AOBPreview originally published online on February 24, 2006
Annals of Botany 2006 97(5):793-805; doi:10.1093/aob/mcl038
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Evidence of Natural Hybridization and Introgression between Vasconcellea Species (Caricaceae) from Southern Ecuador Revealed by Chloroplast, Mitochondrial and Nuclear DNA Markers
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1 Department of Molecular Biotechnology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University (UGent), Coupure links 653, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium, 2 Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Ghent University (UGent), K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium and 3 Naturaleza & Cultura Internacional, Mercadillo 18-10 y José Maria Peña, Loja, Ecuador
* For correspondence. E-mail Godelieve.gheysen{at}ugent.be
Received: 18 August 2005 Returned for revision: 3 November 2005 Accepted: 17 January 2006 Published electronically: 24 February 2006
Background and Aims Vasconcellea x heilbornii is believed to be of natural hybrid origin between V. cundinamarcensis and V. stipulata, and is often difficult to discriminate from V. stipulata on morphological grounds. The aim of this paper is to examine individuals of these three taxa and of individuals from the closely related species V. parviflora and V. weberbaueri, which all inhabit a hybrid zone in southern Ecuador.
Methods Molecular data from mitochondrial, chloroplast and nuclear DNA from 61 individuals were analysed.
Key Results Molecular analysis confirmed occasional contemporary hybridization between V. stipulata, V. cundinamarcensis and V. x heilbornii and suggested the possible involvement of V. weberbaueri in the origin of V. x heilbornii. In addition, the molecular data indicated unidirectional introgression of the V. cundinamarcensis nuclear genome into that of V. stipulata. Several of the individuals examined with morphology similar to that of V. stipulata had genetic traces of hybridization with V. cundinamarcensis, which only seems to act as pollen donor in interspecific hybridization events. Molecular analyses also strongly suggested that most of the V. x heilbornii individuals are not F1 hybrids but instead are progeny of repeated backcrosses with V. stipulata.
Conclusions The results of the present study point to the need for re-evaluation of natural populations of V. stipulata and V. x heilbornii. In general, this analysis demonstrates the complex patterns of genetic and morphological diversity found in natural plant hybrid zones.
Key words: Hybridization, introgression, AFLP, mtDNA, cpDNA, Vasconcellea stipulata, V. cundinamarcensis,, V. x heilbornii, V. weberbaueri, V. parviflora, Ecuador
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