Phylogenetic relationships of some genera in the Ranunculaceae based on alcohol dehydrogenase genes

Abstract

Fragments of the nuclear-encoded gene for alcohol dehydrogenase (adh) were amplified from 23 species representing 17 genera in the Ranunculaceae and one in the Berberidacena using polymerase chain reaction method. Homology of sequences among the 26 amplified fragments suggests that the Ranunculaceae have two adh genes, adh1 and adh2, which are obviously separated into two clusters in both the neighbor joining and maximum parsimony trees, respectively. The cluster of adh1 genes is divided into four clades which support the classification based on cytological and morphological data. The phylogenetic analysis of T-type chromosome group clearly suggests that Coptis and Xanthoriza are a monophyletic group, and that Thalictrum with achenes were derived from Enemion and its allied genera with follicles.