conjunto gênico, de tal forma que qualquer uma das populações pode representar a variabilidade genética geral da espécie na região.

Genetic diversity and conservation of native populations of Maytenus Ilicifolia Mart. ex Reiss

“…As expected, the indices of similarities between the species were inferior in comparison to the ones within the species (0.72 to 0.79) (Mossi et al, 2007).…”

“…From this total, 126 (56.8%) were monomorphics and 96 (43.2%) polimorphics. The level of polimorphism was lower than that observed by Mossi et al (2007), who evaluated the intra and inter population genetic variability of M. ilicifolia. In this study a polymorphism of 71.5% was observed.…”

“…The amplified fragments presented between 100 and 2200 bp. The average number of fragments per primer was 13.15, and this result was found to be superior to the one found in the intra-population analysis in M. ilicifolia of 10.9 (Mossi et al, 2007). This difference can be attributed to the presence of 41 (15.6%) bands from M. aquifolia and M. evonymoidis.…”

Chemical Analysis by LC-MS of Cannabis sativa Root Samples from Northeast Brazil and Evaluation of Antitussive and Expectorant Activities

“…A study by Mossi et al (2007) in Alto Uruguai Gaúcho (Brazil) related to the genetic base of conservation showed that there is a high degree of intra-population to the detriment of the interpopulation variability. This information demonstrates that the degree of variability between plants can directly influence responses to the environment, influencing, above all, secondary metabolic pathways [26].…”

Assessment of genetic diversity of Gloriosa superba L. accessions detected by random amplified polymorphic DNA analysis

“…This shows that RAPD is a good marker system for genetic diversity analysis in the crop under study due to its highly informative nature. Mossi et al (2007) used 180 polymorphic bands from 14 RAPD markers for categorization of Maytenus ilicifolia cultivars; likewise, Jayaram and Prasad (2008) used 188 polymorphic bands from 40 RAPD markers for characterization of Oroxylum indicum accessions. Obviously, the more bands that are scored and the more plants that are studied, the higher will be the statistical significance of the calculation.…”