Relationships in Ananas and other related genera using chloroplast DNA restriction site variation.

Chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) diversity was examined using PCR-RFLP to study phylogenetic relationships in Ananas and related genera. One hundred fifteen accessions representing the seven Ananas species and seven other Bromelioideae including the neighboring monospecific genus Pseudananas, two Pitcairnioideae, and one Tillandsioideae were included in the study. Eight primers designed from cpDNA were used for generating fragments. Restriction by 18 endonucleases generated 255 variable fragments. Dissimilarities were calculated from the resulting matrix using the Sokal and Michener index and the neighbor-joining method was used to reconstruct the diversity tree. Phylogenetic reconstruction was attempted using Wagner parsimony. Phenetic and cladistic analyses gave consistent results. They confirm the basal position of Bromelia in the Bromelioideae. Ananas and Pseudananas form a monophyletic group, with three strongly supported sub-groups, two of which are geographically consistent. The majority of Ananas parguazensis accessions constitute a northern group restricted to the Rio Negro and Orinoco basins in Brazil. The tetraploid Pseudananas sagenarius joins the diploid Ananas fritzmuelleri to constitute a southern group. The third and largest group, which includes all remaining species plus some accessions of A. parguazensis and intermediate phenotypes, is the most widespread and its distribution overlaps those of the northern and southern groups. Ananas ananassoides is dominant in this sub-group and highly variable. Its close relationship to all cultivated species supports the hypothesis that this species is the wild ancestor of the domesticated pineapple. The data indicate that gene flow is common within this group and scarcer with both the first and second groups. Comparison of cpDNA data with published genomic DNA data point to the hybrid origin of Ananas bracteatus and support the autopolyploidy of Pseudananas. The Ananas-Pseudananas group structure and distribution are consistent and we propose a scenario based on the refugia hypothesis to explain our data. These results and hypotheses bring some interesting points to consider in the current discussion on Ananas taxonomy.

Development, characterisation, and across-taxa utility of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) microsatellite markers.

The results of the development of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) microsatellite markers are given step by step, from the screening of libraries enriched in (GA)n, (GT)n, and (CCG)n simple-sequence repeats (SSRs) to the final characterisation of 21 SSR loci. Also published are primer sequences, estimates of allele size range, and expected heterozygosity in E. guineensis and in the closely related species E. oleifera, in which an optimal utility of the SSR markers was observed. Multivariate data analyses showed the ability of SSR markers to efficiently reveal the genetic-diversity structure of the genus Elaeis in accordance with known geographical origins and with measured genetic relationships based on previous molecular studies. High levels of allelic variability indicated that E. guineensis SSRs will be a powerful tool for genetic studies of the genus Elaeis, including variety identification and intra- or inter-specific genetic mapping. PCR amplification tests on a subset of 16 other palm species and allele-sequence data showed that E. guineensis SSRs are putative transferable markers across palm taxa. In addition, phenetic information based on SSR flanking region sequences makes E. guineensis SSR markers a potentially useful molecular resource for any researcher studying the phylogeny of palm taxa.