RUI: Molecular Phylogenetics and Allopolyploidization in Rubus (Rosaceae)

Western Kentucky University Research Foundation, Bowling Green KY

Investigators

Abstract

0236166 Alice Systematic biology aims to understand relationships among species and infer their evolutionary histories followed by testing of hypotheses concerning observed patterns and causal processes. Two important processes in plant speciation are hybridization and polyploidy (more than two copies of each chromosome per cell). Both hybridization and polyploidy have been involved in the origin of many agriculturally important crops, making an improved understanding of these processes valuable to the public, scientific, and academic communities. This research focuses on the plant genus Rubus, a member of the Rose family. The genus is economically and ecologically important as fruit crops (raspberries, blackberries), ornamentals, food for wildlife and indigenous peoples, invasive weeds, and in early forest succession. Rubus is considered one of the most challenging groups of flowering plants with regard to species identification and classification due to frequent hybridization, plasticity in external form, and the high incidence of polyploidy. Dr. Alice's goals are to infer evolutionary relationships within Rubus, examine the origins of several polyploid groups, test hypotheses of hybridization, assess trends in morphological features that may be useful in classification, and develop an informative and user-friendly web site for Rubus. DNA sequencing of five different chloroplast and nuclear regions is proposed followed by phylogenetic analysis and hypothesis testing. Dr. Alice has studied the evolutionary history and classification of Rubus for the past several years and his laboratory routinely employs the techniques proposed. Data obtained largely through the efforts of undergraduate student researchers demonstrated that his approach is feasible and importantly that undergraduate students can learn and apply these techniques. The intellectual merit of the proposed activity includes the elucidation of evolutionary relationships in Rubus, from which changes to existing classifications will be proposed, examination of polyploid species and hybrids contributing insight to speciation processes, investigation of an infrequently used DNA region in phylogenetic study, and identification of morphological traits useful in classification. The broader impacts resulting from the proposed project include active participation in all phases by three undergraduate students and one graduate student providing them direct insight into scientific research, training in highly marketable skills, and experience presenting their results at professional meetings. Finally, a Rubus web site will be developed at Western Kentucky University for dissemination of information.