Genetic variation in natural populations of maté (Ilex paraguariensis A. St.-Hil., Aquifoliaceae) using RAPD markers

Abstract

This study characterized the genetic diversity of four populations of Ilex paraguariensis, a plant species native to South America, using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers. A total of 341 different RAPD bands were generated by the 15 primers analysed. High genetic variability was detected within each population, with an average diversity of 0.163. The within-population variation was large, probably as a result of the life history characteristics of I. paraguariensis. The average distance between individuals from each population was 0.392 and that between populations was 0.433, indicating a low between-population divergence. Most bands were common to all populations and the population-specific bands occurred at low frequencies. Partitioning of the genetic diversity indicated that 85% of the variation occurred within populations and only 15% between populations. Although most of the variability is within populations, clusterings of plants in each population were observed in the dendrogram.

Preliminary assessment of the degree of genetic diversity of Ecuadorean Ilex guayusa using inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers

“…For comparison, using five isoenzyme markers, Winge et al [13] detected a comparatively higher degree of heterozygosity (H e = 0.50) for Ilex paraguariensis, a close relative of I. guayusa. The RAPD-based characterization of four natural populations of I. paraguariensis from southern Brazil revealed that the average (Nei) genetic distance between individuals within a population was 0.392 [14], whereas the maximum degree of genetic differentiation between I. guayusa individuals analyzed in this study was 0.086 (Table 2). At first hand, the low level of genetic variability observed for Ecuadorian I. guayusa appears contradictory, especially when considering the extensive number of polymorphic loci (91) detected across the evaluated sample-set.…”

“…Partitioning of genetic diversity (AMOVA) indicated that 82% of the variation observed for this species occurred within populations (provinces), and only 18% between populations. Natural populations of I. paraguariensis have also shown a reduced degree of genetic differentiation, principally accounted to the species' outcrossing nature [14]. In outcrossing perennial tree species, natural populations generally exhibit a high degree of allelic exchange via gene flow; a factor which limits genetic divergence between populations [19].…”

Genetic diversity of natural populations of Anemopaegma arvense (Bignoniaceae) in the Cerrado of São Paulo State, Brazil

“…There are many examples of other successful studies with RAPD markers in the research on the variability and genetic structure of natural plant populations described in the literature, e.g., by Russell et al (1993) with cocoa, Gillies et al (1999) with mahogany, Gauer and Cavalli-Molina (2000) with Ilex paraguariensis, Arnholdt-Schmitt (2000) with Hypericum perforatum, Sales et al (2001) with Digitalis minor, Ciampi et al (2003) with Tabebuia impetiginosa, and Wadt and Kageyama (2004) with Piper hispidinervum, where the last four are related to medicinal plants.…”

Evaluación de la variabilidad genética en un ensayo de progenies de Pachira quinata usando marcadore moleculares

“…Además, estos resultados están en concordancia con lo señalado por Hamrick (1990), en el sentido de que las plantas maderables perennes de larga vida y fecundación cruzada exhiben gran variabilidad dentro de las poblaciones (citado por Chalmers et al, 1992) lo cual ha sido demostrado en estudios como los realizados en poblaciones de Ilex paraguariensis (Gauer & Molina, 2000) y en Pinus oocarpa (Díaz, 2001), donde encontraron una positiva asociación entre estas características con la alta variabilidad detectada por RAPD dentro de estas poblaciones naturales.…”