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Ribosomal DNA evolution and phylogeny in Aloe (Asphodelaceae)
Author(s) -
Adams Stuart P.,
Leitch Ilia J.,
Bennett Michael D.,
Chase Mark W.,
Leitch Andrew R.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
american journal of botany
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.218
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1537-2197
pISSN - 0002-9122
DOI - 10.2307/2656733
Subject(s) - biology , phylogenetics , ribosomal dna , ribosomal rna , evolutionary biology , zoology , genetics , gene
All Aloe taxa (∼400 species) share a conserved bimodal karyotype with a basic genome of four large and three small submetacentric/acrocentric chromosomes. We investigated the physical organization of 18S–5.8S–26S and 5S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) using fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) to 13 Aloe species. The organization was compared with a phylogenetic tree of 28 species (including the 13 used for FISH) constructed by sequence analysis of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) of 18S–5.8S–26S rDNA. The phylogeny showed little divergence within Aloe , although distinct, well‐supported clades were found. FISH analysis of 5S rDNA distribution showed a similar interstitial location on a large chromosome in all species examined. In contrast, the distribution of 18S–5.8S–26S rDNA was variable, with differences in number, location, and size of loci found between species. Nevertheless, within well‐supported clades, all species had the same organizational patterns. Thus, despite the striking stability of karyotype structure and location of 5S rDNA, the distribution of 18S–5.8S–26S rDNA is not so constrained and has clearly changed during Aloe speciation.