CHUNG, SANG-MIN1*, DEENA S. DECKER-WALTERS2, and JACK E. STAUB1. 1Department of Horticulture, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, 53706; 2The Cucurbit Network, PO Box 560483, Miami, FL, 33256. - Evaluation of relationships within the tribe Benincaseae (Cucurbitaceae) using cpDNA microsatellite fragment length variation and comparison of the sequenced fragments.
Twenty fragments of microsatellite-containing cpDNA were targeted
using forward/reverse primer pairs. Variation in the length of the
fragments was analyzed for 14 species representing 9 genera in the
tribe Benincaseae, as well as for 7 species from 4 other tribes of the
Cucurbitaceae. Cluster analysis indicated that these characters are
useful in evaluating genetic affinities among closely related species
(e.g., those within the same tribe). However, sequencing of some of
the fragments revealed that convergence in fragment length occurs in
more distant comparisons (e.g., species from different tribes).
Phylogenetic analysis of the sequence data confirmed some
morphologically-proposed relationships among genera and raised
questions about others.
Key words: Benincaseae, Cucurbitaceae, DNA sequencing, microsatellites, tribe taxonomy