MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETIC ASPECTS OF GENETICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL STUDIES OF MOSS DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

  Several DNA fragments, collectively comprising the complete small subunit (18S) rDNA of Physcomitrella patens and Funaria hygrometrica were amplified by PCR. One of the fragments, about 500 bp long, was directly sequenced in both species. Sequence comparison confirmed the close evolutionary relationship of these two Funariaceae. Cladistic analysis of these and equivalent sequences from other plant taxa allowed the potential usefulness of these sorts of molecular data for phylogenetic purposes to be assessed. The potential in this regard of a second molecular technique, RAPD (Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA) or AP (Arbitrarily Primed)-PCR, was also examined.