Inference of genetic lineages of Fagus crenata populations in shizuoka prefecture based on chloroplast DNA and nuclear microsatellite variations

Abstract

To infergenetic lineages of Fagus crenata populations in Shizuoka Prefecture, we firstly investigated chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) haplotypes and their distribution in 55 populations throughout the entire range of the species within the prefecture. Three haplotypes, D, E and F, were found across the populations. Haplotypes D and E, which were widely distributed in the Pacific side of Chubu District, were dominant in the populations. Secondly, using a nuclear microsatellite (nSSR) we examined genetic diversity in six populations, which were selected based on the species' range and the haplotype distribution revealed by this study. The unrooted neighbor-joining tree based on the between-population DA distances calculated from allele frequencies at nSSR loci indicated that all the populations genetically belong to the Pacific side lineage in concordance with their geographic location. Although the allele frequencies at nSSR loci were almost homogeneous among the populations, there was geographic structure of cpDNA haplotypes. This difference most likely reflects the different rates of gene flow due to different modes of inheritance between chloroplast and nuclear DNA.