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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Washington, D.C. » National Arboretum » Floral and Nursery Plants Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #204092
Title: Characterization of the Corylopsis Coreana Using Molecular Markers

Author
item Roh, Mark
item LEE, AY KYUNG - DANKOOK UNIV, KOREA
item CHOI, IKK YOUNG - FORMER ARS EMPLOYEE
item KIM, JAE YUONG - RURAL DEV ADMIN, KOREA
item JOUNG, YOUNG HEE - CHEONNUM NAT'L UNIV,KOREA
item LEE, SUN HA - SUN NAT'L COLLEGE, KOREA
item CHANG, CHIN SUNG - SEOUL NAT'L COLLEGE,KOREA
item SUH, JEUNG KEUN - DANKOOK UNIV, KOREA

Submitted to: Biotechnology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/29/2007
Publication Date: 6/29/2007
Citation: Roh, M.S., Lee, A.K., Choe, I-Y., Kim, J-Y., Joung, Y.H., Lee, S.H. and Such, J.K. 2007. Characterization of the Corylopsis coreana using Molecular Markers. Hort. Environ. Biotechnol. 48:176-187.

Interpretive Summary: Corylopsis (Winterhazel), growing in China, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan, produces fragrant yellow flowers in the early spring before leaves appear, and is popular as an ornamental shrub. The taxonomical classification of the genus, based mainly on morphological characteristics, shows considerable differences exist among systematists. Corylopsis coreana, when first noticed in the southern part of Korea was reported morphologically different from C. glabrescens. However, C. coreana has been treated as a variety of C. glabrescens. Conventional classification based on the morphological traits had, therefore, been unsuccessful in establishing the relationships among these taxa. DNA fingerprinting techniques have been widely used for identification and characterization of species or hybrids of woody ornamental and floral crops. Due to geographic proximity between Japan and Korea, and similar morphological characteristics, it has been difficult to distinguish C. coreana from other taxa belonging to the C. glabrescens. The major concern for a taxonomic treatment of C. coreana is whether it should be treated as an independent species or not. Reviews of taxonomic treatments in the genus Corylopsis, based on morphological characteristics and molecular study at the species level using molecular markers has not been performed. Corylopsis coreana accessions collected from Korea were separated from C. glabrescens var. glabrescens and also var. gotoana collected from Japan by STRUCTURE program based on the RAPD markers. This may support the establishment of C. coreana as a separate species based on this study.

Technical Abstract: This research was initiated to study the inter-specific relationships and intra-specific variations in the Corylopsis glabrescens complex that includes Corylopsis coreana Uyeki, C. glabrescens Franch. et Sav Franch. et Sav var. glabrescens, C. glabrescens var. gotoana (Makino) T. Yamanaka (collectively called as the C. glabrescens complex) by examining accessions collected from natural habitats, various botanical gardens, and arboreta. Randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD), single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of ribosomal DNA (nrDNA-ITS region) specific for C. glabrescens Franch. & Sav., phytochrome C gene, and NADH dehydrogenase subunit 1 gene analyses were performed. The results of RAPD markers (Expt. 1) showed that accessions were clustered into three major groups; the first group consisting of C. coreana, C. glabrescens var. glabrescens, C. glabrescens var. gotoana, and C. pauciflora Siebold & Zucc.; the second group of C. sinensis Hemsl., C. veitchiana Bean, C. glandulifera Hemsl., and C. spicata Siebold & Zucc, and the third group of C. sinensis Hemsl. var. calvescens Rehder & E. H. Wilson with some exceptions. Corylopsis coreana, C. glabrescens var. glabrescens, C. glabrescens var. gotoana was grouped in one major cluster. Although nrDNA-ITS region can not be effectively used for identification of the C. glabrescens complex to the species level, C. sinensis from C. sinensis var. calvescens was clustered separately from C. sinensis var. sinensis. Corylopsis coreana accessions collected from Korea were separated from C. glabrescens var. glabrescens and also var. gotoana collected from Japan with different posterior probability population by STRUCTURE. This may support the establishment of C. coreana as a separate species based on this study.