GENETIC VARIATION IN THE MOST PRIMITIVE CLIVIA SPECIES

• Main Author: van der Westhuizen, Hester Maria
• Other Authors: Mrs P Spies
• Format: Others
• Language: en-uk
• Published: University of the Free State 2011
• Subjects: Genetics
• Online Access: http://etd.uovs.ac.za//theses/available/etd-10172011-114558/restricted/

The genus Clivia Lindl., which belongs to the family Amaryllidaceae J. St-Hil. (1805), is comprised out of seven different species. Clivia nobilis, C. caulescens, C. miniata, C. gardenii, C. mirabilis, C. robusta and the natural hybrid Clivia xnimbicola all forms part of this genus. Clivia mirabilis is found in the Northern Cape Province and is geographically isolated from the six other species which grows along the Eastern Coast and escarpment of South Africa. Conrad et al. (2003) proved that C. mirabilis and C. nobilis were the two most primitive species in the genus Clivia. During this study sequencing results were used to detect barcodes/SNPs for C. nobilis and C. mirabilis and to reveal genetic variation between the Clivia species. Clivia nobilis and C. mirabilis were tested with cross-species microsatellite makers to reveal intraspecific variation. Seven different gene regions were sequenced. Six were chloroplast regions, namely the atpH-I, matK, rpoB, rpoC1, rpl16, the trnL-F regions and one was a nuclear region, ITS1. The regions used for sequencing were evaluated as potential barcoding/SNP regions for future use. They were also used to infer the evolutionary development of C. nobilis and C. mirabilis. All seven Clivia species were analysed but this study focused mainly on morphologically different specimens of C. nobilis and C. mirabilis. The sequences were aligned and edited with Geneious Pro. A total of forty-seven polymorphic sites were observed between al seven species. Within the rpl16 region eleven parsimony informative sites were observed. The matK and trnL-F regions each had eight parsimony informative sites. ITS1 had three sites and rpoB and rpoC1, one parsimony informative site each. Within the atpHI region no parsimony informative sites were observed. The sequencing data obtained could be used for species identification and, therefore, showed great potential as barcoding regions. We propose that matK, rpl16 and trnL-F are used as a barcode in C. nobilis and C. mirabilis because they had the most parsimony informative sites. The cladogram obtained from the combined data set (atpH-I, rpoB, rpoC1, matK and trnL-F) confirmed that C. nobilis and C. mirabilis are two separate species. Clivia caulescens and C. xnimbicola forms a monophyletic group. Within the rpl16 chloroplast region intraspecific variation in C. mirabilis and interspecific variation between C. nobilis and C. mirabilis were observed. The phylogentic tree representing the sequencing results of the rpl16 region revealed three distinctive groups within the four different C. mirabilis populations. Two plants within one of the Donkerhoek populations showed more variation than the rest of the population. The rpl16 gene region proved to be ideal in order to test intraspecific variation in C. nobilis and C. mirabilis. To evaluate the use of cross-species markers, microsatellite makers designed for Phaedranassa tunguraguae, Hymenocallis coronia and Clivia miniata were tested on C. nobilis and C. mirabilis. Although amplification was obtained, in most cases the results could not be optimized in order to provide reliable analysis. In future species specific primers for C. nobilis and C. mirabilis will be developed. This study undoubtedly identified barcodes/SNPs for C. nobilis and C. mirabilis which can be used to eliminated mistaken identity. Gene regions specific for intra- and interspecific variation were identified and can be used in future for population studies.