Allopolyploid speciation in the non-model plant Ficus iidaiana: analysis of single-copy nuclear genes and RAD-seq markers

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25650129
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Evolutionary biology
• Research Institution: Kyushu University
• Principal Investigator: Kusumi Junko 九州大学, 比較社会文化研究院, 准教授 (20510522)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): SU Zhi-hui 株式会社生命誌研究館, 研究員 (40396221)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 異質倍数体 / 種分化 / RAD-seq / イチジク属

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Allopolyploid arise as a result of the hybridization between two related species and genome doubling, which has long been recognized as an important mode of plant speciation. In this project, we investigated genome-wide nucleotide polymorphisms of three endemic Ficus species in the Ogasawara Islands to reveal the genetic background of allopolyploid speciation of these species. The analyses based on single-copy nuclear genes and RAD-seq markers suggested that F. iidaiana (allotetraploid) has two divergent parental lineages. The divergence time between the parental lineages was estimated to be roughly 25-33 MYA. All of the endemic Ficus species have low levels of nucleotide diversity and there was a significant genetic differentiation between the diploid species (F. boninshimae and F. nishimurae) and F. iidaiana.

Free Research Field

生物学