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Abstract Detail



Population Genetics

Major, Catherine Kendall [1], Mandel, Jennifer R [2].

Genetic Diversity and Population Structure in the Clonal Plant Trillium recurvatum.

Trillium recurvatum is a long-lived herbaceous perennial plant found in the central and eastern United States. It is currently threatened in Michigan and rare in Wisconsin. Threats to this species include: forest management practices, land-use conversion, habitat fragmentation, and pollen limitation. The species is clonal and self-incompatible; therefore, pollination could be difficult if there are only a few different genetic individuals in a specific area. Clonality can, sometimes, be associated with a low level of genetic diversity. An entire plot could be one genetic individual, connected underground by rhizomes. The ramets possess identical phenotypic and genotypic characteristics. This could be problematic if that specific genotype was to be adversely affected by a predator or by the environment. Due to the clonality and self-incompatibility of T. recurvatum, it is possible that entire groups would be one genetic individual. My research project aims to explore the genetic diversity of T. recurvatum at the University of Memphis Meeman Biological Station. This study will provide the first population genetic analysis of it and any Shelby County population of T. recurvatum. In March 2014, 220 T. recurvatum leaf samples were collected from the Meeman Biological Station. The DNA was extracted from these leaves and used in PCR reactions to amplify 10 Simple Sequence Repeats or microsatellite loci. These loci were then analyzed using capillary electrophoresis and subsequently visualized using the software package GeneMarker. From the resulting data, measures of genetic and clonal diversity were calculated and these findings were correlated with previously collected demographic data for this population. Based on the data analyzed, the genetic diversity of T. recurvatum was higher than expected. 108 unique genotypes were found in 182 individuals, which correspond to roughly 59% genotypic diversity. Furthermore, genetic individuals are not necessarily clustered in their spatial distribution within the population as many clusters consisted of multiple genotypes. The findings here also suggest that pollination within clusters has a high likelihood of generating a successful fertilization since many individuals within clusters were actually different genets.


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1 - University of Memphis , Biological Sciences
2 - University of Memphis, Department of Biological Sciences, Memphis, TN, 38152, USA

Keywords:
Genetic diversity
Clonal
Rhizome.

Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 39, Population Genetics
Location: 201/Savannah International Trade and Convention Center
Date: Wednesday, August 3rd, 2016
Time: 11:15 AM
Number: 39013
Abstract ID:661
Candidate for Awards:Margaret Menzel Award


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