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Strong Genetic Differentiation of Primula sikkimensis in the East Himalaya–Hengduan Mountains

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Abstract

The East Himalaya-Hengduan Mountains region is the center of diversity of the genus Primula, and P. sikkimensis is one of the most common members of the genus in the region. In this study, the genetic diversity and structure of P. sikkimensis populations in China were assessed using inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) and chloroplast microsatellite markers. The 254 individuals analyzed represented 13 populations. High levels of genetic diversity were revealed by ISSR markers. At the species level, the expected heterozygosity and Shannon’s index were 0.4032 and 0.5576, respectively. AMOVA analysis showed that 50.3% of the total genetic diversity was partitioned among populations. Three pairs of chloroplast microsatellite primers tested yielded a total of 12 size variants and 15 chloroplast haplotypes. Strong cpDNA genetic differentiation (G ST = 0.697) and evidence for phylogeographic structure were detected (N ST = 0.788, significantly higher than G ST). Estimated rates of pollen-mediated gene flow are approximately 27% greater than estimated rates of seed-mediated gene flow in P. sikkimensis. Both seed and pollen dispersal, however, are limited, and gene flow among populations appears to be hindered by the patchiness of the species’ habitats and their geographic isolation. These features may have played important roles in shaping the genetic structure of P. sikkimensis. A minimum-spanning tree of chloroplast DNA haplotypes was constructed, and possible glacial refugia of P. sikkimensis were identified.

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Acknowledgments

This project was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 30470125, 40671066) and the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province (No. 31255).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510650, P.R. China

    Feng-Ying Wang & Chi-Ming Hu

  2. Shanghai Botanical Garden, Shanghai, 200231, P.R. China

    Feng-Ying Wang

  3. School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, P.R. China

    Xue-Jun Ge

  4. Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650204, P.R. China

    Xun Gong

  5. College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, P.R. China

    Gang Hao

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  1. Feng-Ying Wang
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Correspondence to Gang Hao.

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Wang, FY., Ge, XJ., Gong, X. et al. Strong Genetic Differentiation of Primula sikkimensis in the East Himalaya–Hengduan Mountains. Biochem Genet 46, 75–87 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10528-007-9131-9

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