engleski

Epigenetic vs. genetic diversity of stenoendemic short-toothed sage (Salvia brachyodon Vandas)

Short-toothed sage (Salvia brachyodon Vandas) is Illyrian-Adriatic stenoendemic and one of the rarest plant species of the Dinaric karst. S. brachyodon grows in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina/Montenegro and only three localities have been confirmed at the present time: (1) Mt. Zmijino brdo (Sv. Ilija) near Orebić on the peninsula of Pelješac, Croatia, (2) Mt. Konavoska brda near Velji do, north of Cavtat in Konavle region, Croatia, and (3) Mt. Orjen, near Vrbanje, at the border of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro. It has been categorized as near thretened (NT) species in Croatia and as endangered (EN) in Montenegro. The habitats of S. brachyodon greatly differ among localities and the distinctions at the morphological and molecular levels may represent the adaptation of the plant to the specific habitat conditions. Heritable epigenetic variation could influence the course of evolution in plants, as it can affect the processes of adaptation and divergence through selection of stable epigenetic variants without involvement of genetic variation. In order to understand the true importance of epigenetic processes in a stenoendemic plant of a very narrow range size existing epigenetic variation has been assessed and compared to genetic variation. The aim of this research was to determine genetic and epigenetic diversity and differentiation of the three known short- toothed sage populations by using molecular markers. Microsatellite markers (SSRs) and amplified fragment-length polymorphysims (AFLPs) were used to investigate the genetic diversity and structure within and among sampled natural plant populations while the methylation-sensitive amplified polymorphisms (MSAPs) were used to assess the epigenetic diversity.

Salvia brachyodon; MSAP; epigenetic; AFLP; SSR

Croatian Science Foundation Project No 09.01/246: Epigenetic vs. genetic diversity in natural plant populations: A case study of Croatian endemic Salvia species