Ploidy Variation and Genetic Diversity in Dichroa
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HORTSCIENCE 45(2):208–213. 2010. close relationship between the genus Dichroa and H. macrophylla (Hufford et al., 2001; Soltis et al., 1995). Morphological investiga- Ploidy Variation and Genetic Diversity tions also support a close relationship between these two species (Hufford, 2001). Simple in Dichroa sequence repeat (SSR) markers indicate H. 1 macrophylla is more genetically similar to D. Timothy A. Rinehart febrifuga than to other Hydrangea species USDA-ARS, Southern Horticultural Laboratory, 810 Highway 26 West, (Rinehart et al., 2006). SSR markers also in- Poplarville, MS 39470 dicate a relationship between H. indochinesis and D. febrifuga (Rinehart and Reed, 2008). Brian E. Scheffler Hydrangea indochinesis was considered by USDA-ARS, Genomics and Bioinformatics Research Unit, 141 Experiment McClintock (1957) to be a synonym for H. Station Road, JWDSRC, Stoneville, MS 38776 macrophylla ssp. stylosa (H. f.) Thomson, but Hinkley (2003) has referred to it as H. Sandra M. Reed scandens ssp. indochinesis Merr. SSR marker USDA-ARS, Floral and Nursery Plants Research Unit, Tennessee State data indicate that H. indochinensis is more University Otis L. Floyd Nursery Research Center, 472 Cadillac Lane, closely related to D. febrifuga than to H. macro- phylla or H. scandens (L. f.) Ser. (Rinehart and McMinnville, TN 37110 Reed, 2008). Additional index words. simple sequence repeats, SSR, microsatellite markers, Hydrangea Hybridization studies support a close genetic macrophylla, Dichroa febrifuga, Dichroa versicolor, Hydrangea indochinensis relationship between H. macrophylla and D. febrifuga. Fertile reciprocal hybrids between H. Abstract. Recent evidence suggests a close genetic relationship between Hydrangea macrophylla and D. febrifuga have been pro- macrophylla (Thunb.) Ser. and D. febrifuga Lour., which supports previous morpholog- duced (Jones et al., 2006; Kardos, 2008; Kardos ical and DNA sequence data. This relationship was confirmed by the production of fertile et al., 2006; Reed et al., 2008). At the time those intergeneric hybrids. We characterize the genetic diversity of available D. febrifuga crosses were initiated, only one selection of plants, both cultivars and wild-collected taxa, as breeding material to improve H. D. febrifuga was available for hybridizations. macrophylla. Relatively high genetic diversity is seen among D. febrifuga, which splits This selection, GUIZ48, is described as being into two main clusters. We also document considerable differences in genome size when a clone collected in Guizhou Province, compared with previously characterized D. febrifuga. Dichroa versicolor (Fortune) D.R. China, by Peter Wharton at the University Hunt plants were also included and data suggest that D. versicolor could be a hybrid of British Columbia Botanical Garden (Hink- between H. macrophylla and D. febrifuga, similar to the intergeneric hybrids produced by ley, 2005). Chromosome counts indicated recent breeding efforts. Because native H. macrophylla plants do not overlap extensively that this selection is a hexaploid with 2n = with D. febrifuga populations, we tested Hydrangea indochinensis Merr. as a possible 6· = 108 chromosomes (Reed et al., 2008). parent because endemic H. indochinensis populations overlap regions where D. febrifuga Since the original hybridizations between and D. versicolor have been collected. However, results suggest that H. indochinensis does D. febrifuga and H. macrophylla were per- not share a genetic background with D. versicolor. Taxonomic revision of Dichroa is formed, several more Dichroa selections and warranted, especially because we document several more intergeneric hybrids from self- cultivars have become available in the United sown, open-pollinated sources. States. In addition, plants thought to be nat- urally occurring hybrids between Dichroa and Hydrangea have been identified (Glyn The genus Dichroa Lour., which is a mem- been shown to resprout from hardwood after Church, personal communication). The ob- ber of the Hydrangeaceae, includes 12 species winter freezes (Bean, 1970; Chittendon, jectives of this study were to examine ploi- native to eastern Asia and adjacent islands 1956; Phillips and Rix, 1998). Inflorescences dy levels of Dichroa selections, evaluate (Shumei and Bartholomew, 2001). Dichroa are terminal and form panicles with large, the genetic diversity within the available febrifuga Lour. is one of the 50 fundamental white flower buds. Flowers are similar to Dichroa germplasm, determine if naturally herbs in Chinese herbology and a well-known fertile flowers found in other members of occurring hybrids between Dichroa and Hy- medicinal plant (Duke and Ayensu, 1985). It the Hydrangeaceae and are bisexual with drangea exist, and identify possible parental is also the most ornamental member of the five petals and prominent stamens (Hufford, species. Ploidy was determined using flow genus and is commercially available in the 2001). Dichroa flowers are larger than fertile cytometry, whereas genetic diversity and United States. Dichroa febrifuga is a small flowers found on H. macrophylla cultivars, hybridity were evaluated using SSR markers. shrub, growing 1 to 2 m in height, and has but imperfect, showy flowers with large evergreen or semievergreen foliage when sepals have not been observed in Dichroa Materials and Methods grown in USDA cold hardiness zone 7 and (Reed et al., 2008). Flowers are described as warmer (Hinkley, 2005). In colder areas, land- ranging in color from pink to blue (Hinkley, Plant materials. The 37 genotypes tested scape plants are generally deciduous and have 2005). Unlike H. macrophylla, which re- in this study are listed in Table 1. Plant tissue quires aluminum to produce blue flowers, was obtained from plants in the collection at some selections of D. febrifuga produce blue the Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Received for publication 5 May 2009. Accepted for flowers even in the absence of aluminum. The TN, or from public or commercial sources. publication 7 July 2009. most notable trait is the small, glossy fruits Samples included tissue from 25 D. febrifuga We thank Glyn Church, David Creech, Mike Dirr, consisting of iridescent or metallic blue berries plants representing 19 genotypes; one of these Bobby Green, Dan Hinkley, Sean Hogan, Ozzie that remain on the shrub for many months. was a plant labeled as D. hirsuta Gagnep. but Johnson, Josh Kardos, and Kristen VanHoose for Intergeneric hybridizations could combine de- was shown to be D. febrifuga. Two previously graciously donating tissue and plants. sirable traits from D. febrifuga such as blue described (Reed et al., 2008) intergeneric Mention of trade names or commercial products in fruits, stable flower color, larger flowers, and hybrids (samples #27 and 30) and four self- this article is solely for the purpose of providing specific information and does not imply recom- evergreen foliage with cold-hardiness and the sown, open-pollinated hybrids (samples #26, mendation or endorsement by the U.S. Department showy flowers with large sepals that are found 31, 32, and 33) suspected to be hybrids of Agriculture. in H. macrophylla. between Dichroa and Hydrangea were in- 1To whom reprint requests should be addressed; Phylogenetic analyses of rbcL and matK cluded. ‘Round Blue’, ‘White Lace’, and ‘Pink e-mail [email protected]. sequences in the Hydrangeaceae suggest a Candy’ (samples #31, 32, and 33) were found 208 HORTSCIENCE VOL. 45(2) FEBRUARY 2010 Table 1. Samples listed by species and cultivar where applicable along with source of material, identifying containing 0.4 mL extraction buffer (Partec notes for select taxa, and estimated genome size. CyStain ultraviolet precise P Nuclei Extrac- No. Species Sourcez DNA (pg), mean ± sey tion Buffer; Partec GMBH, Mu¨nster, Ger- 1 Dichroa febrifuga NRC 6.9 ± 0.09 many). The resulting extract was passed 2 Dichroa febrifuga NRC 6.8 ± 0.09 through a 30-mL filter into a 3.5-mL plastic 3 Dichroa febrifuga NRC 6.9 ± 0.15 tube, to which was added 1.6 mL Partec 4 Dichroa febrifuga WG CyStain ultraviolet precise P Staining Buffer 5 Dichroa febrifuga ‘Yellow Wings’ CN 6.5 ± 0.17 containing the fluorochrome 4#,6-diamidino- 6 Dichroa febrifuga HWJCM011 HW 2-phenylidole. The relative fluorescence of 7 Dichroa hirsuta WG 8 Dichroa febrifuga (Chadwell collection) CN 6.0 ± 0.11 the total DNA was measured for each nucleus 9 Dichroa febrifuga WG using a Partec CyFlow ploidy analyzer (Par- 10 Dichroa febrifuga BSWJ6610 CN 12.9 ± 0.09 tec GMBH). For each sample, at least 5000 11 Dichroa febrifuga aff. hirsuta BSWJ8371 CN 6.7 ± 0.08 nuclei were analyzed. Genome sizes were 12 Dichroa febrifuga WG calculated as nuclear DNA content for unre- 13 Dichroa febrifuga WG duced tissue (2C) as: 2C DNA content of 14 Dichroa febrifuga ‘Yamaguchi Hardy’ UGA 12.8 ± 0.23 tissue = (mean fluorescence value of sample O 15 Dichroa febrifuga (Woodleigh Gardens #7) WG 12.6 ± 0.20 mean fluorescence value of standard) · 2C 16a Dichroa febrifuga (Woodleigh Gardens #11) WG 12.5 ± 0.15 DNA content of standard. Pisum sativum L. b Dichroa febrifuga (Woodleigh Gardens #11) GN 17a Dichroa febrifuga HWGUIZ48 HW ‘Ctirad’, with a 2C content of 9.09 pg (Dolezˇel b Dichroa febrifuga CF and Bartosˇ, 2005), was used as the internal c Dichroa febrifuga UGA standard for all samples except the D. versi- d Dichroa febrifuga UGA color selections, which produced a peak that e Dichroa febrifuga GUIZ48 NRC 17.6 ± 0.20 overlapped with that of pea. For these samples, 18a Dichroa febrifuga ‘Yamaguchi Select’ UGA 17.4