Abstract
To clarify the genetic status and provide effective information for the conservation of Athyrium viridescentipes, a critically endangered fern species with only 103 individuals remaining in the wild, we conducted ubiquitous genotyping to determine the genotypes of all remnant individuals of the target species. We analyzed the genetic variation of the 103 known individuals in four populations by using 13 microsatellite loci. The genotypes of single spores from a sporophytic individual were also determined in order to reveal the breeding system of this species. The level of allelic variation in A. viridescentipes was significantly lower than that of closely related Athyrium species. The genetic composition of the four populations was rather similar. Sixty-nine individuals (67%) possessed an identical pattern in the allele combinations at 13 microsatellite loci. The mean pairwise F ST among four populations was 0.018. The segregated pattern of alleles, determined by single-spore genotyping, revealed that allelic recombination occurs through meiosis. The results indicate that this species contains a low level of genetic variation, has low population differentiation, and maintains populations by sexual reproduction. These findings could lead to more effective conservation programs, the selection of the most appropriate individuals for ex situ conservation efforts, and separate management of extant populations.
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Acknowledgments
This research was supported by Grants in Aid for Scientific Research (20241056) from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science and the Environment Research and Technology Development Fund (D-0903) of the Ministry of the Environment, Japan.
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Table S1–S4 Alleles detected in 13 microsatellite loci and identification of MLACs for all individuals of the 4 species analyzed in this study: Athyrium viridescentipes (Table S1), A. otophorum (Table S2), A. kuratae (Table S3), and A. vidalii (Table S4). “N” indicates a null allele, which is regarded as being the same as the dominant allele in determining MLACs. For single spore genotyping, spores were collected from Individual 16 of A. viridescentipes.
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Izuno, A., Takamiya, M., Kaneko, S. et al. Genetic variation and structure of the endangered Lady Fern Athyrium viridescentipes based on ubiquitous genotyping. J Plant Res 125, 613–618 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10265-012-0482-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10265-012-0482-x