ELECTROPHORETIC STUDIES IN MARCHANTIA POLYMORPHA L.

Abstract

  Marchantia polymorpha was collected from several localities, mainly in France, but also in some other European countries and on other continents. Studies of enzyme polymorphism (esterases, peroxidases, acid phosphatases, glutamate-oxaloacetate transaminase) using polyacrylamide electrophoresis have shown a good correlation between habitat and electrophoretic data. They clearly indicate the existence of two ecotypes: the first, domestic, spread over the whole geographical area investigated, and the second, with two biotypes, occuring only in wet hebitats. The two biotypes could correspond to Marchantia aquatica (Nees) Burgeff and/or M. alpestris (Nees) Burgeff, but only one of them is discriminated by morphological analysis. Furthermore, electrophoretic techniques revealed at least one recombinant between the two ecotypes. Indices of variability were calculated to compare results from this dioicous species with those obtained previously from two monoicous liverworts,