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Abstract Detail



Systematics Section/ASPT

Medina, Jesus [1], Lahmeyer, Sean Anthony [2], Barrett, Craig [1].

A preliminary investigation of phylogeny and plastid genome evolution in the palm genus Brahea (Mart. ex Endl.).

The palm genus Brahea (Mart. ex Endl.) is composed of approximately 12 species indigenous to Central America and Mexico, and is adapted to a range of climates including the deserts of northwestern and Baja Mexico, and moist, tropical habitats of southeastern Mexico. Brahea is an economically important ornamental in arid regions, and some species (e.g., B. armata) potentially have lower water requirements than the more commonly planted Washingtonia robusta, with horticultural implications for regions that will experience drier conditions as a result of climate change. Quero published a monograph of Brahea recognizing two subgenera (Brahea and Erythea) but no phylogenetic studies have been attempted for the genus. Of particular interest is B. sarukhanii (H. J. Quero), a recently discovered species endemic to the border region of Nayarit and Jalisco, in western-central Mexico. Our objectives are to build an initial phylogenetic tree of Brahea based on nuclear, mitochondrial, and plastid loci, and to translate Quero’s taxonomic key into English. Further, we compare sequences of complete plastomes from four representative species of Brahea (two per subgenus) generated via Illumina paired end sequencing to quantify the extent of genetic variation among species and to build a preliminary plastid phylogeny. Read coverage of the plastome ranged from 400x-750x, allowing assembly of complete plastid genomes of high quality for the four species sequenced thus far. A preliminary plastome phylogeny is in line with Quero’s recognition of two subgenera, and further indicates the currently unplaced B. sarukhanii falls into subgenus Brahea. ITS primers amplified a product of approximately 700 bp and XDH primers have been developed and are currently being tested. In addition, we have amplified the region corresponding to intron 23 of the single copy nuclear gene RPB2 (RNA Polymerase II, second subunit) in six of the 12 species of Brahea. Primers for RPB2 yielded a product of approximately 600 bp in length. PCR products will be quantified with a NanoDrop spectrophotometer and sent for Sanger sequencing. Additional sampling will be carried out for the remaining described species of Brahea, in collaboration with The Huntington Botanical Garden (San Marino, California, USA). The results of phylogenetic trees based on all three genomic compartments will be discussed.


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1 - California State University, Los Angeles, Biological Sciences, Los Angeles, CA, 90032, USA
2 - The Huntington Botanical Garden, San Marino, CA, 91108, USA

Keywords:
Arecaceae
Arecales
monocot
plastome
next generation sequencing
hesper palm.

Presentation Type: Oral Paper:Papers for Sections
Session: 50
Location: Salon 10/The Shaw Conference Centre
Date: Tuesday, July 28th, 2015
Time: 1:45 PM
Number: 50002
Abstract ID:900
Candidate for Awards:None


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