An analysis of the relationships between the immigrant aerial resources of bryophytes and the genetic structure of the extant Japanese bryoflora based on molecular markers

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 23770089
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Biodiversity/Systematics
• Research Institution: Hiroshima University
• Principal Investigator: TSUBOTA Hiromi 広島大学, 理学(系)研究科(研究院), 准教授 (10332800)
• Project Period (FY): 2011-04-28 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: コケ植物 / 散布 / 分布 / DNAバーコーディング / ハプロタイプ / 藻類 / シダ植物

Outline of Final Research Achievements

To reveal the establishment and colonisation processes of the bryoflora of the Japanese Archipelago, haplotype variation in the chloroplast genome was studied. Identification of immigrant propagule samples from aerial sources was also attempted based on DNA barcoding. Some key new genetic markers for the chloroplast genome were identified and obtained. Analysis of the results revealed: a greater diversity of potential immigrant taxa than are represented in the established bryoflora; in addition to bryophytes, some ferns and green algal taxa were detected using DNA barcoding. Pseudotaxiphyllum pohliaecarpum, one of the dominant bryophyte species in aerial samples, showed four distinct chloroplast haplotypes in Japanese samples, most likely representing separate historical colonisation events. To effectively monitor the aerobiota and potential advent of additional taxa in the Japanese bryoflora there is an urgent need to enrich and expand the DNA barcoding library for bryophytes.

Free Research Field

植物系統・分類