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Molecular insights into the purple‐flowered ancestor of garden petunias
Author(s) -
Segatto Ana Lúcia A.,
RamosFregonezi Aline M. C.,
Bonatto Sandro L.,
Freitas Loreta B.
Publication year - 2014
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 - 10.3732/ajb.1300223
Subject(s) - biology , petunia , taxon , hybrid , botany , chloroplast dna , microsatellite , population , evolutionary biology , phylogenetic tree , genetics , gene , allele , demography , sociology
• Premise of the study: The garden petunia is derived from Petunia axillaris (white flowered) and a purple‐flowered species in the P. integrifolia group; it is still unclear which purple‐flowered species was used in the initial crosses. This widely cultivated hybrid is an ideal model for different areas of scientific inquiry. • Methods: We analyzed three taxa of the P. integrifolia group considered to be the most probable parental candidates, along with a random sample of garden petunia representatives that were selected for their genetic variability. We used cpDNA trnH‐psbA and trnS‐trnG haplotypes and seven nuclear microsatellites in a population approach to investigate the genetic variability. This is the first time information from plastid DNA sequences and nuclear microsatellites has been combined to infer evolutionary relationships in these taxa. • Key results: Our results suggest that P. interior is the purple ancestor of garden petunias, and we postulate that the initial crosses must have been between both parents as a mother plant. • Conclusions: Our work will contribute to the clarification of the evolutionary relationships among the Petunia ×hybrida and P. integrifolia taxa group and could be useful in breeding programs to transfer desired traits from wild to cultivated species.