Full Length Research Paper

Molecular phylogeny of Ranunculaceae based on internal transcribed spacer sequences

Ying-fan Cai^1#*, Sheng-wei Li^1,2#, Yi Liu¹, Sun Quan¹, Min Chen², Yong-fang Xie¹, Huai-zhong Jiang¹, En-zhao Wei¹, Neng-wen Yin¹, Ling Wang¹, Rui Zhang¹, Cheng-lin Huang¹, Xiao-Hong He¹ and Ming-feng Jiang²

¹Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Chongqing 400065, China.

²Southwest University for Nationalities, Chengdu 610041, China.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: caiyf3000@yahoo.com.cn. Tel: +92-023-62461884.

Abbreviations: ITS, Internal transcribed spacer; IPTG, isopropyl β-D-1-Thiogalactopyranoside; X-Gal, 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl-beta-D-galactopyranoside.

Accepted 10 September, 2009

^#These authors contributed equally to this paper

   Abstract

The botanical family Ranunculaceae contain of important medicinal plants. To obtain new evolutionary evidence regarding the systematic classification of Ranunculaceae plants, we used molecular phylogenies to test relationships based on the internal transcribed spacer region. The results of phylogenetic analysis of 92 species of Ranunculaceae, Paeoniaceae and Berberidaceae not only supported the monophyly of each of these genera but also suggested a number of additional points: (1) All of the inferred genera were clearly rooted together and most supported previous classifications; (2) Helleborus, which has sometimes been placed in Helleboroideae, should be retained within Ranunculoideae; (3) Adonis, which has sometimes been placed in Ranunculoideae, should be in Helleboroideae; (4) Callianthemum, which currently belongs to Ranunculoideae, is separated by a large genetic distance from other genera in this family, suggesting that it should be removed from this family and (5) the current generic classification of Ranunculaceae should be revised.

Key words: Ranunculaceae, genetic relationship, ITS sequences, genealogy.