Phylogenetic Relationships among Cultivated and Wild Species in Section Cepa of Allium Based on RFLPs of Mitochondrial and Chloroplast DNAs

Abstract

Phylogenetic relationships among two cultivated species, Allium fistulosum and A. cepa, and four wild species, A. altaicum, A. galanthum, A. oschaninii, and A. vavilovii, in section Cepa were investigated based on RFLPs of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and chloroplast DNA (cpDNA). Using the group average method, cluster analysis was performed in the six species and dendrograms of mt and cpDNAs were constructed. A. cepa formed a subcluster with A. vavilovii at small distance value in the dendrogram of mtDNA. Furthermore, these two species had no distance value each other in dendrograms of cpDNA. A. fistulosum formed subclusters with A. altaicum at small distance value in both dendrograms of mt and cpDNAs. These results represent the close relationships of A. cepa with A. vavilovii and of A. fistulosum with A. altaicum. Because of large distance value of A. oschaninii with other five species in dendrograms of mt and cpDNAs, A. oschaninii is considered to have a long genetic distance from others. This study demonstrates that phylogenetic relationships among the species on RFLPs of mtDNA closely correspond to those of cpDNA in section Cepa.