Sex Distribution of Paper Mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifera) in the Pacific

Abstract

BackgroundPaper mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifera (L.) L'Hér. ex Vent) is a dioecious tree native to East Asia and mainland Southeast-Asia, introduced prehistorically to Polynesia as a source of bark fiber by Austronesian-speaking voyagers. In Oceania, trees are coppiced and harvested for production of bark-cloth, so flowering is generally unknown. A survey of botanical records of paper mulberry revealed a distributional disjunction: the tree is apparently absent in Borneo and the Philippines. A subsequent study of chloroplast haplotypes linked paper mulberry of Remote Oceania directly to a population in southern Taiwan, distinct from known populations in mainland Southeast-Asia.MethodologyWe describe the optimization and use of a DNA marker designed to identify sex in paper mulberry. We used this marker to determine the sex distribution in selected localities across Asia, Near and Remote Oceania. We also characterized all samples using the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer sequence (ITS) in order to relate results to a previous survey of ITS diversity.ResultsIn Near and Remote Oceania, contemporary paper mulberry plants are all female with the exception of Hawaii, where plants of both sexes are found. In its natural range in Asia, male and female plants are found, as expected. Male plants in Hawaii display an East Asian ITS genotype, consistent with modern introduction, while females in Remote Oceania share a distinctive variant.ConclusionsMost paper mulberry plants now present in the Pacific appear to be descended from female clones introduced prehistorically. In Hawaii, the presence of male and female plants is thought to reflect a dual origin, one a prehistoric female introduction and the other a modern male introduction by Japanese/Chinese immigrants. If only female clones were dispersed from a source-region in Taiwan, this may explain the absence of botanical records and breeding populations in the Philippines and Borneo, and Remote Oceania.

Effects of Paper Mulberry Silage on the Milk Production, Apparent Digestibility, Antioxidant Capacity, and Fecal Bacteria Composition in Holstein Dairy Cows

“…The fecal bacteria composition was expressed as a percentage of the total number of sequences. 1 The CON group had non-PM silage diets during period I and period II; the PM1 group had 4.5 and 13.5% PM silage diets during period I and period II, respectively; and the PM2 group had 9 and 18% PM silage diets during period I and period II, respectively.…”

“…Paper mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifera; PM) is a dioecious tree native to mainland South-Asia and East Asia [1]. Twenty years ago, PM was planted to prevent soil erosion in China.…”

Characterization of microsatellite markers for Broussonetia papyrifera (Moraceae)

“…These molecular markers have been useful for characterizing the genetic diversity and population structure of this species within its native range. However, studies using ITS sequences and ISSR data ( Seelenfreund et al, 2011 ; Gonzalez-Lorca et al, 2015 ) and a sex marker ( Peñailillo et al, 2016 ) in B. papyrifera in the introduced range in the Pacific region have not provided the resolution to understand its dispersal across this geographic area where it has been propagated asexually ( Peñailillo et al, 2016 ). Therefore, the development of microsatellite markers is crucial to genotype the species’ genetic diversity in Japan and the Pacific region.…”

Test of the hybrid origin of <i>Broussonetia</i> × <i>kazinoki</i> (Moraceae) in Korea using molecular markers

“…In addition, the utility of a sex-identity marker developed for B. papyrifera by Peñailillo et al (2016) was tested. Duplex PCR amplification using three primer combination, one forward and two reverse (MMRL and MMRS18) primers, was performed and the PCR products were electrophoresed on 1.5% agarose gel, together with 100 bp DNA ladder (Bioneer, Daejeon, Korea).…”

“…TOPO6 gene has successfully demonstrated the hybrid and polyploid origin Hordeum (Brassac et al, 2012). Also, a sex marker developed by Peñailillo et al (2016) was tested.…”