Taxodiaceae - its systematics and characteristics of species

• Project/Area Number: 05041080
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for international Scientific Research
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: Field Research
• Research Institution: University of Tsukuba
• Principal Investigator: OHBA Kihachiro Institute of Agriculture and Forestry University of Tsukuba, 農林学系, 教授 (80176982)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 呂 綿明 中華民国, 台湾省林業試験所・森林生物系, 系主任 ; 楊 政川 中華民国, 台湾省林業試験所, 所長 ; LIBBY William j. Dep.of For.and Resource Manage., Univ.of California, USA, Univ., Professor ; TSUMURA Yoshihiko Bio-Resources Technology Division Foresty and Forest Products Research Institute, 生物機能開発部, 主任研究官 ; TANGE Ken Faculty of Agriculture University of Tokyo, 農学部, 助手 (20179922) ; MATSUMOTO Yoosuke Forest Environment Division Foresty and Forest Products Research Institute, 森林環境部, 研究室長 ; TOMARU Nobuhiro Institute of Agriculture and Forestry University of Tsukuba, 農林学系, 助手 (50241774) ; NAKAMURA Toru Institute of Agriculture and Forestry University of Tsukuba, 農林学系, 講師 (60015881) ; UCHIDA Kohji Institute of Agriculture and Forestry University of Tsukuba, 農林学系, 講師 (10015670) ; ARAKI Masayuki Institute of Agriculture and Forestry University of Tsukuba, 農林学系, 助教授 (80193077) ; YAMANE Akiomi Institute of Agriculture and Forestry University of Tsukuba, 農林学系, 教授 (30182588) ; YANG Jeng-chuan Taiwan Forestry Research Institute Republic of China ; LU Chin-ming Division of Forest Biology, Taiwan Forestry Research Institute, Republic of Chin ; GAVIN F.Mora CSIRO Division of Forestry (Australia), 研究員 ; 黄 啓強 貴州省林業科学研究院 (中華人民共和国), 研究員
• Project Period (FY): 1993 – 1994
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 1994)
• Budget Amount: ¥22,000,000 (Direct Cost: ¥22,000,000); Fiscal Year 1994: ¥12,000,000 (Direct Cost: ¥12,000,000); Fiscal Year 1993: ¥10,000,000 (Direct Cost: ¥10,000,000)
• Keywords: Taxodiaceae / Plant Molecular Systematics / Population Genetics / DNA Variation / Allozyme Variation / Plant Ecology / Vegetation / Taiwania属 / Cunninghamia属 / Metasequoia属 / Athrotaxis属 / 分子系統分類 / 生態学

Research Abstract

1.Purpose
The purposes of this research program on fifteen species and one putative hybrid of Taxodiaceae are : (1) to make Taxodiaceae systematics by RFLP analysis on genes of cpDNA,(2) to clarify the characteristics of the species by means of ecological, ecophysiological, and population genetic methods in combination, and (3) to have clear understanding on phylogenetic relationship of sugi to other Taxodiaceae species based on the results of (1) and (2).
2.Research items and research methods
(1) Molecular classification on the species : RFLP analysis of genes on chloroplast genome.
(2) Research on ecological characteristics of the species : investigation on environmental factors ; vegetational analysis ; and accumulating reports and other documents of ecological studies.
(3) Research on ecophysiological characteristics of the species : analysis for photosynthesis and transpiration of each species.
(4) Population genetic survey : Isozyme analysis and/or RFLP analysis on nuclear DNA,cpDNA an d mtDNA.
(5) Integration of above results to have understanding on the phylogenetic position of sugi in Taxodiaceae systematics.
3.Results and Discussion
(1) Taxodiaceae systematics
We have investigated a molecular phylogeny of conifer including all of Taxodiaceae species using RFLP of PCR-amplified six chloroplast genes. The data sets produced similar basic parsimonious trees when the Wagner parsimony and the neighbor-joining (NJ) methods were applied. Cupressaceae and Taxodiaceae are closed related families each other, and Sciadopitys verticillata is the basal lineage of Cupressaceae and Taxodiaceae
(2) Characteristics of the species
We have determined the genetic diversity in natural populations of C.japonica using 12 allozymes. The amount of genetic variation within the species is high but most is found within populations with little among populations despite their isolated distribution. This pattern of genetic diversity is inferred to be the consequence of the following : the distribution of this species in the past was wider and more continuous than it is now ; a high rate of gene flow occurs ; and the long life span. Moreover we have found the mode of rDNA variation in natural populations of Sciadopitys verticillata. This species have a higher rDNA variation within population and the variations within populations are different from each other.

Research Products

• [Publications] Nobuhiro Tomaru: "Genetic variation and population differentiation in natural population of Cryptomeria japonica" Plant Species Biology. 9. 191-199 (1994)
  • Description: 「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
• [Publications] Nobuhiro Tomaru: "Genetic variation and population differentiation in natural population of Cryptomeria japonica" Plant Species Biology. 9. 191-199 (1994)
  • Description: 「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より