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Godelieve Gheysen - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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evolutionary relationships between and within the highland papayas genus vasconcellea and the common papaya carica papaya
1st International symposium on Papaya, 2007Co-Authors: Tina Kyndt, Godelieve GheysenAbstract:Being less known than the common papaya, but offering a variety of tasty fruits and great economical potential for breeding programmes, highland papayas (Vasconcellea spp.) are generally considered as under-utilized Andean crops. In the course of ethnobotanical surveys, an undescribed morphological variability among and within species of the genus Vasconcellea was observed, and identification of some of the taxa appeared to be hard or sometimes impossible. This high amount of diversity is probably partly caused by the intercompatibility between several species leading to the production of hybrids, spontaneously occurring in areas where species distributions overlap. Several recent molecular studies have focused on unraveling the taxonomy and the complicated evolutionary relationships between Vasconcellea spp. By using different molecular marker techniques and DNA sequence analyses, these studies provided new information about the genetic diversity and evolution of Vasconcellea in comparison with Carica papaya and other related genera. This review illustrates the utility of molecular marker techniques and sequence analyses to resolve taxonomic questions in Caricaceae. In general, the evolution of Vasconcellea has been shown to involve both recent speciation and reticulation.
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molecular phylogeny and evolution of Caricaceae based on rdna internal transcribed spacers and chloroplast sequence data
Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 2005Co-Authors: Tina Kyndt, X Scheldeman, E Romeijnpeeters, J P Romeromotochi, Paul Goetghebeur, Bart Van Droogenbroeck, Patrick Van Damme, Godelieve GheysenAbstract:Abstract This study focused on clarifying phylogenetic relationships and evolution within Caricaceae. Our phylogenetic analysis based on nucleotide sequences from the ITS of the ribosomal DNA and three chloroplast fragments (matK, trnL–trnF, and psbA–trnH) included 29 taxa belonging to five genera: the neotropical genera Carica, Vasconcellea, Jarilla, and Jacaratia and the equatorial African genus Cylicomorpha. Having a relatively low mutation rate, matK, and trnL–trnF were used for estimating relationships at the generic level, while intrageneric evolution within Vasconcellea was studied with the more variable ITS and psbA–trnH sequences. Gaps, coded as binary characters, were added to the sequence alignments before performing Maximum Parsimony and Maximum Likelihood analyses. Monophyly of Caricaceae as well as phylogenetic distance between Carica and Vasconcellea species, previously belonging to the same genus, and monophyly of the resurrected genus Vasconcellea were emphasized. Within Vasconcellea, the largest genus of this family, two well-confirmed evolutionary lineages could be discerned: (1) V. × heilbornii, V. weberbaueri, V. stipulata, and V. parviflora and (2) a clade holding all other taxa of the genus. Incongruence between nuclear ITS and chloroplast psbA–trnH datasets, shown to be significantly caused by some taxa of the genus Vasconcellea, indicated that reticulate events in this genus might be more frequent than previously suspected. Moreover, intra-individual ITS sequence heterogeneity provided further evidence for the hybrid or introgressed origin of different taxa and one presumed hybrid belonging to this genus.
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species relationships in the genus vasconcellea Caricaceae based on molecular and morphological evidence
American Journal of Botany, 2005Co-Authors: Tina Kyndt, E Romeijnpeeters, J P Romeromotochi, Godelieve Gheysen, Bart Van Droogenbroeck, Paul GoetghebeurAbstract:Validity of the taxa currently recognized in the genus Vasconcellea was analyzed by investigating morphological and molecular data from 105 specimens of this genus and six specimens of the related genus Carica. Taxon identification of these specimens was compared with clustering in two phenetic dendrograms generated with 36 morphological characters and 254 amplified fragment length polymorphic (AFLP) markers. Moreover, cytoplasmic haplotypes were assessed using polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) of one mitochondrial and two chloroplast DNA regions. Results show that the morphological data set, containing mainly vegetative characteristics, merely reveals external resemblance between specimens, which is not directly associated with genetic relationships and taxon validity. Phenotypic plasticity and intercompatibility between several species are likely to confuse morphological delimitation of the taxa. Based on the results of our study, several specimens that could not be identified with the currently used identification key (1) could be attributed to a known taxon, which should be extended to include a higher range of morphological variability or (2) could be hypothesized to be of hybrid origin. Because of the high intraspecific variation within V. microcarpa and V. 3 heilbornii, revision of these taxa is recommended.
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phylogenetic analysis of the highland papayas vasconcellea and allied genera Caricaceae using pcr rflp
Theoretical and Applied Genetics, 2004Co-Authors: Bart Van Droogenbroeck, X Scheldeman, E Romeijnpeeters, Inge Maertens, J P Romeromotochi, Tina Kyndt, Paul Goetghebeur, Patrick Damme, Godelieve GheysenAbstract:The chloroplast and mitochondrial DNA diversity of 61 genotypes belonging to 18 Vasconcellea species, the so-called highland papayas, was studied by PCR-RFLP analysis of two non-coding cpDNA regions (trnM-rbcL and trnK1-trnK2) and one non-coding mtDNA region (nad4/1-nad4/2). This sample set was supplemented with six genotypes belonging to three other Caricaceae genera: the monotypic genus Carica, including only the cultivated papaya, and the genera Jacaratia and Cylicomorpha. Moringa ovalifolia was added as an outgroup species. The PCR-amplified cpDNA regions were digested with 18 restriction endonucleases, the mtDNA region with 11. A total of 22 point mutations and four insertion/deletions were scored in the sample. A higher level of interspecific variation was detected in the two cpDNA regions in comparison to the analysis of the mtDNA. Wagner parsimony and Neighbor-Joining analysis resulted in dendrograms with similar topologies. PCR-RFLP analysis supported the monophyly of Caricaceae, but among the 26 mutations scored, an insufficient number of markers discriminated between the different Caricaceae genera included in this study. Hence the inference of the intergeneric relationships within Caricaceae was impossible. However, some conclusions can be noted at a lower taxonomic level. The Caricaceae species were divided into two lineages. One group included only Vasconcellea spp., whereas the second included the remaining Vasconcellea spp., together with the papaya genotypes and those from the other Caricaceae genera. This may indicate a higher level of inter-fertility for the Vasconcellea species from the latter clade in interspecific crossings with papaya. The putative progenitors of the natural sterile hybrid V. × heilbornii, i.e. V. stipulata and V. cundinamarcensis, were only distantly related to V. × heilbornii. This indicates that probably none of these species was involved as the maternal progenitor in the origin of V. × heilbornii. Surprisingly, V. × heilbornii had organellar genome patterns identical with V. weberbaueri, suggesting a possible involvement of this species in the origin of V. × heilbornii. On the basis of discrepancy between morphological traits and the cpDNA profiles of some pairs of Vasconcellea species, we believe that besides V. × heilbornii, some other species have originated through interspecific hybridization. A reticulate evolution for Vasconcellea has therefore been suggested. Finally, intraspecific cpDNA variation was detected in V. microcarpa, thus providing molecular evidence for the high diversity previously indicated by morphological observations.
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aflp analysis of genetic relationships among papaya and its wild relatives Caricaceae from ecuador
Theoretical and Applied Genetics, 2002Co-Authors: B Van Droogenbroeck, E Romeijnpeeters, Tina Kyndt, Paul Goetghebeur, P Breyne, Godelieve GheysenAbstract:The AFLP technique was used to assess the genetic relationships among the cultivated papaya (Carica papaya L.) and related species native to Ecuador. Genetic distances based on AFLP data were estimated for 95 accessions belonging to three genera including C. papaya, at least eight Vasconcella species and two Jacaratia species. Cluster analysis using different methods and principal co-ordinate analysis (PCO), based on the AFLP data from 496 polymorphic bands generated with five primer combinations, was performed. The resulted grouping of accessions of each species corresponds largely with their taxonomic classifications and were found to be consistent with other studies based on RAPD, isozyme and cpDNA data. The AFLP analysis supports the recent rehabilitation of the Vasconcella group as a genus; until recently Vasconcella was considered as a section within the genus Carica. Both cluster and PCO analysis clearly separated the species of the three genera and illustrated the large genetic distance between C. papaya accessions and the Vasconcella group. The specific clustering of the highly diverse group of Vasconcella × heilbornii accessions also suggests that these genotypes may be the result of bi-directional introgression events between Vasconcella stipulata and Vasconcella cundinamarcensis.
Fernanda Carvalho - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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chromosome number reduction in the sister clade of carica papaya with concomitant genome size doubling
American Journal of Botany, 2016Co-Authors: Alexander Rockinger, Fernanda Carvalho, Aretuza Sousa, Susanne S RennerAbstract:PREMISE OF THE STUDY: Caricaceae include six genera and 34 species, among them papaya, a model species in plant sex chromosome research. The family was held to have a conserved karyotype with 2n = 18 chromosomes, an assumption based on few counts. We examined the karyotypes and genome size of species from all genera to test for possible cytogenetic variation. METHODS: We used fluorescent in situ hybridization using standard telomere, 5S, and 45S rDNA probes. New and published data were combined with a phylogeny, molecular clock dating, and C values (available for similar to 50% of the species) to reconstruct genome evolution. KEY RESULTS: The African genus Cylicomorpha, which is sister to the remaining Caricaceae (all neotropical), has 2n = 18, as do the species in two other genera. A Mexican clade of five species that includes papaya, however, has 2n = 18 (papaya), 2n = 16 (Horovitzia cnidoscoloides), and 2 n = 14 (Jarilla caudata and J. heterophylla;third Jarilla not counted), with the phylogeny indicating that the dysploidy events occurred similar to 16.6 and similar to 5.5 million years ago and that Jarilla underwent genome size doubling (similar to 450 to 830-920 Mbp/haploid genome). Pericentromeric interstitial telomere repeats occur in both Jarilla adjacent to 5S rDNA sites, and the variability of 5S rDNA sites across all genera is high. CONCLUSIONS: On the basis of outgroup comparison, 2n = 18 is the ancestral number, and repeated chromosomal fusions with simultaneous genome size increase as a result of repetitive elements accumulating near centromeres characterize the papaya clade. These results have implications for ongoing genome assemblies in Caricaceae.
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molecular phylogeny biogeography and an e monograph of the papaya family Caricaceae as an example of taxonomy in the electronic age
2015Co-Authors: Fernanda CarvalhoAbstract:This dissertation addresses an issue of key importance to the field of systematics, namely how to foster taxonomic work and the dissemination of knowledge about species by taking full advantage of electronic data and bioinformatic tools. I tested and applied modern systematic tools to produce an electronic monograph of a family of flowering plants, Caricaceae. In addition to a taxonomic revision, a molecular phylogeny of the family that includes representatives of all biological species clarifies the evolutionary relationships. Based on the plastid and nuclear DNA data, I inferred historical processes that may have shaped the evolution of the Caricaceae and explain their current geographic distribution.
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taxonomy in the electronic age and an e monograph of the papaya family Caricaceae as an example
Cladistics, 2015Co-Authors: Fernanda Carvalho, Denis Filer, Susanne S RennerAbstract:The need for taxonomists to take full advantage of biodiversity informatics has been clear for at least 10 years. Significant progress has been made in providing access to taxonomic resources online, including images of specimens, especially types; original species descriptions; and georeferenced collection data. However, in spite of persuasive calls for e-monography, there are few, if any, completed projects, even though monographic research is the only mechanism for reducing synonymous names, which are estimated to comprise 50% of all published names. Caricaceae is an economically important family of flowering plants from Africa and the Neotropics, best known for the fruit crop papaya. There is a large amount of information on the family, especially on chemistry, crop improvement, genomics, and the sex chromosomes of papaya, but up-to-date information on the 230 names and which species they might belong was not available. A dynamically updated e-monograph of the Caricaceae now brings together all information on this family, including keys, species descriptions, and specimen data relating the 230 names to 34 species and one hybrid. This may be the first taxonomic monograph of a plant family completely published online. The curated information will be continuously updated to improve the monograph’s comprehensiveness and utility.
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v chromosome counts for the Caricaceae reveal unexpected dysploidy
2015Co-Authors: Fernanda Carvalho, Alexander Rockinger, Aretuza Sousa, Susanne S RennerAbstract:The family Caricaceae has six genera with together 34 species and one hybrid (Carvalho 2013). Besides the economically important crop, Carica papaya, other species in the family also produce edible fruits that are sold in local markets. The sister group of C. papaya, which originated in Central America, consists of a clade of four species, three herbs in the genus Jarilla endemic to Mexico and Guatemala, and the single species of Horovitzia, H. cnidoscoloides, endemic to cloud forests of Sierra de Juarez in Oaxaca, southern Mexico (Carvalho and Renner 2012).
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the phylogeny of the Caricaceae
2014Co-Authors: Fernanda Carvalho, Susanne S RennerAbstract:The family Caricaceae comprises 35 species in currently 6 genera. Thirty-two species occur in Central and South America and two in Africa. The species occur in a wide range of tropical habitats, and growth forms range from rhizomatous herbs to tall trees. Most species are dioecious, with strictly male and female individuals. During the last decades, the highland papayas (Vasconcellea spp.) were considered the closest relatives of papaya. However, a molecular phylogeny based on nuclear and plastid sequences from all species shows that Carica papaya is sister to a Mexican clade of four herbaceous species in the genera Jarilla and Horovitzia. This unexpected discovery has important implications for the improvement of papaya by plant breeders, and as a first step, we here summarize the currently sparse knowledge concerning the morphology and ecology of the Mexican Caricaceae. We also discuss the molecular phylogeny of family and its biogeographic implications, such as transatlantic dispersal, diversification concomitant with the Miocene uplift of the Andes, expansion along the Isthmus of Panama, and adaptation of species in the genus Jacaratia to the drier climates and more open vegetation that predominated during the Late Miocene, 12–7 Ma ago.
Tina Kyndt - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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evolutionary relationships between and within the highland papayas genus vasconcellea and the common papaya carica papaya
1st International symposium on Papaya, 2007Co-Authors: Tina Kyndt, Godelieve GheysenAbstract:Being less known than the common papaya, but offering a variety of tasty fruits and great economical potential for breeding programmes, highland papayas (Vasconcellea spp.) are generally considered as under-utilized Andean crops. In the course of ethnobotanical surveys, an undescribed morphological variability among and within species of the genus Vasconcellea was observed, and identification of some of the taxa appeared to be hard or sometimes impossible. This high amount of diversity is probably partly caused by the intercompatibility between several species leading to the production of hybrids, spontaneously occurring in areas where species distributions overlap. Several recent molecular studies have focused on unraveling the taxonomy and the complicated evolutionary relationships between Vasconcellea spp. By using different molecular marker techniques and DNA sequence analyses, these studies provided new information about the genetic diversity and evolution of Vasconcellea in comparison with Carica papaya and other related genera. This review illustrates the utility of molecular marker techniques and sequence analyses to resolve taxonomic questions in Caricaceae. In general, the evolution of Vasconcellea has been shown to involve both recent speciation and reticulation.
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molecular phylogeny and evolution of Caricaceae based on rdna internal transcribed spacers and chloroplast sequence data
Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 2005Co-Authors: Tina Kyndt, X Scheldeman, E Romeijnpeeters, J P Romeromotochi, Paul Goetghebeur, Bart Van Droogenbroeck, Patrick Van Damme, Godelieve GheysenAbstract:Abstract This study focused on clarifying phylogenetic relationships and evolution within Caricaceae. Our phylogenetic analysis based on nucleotide sequences from the ITS of the ribosomal DNA and three chloroplast fragments (matK, trnL–trnF, and psbA–trnH) included 29 taxa belonging to five genera: the neotropical genera Carica, Vasconcellea, Jarilla, and Jacaratia and the equatorial African genus Cylicomorpha. Having a relatively low mutation rate, matK, and trnL–trnF were used for estimating relationships at the generic level, while intrageneric evolution within Vasconcellea was studied with the more variable ITS and psbA–trnH sequences. Gaps, coded as binary characters, were added to the sequence alignments before performing Maximum Parsimony and Maximum Likelihood analyses. Monophyly of Caricaceae as well as phylogenetic distance between Carica and Vasconcellea species, previously belonging to the same genus, and monophyly of the resurrected genus Vasconcellea were emphasized. Within Vasconcellea, the largest genus of this family, two well-confirmed evolutionary lineages could be discerned: (1) V. × heilbornii, V. weberbaueri, V. stipulata, and V. parviflora and (2) a clade holding all other taxa of the genus. Incongruence between nuclear ITS and chloroplast psbA–trnH datasets, shown to be significantly caused by some taxa of the genus Vasconcellea, indicated that reticulate events in this genus might be more frequent than previously suspected. Moreover, intra-individual ITS sequence heterogeneity provided further evidence for the hybrid or introgressed origin of different taxa and one presumed hybrid belonging to this genus.
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species relationships in the genus vasconcellea Caricaceae based on molecular and morphological evidence
American Journal of Botany, 2005Co-Authors: Tina Kyndt, E Romeijnpeeters, J P Romeromotochi, Godelieve Gheysen, Bart Van Droogenbroeck, Paul GoetghebeurAbstract:Validity of the taxa currently recognized in the genus Vasconcellea was analyzed by investigating morphological and molecular data from 105 specimens of this genus and six specimens of the related genus Carica. Taxon identification of these specimens was compared with clustering in two phenetic dendrograms generated with 36 morphological characters and 254 amplified fragment length polymorphic (AFLP) markers. Moreover, cytoplasmic haplotypes were assessed using polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) of one mitochondrial and two chloroplast DNA regions. Results show that the morphological data set, containing mainly vegetative characteristics, merely reveals external resemblance between specimens, which is not directly associated with genetic relationships and taxon validity. Phenotypic plasticity and intercompatibility between several species are likely to confuse morphological delimitation of the taxa. Based on the results of our study, several specimens that could not be identified with the currently used identification key (1) could be attributed to a known taxon, which should be extended to include a higher range of morphological variability or (2) could be hypothesized to be of hybrid origin. Because of the high intraspecific variation within V. microcarpa and V. 3 heilbornii, revision of these taxa is recommended.
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phylogenetic analysis of the highland papayas vasconcellea and allied genera Caricaceae using pcr rflp
Theoretical and Applied Genetics, 2004Co-Authors: Bart Van Droogenbroeck, X Scheldeman, E Romeijnpeeters, Inge Maertens, J P Romeromotochi, Tina Kyndt, Paul Goetghebeur, Patrick Damme, Godelieve GheysenAbstract:The chloroplast and mitochondrial DNA diversity of 61 genotypes belonging to 18 Vasconcellea species, the so-called highland papayas, was studied by PCR-RFLP analysis of two non-coding cpDNA regions (trnM-rbcL and trnK1-trnK2) and one non-coding mtDNA region (nad4/1-nad4/2). This sample set was supplemented with six genotypes belonging to three other Caricaceae genera: the monotypic genus Carica, including only the cultivated papaya, and the genera Jacaratia and Cylicomorpha. Moringa ovalifolia was added as an outgroup species. The PCR-amplified cpDNA regions were digested with 18 restriction endonucleases, the mtDNA region with 11. A total of 22 point mutations and four insertion/deletions were scored in the sample. A higher level of interspecific variation was detected in the two cpDNA regions in comparison to the analysis of the mtDNA. Wagner parsimony and Neighbor-Joining analysis resulted in dendrograms with similar topologies. PCR-RFLP analysis supported the monophyly of Caricaceae, but among the 26 mutations scored, an insufficient number of markers discriminated between the different Caricaceae genera included in this study. Hence the inference of the intergeneric relationships within Caricaceae was impossible. However, some conclusions can be noted at a lower taxonomic level. The Caricaceae species were divided into two lineages. One group included only Vasconcellea spp., whereas the second included the remaining Vasconcellea spp., together with the papaya genotypes and those from the other Caricaceae genera. This may indicate a higher level of inter-fertility for the Vasconcellea species from the latter clade in interspecific crossings with papaya. The putative progenitors of the natural sterile hybrid V. × heilbornii, i.e. V. stipulata and V. cundinamarcensis, were only distantly related to V. × heilbornii. This indicates that probably none of these species was involved as the maternal progenitor in the origin of V. × heilbornii. Surprisingly, V. × heilbornii had organellar genome patterns identical with V. weberbaueri, suggesting a possible involvement of this species in the origin of V. × heilbornii. On the basis of discrepancy between morphological traits and the cpDNA profiles of some pairs of Vasconcellea species, we believe that besides V. × heilbornii, some other species have originated through interspecific hybridization. A reticulate evolution for Vasconcellea has therefore been suggested. Finally, intraspecific cpDNA variation was detected in V. microcarpa, thus providing molecular evidence for the high diversity previously indicated by morphological observations.
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aflp analysis of genetic relationships among papaya and its wild relatives Caricaceae from ecuador
Theoretical and Applied Genetics, 2002Co-Authors: B Van Droogenbroeck, E Romeijnpeeters, Tina Kyndt, Paul Goetghebeur, P Breyne, Godelieve GheysenAbstract:The AFLP technique was used to assess the genetic relationships among the cultivated papaya (Carica papaya L.) and related species native to Ecuador. Genetic distances based on AFLP data were estimated for 95 accessions belonging to three genera including C. papaya, at least eight Vasconcella species and two Jacaratia species. Cluster analysis using different methods and principal co-ordinate analysis (PCO), based on the AFLP data from 496 polymorphic bands generated with five primer combinations, was performed. The resulted grouping of accessions of each species corresponds largely with their taxonomic classifications and were found to be consistent with other studies based on RAPD, isozyme and cpDNA data. The AFLP analysis supports the recent rehabilitation of the Vasconcella group as a genus; until recently Vasconcella was considered as a section within the genus Carica. Both cluster and PCO analysis clearly separated the species of the three genera and illustrated the large genetic distance between C. papaya accessions and the Vasconcella group. The specific clustering of the highly diverse group of Vasconcella × heilbornii accessions also suggests that these genotypes may be the result of bi-directional introgression events between Vasconcella stipulata and Vasconcella cundinamarcensis.
Susanne S Renner - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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chromosome number reduction in the sister clade of carica papaya with concomitant genome size doubling
American Journal of Botany, 2016Co-Authors: Alexander Rockinger, Fernanda Carvalho, Aretuza Sousa, Susanne S RennerAbstract:PREMISE OF THE STUDY: Caricaceae include six genera and 34 species, among them papaya, a model species in plant sex chromosome research. The family was held to have a conserved karyotype with 2n = 18 chromosomes, an assumption based on few counts. We examined the karyotypes and genome size of species from all genera to test for possible cytogenetic variation. METHODS: We used fluorescent in situ hybridization using standard telomere, 5S, and 45S rDNA probes. New and published data were combined with a phylogeny, molecular clock dating, and C values (available for similar to 50% of the species) to reconstruct genome evolution. KEY RESULTS: The African genus Cylicomorpha, which is sister to the remaining Caricaceae (all neotropical), has 2n = 18, as do the species in two other genera. A Mexican clade of five species that includes papaya, however, has 2n = 18 (papaya), 2n = 16 (Horovitzia cnidoscoloides), and 2 n = 14 (Jarilla caudata and J. heterophylla;third Jarilla not counted), with the phylogeny indicating that the dysploidy events occurred similar to 16.6 and similar to 5.5 million years ago and that Jarilla underwent genome size doubling (similar to 450 to 830-920 Mbp/haploid genome). Pericentromeric interstitial telomere repeats occur in both Jarilla adjacent to 5S rDNA sites, and the variability of 5S rDNA sites across all genera is high. CONCLUSIONS: On the basis of outgroup comparison, 2n = 18 is the ancestral number, and repeated chromosomal fusions with simultaneous genome size increase as a result of repetitive elements accumulating near centromeres characterize the papaya clade. These results have implications for ongoing genome assemblies in Caricaceae.
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taxonomy in the electronic age and an e monograph of the papaya family Caricaceae as an example
Cladistics, 2015Co-Authors: Fernanda Carvalho, Denis Filer, Susanne S RennerAbstract:The need for taxonomists to take full advantage of biodiversity informatics has been clear for at least 10 years. Significant progress has been made in providing access to taxonomic resources online, including images of specimens, especially types; original species descriptions; and georeferenced collection data. However, in spite of persuasive calls for e-monography, there are few, if any, completed projects, even though monographic research is the only mechanism for reducing synonymous names, which are estimated to comprise 50% of all published names. Caricaceae is an economically important family of flowering plants from Africa and the Neotropics, best known for the fruit crop papaya. There is a large amount of information on the family, especially on chemistry, crop improvement, genomics, and the sex chromosomes of papaya, but up-to-date information on the 230 names and which species they might belong was not available. A dynamically updated e-monograph of the Caricaceae now brings together all information on this family, including keys, species descriptions, and specimen data relating the 230 names to 34 species and one hybrid. This may be the first taxonomic monograph of a plant family completely published online. The curated information will be continuously updated to improve the monograph’s comprehensiveness and utility.
-
v chromosome counts for the Caricaceae reveal unexpected dysploidy
2015Co-Authors: Fernanda Carvalho, Alexander Rockinger, Aretuza Sousa, Susanne S RennerAbstract:The family Caricaceae has six genera with together 34 species and one hybrid (Carvalho 2013). Besides the economically important crop, Carica papaya, other species in the family also produce edible fruits that are sold in local markets. The sister group of C. papaya, which originated in Central America, consists of a clade of four species, three herbs in the genus Jarilla endemic to Mexico and Guatemala, and the single species of Horovitzia, H. cnidoscoloides, endemic to cloud forests of Sierra de Juarez in Oaxaca, southern Mexico (Carvalho and Renner 2012).
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the phylogeny of the Caricaceae
2014Co-Authors: Fernanda Carvalho, Susanne S RennerAbstract:The family Caricaceae comprises 35 species in currently 6 genera. Thirty-two species occur in Central and South America and two in Africa. The species occur in a wide range of tropical habitats, and growth forms range from rhizomatous herbs to tall trees. Most species are dioecious, with strictly male and female individuals. During the last decades, the highland papayas (Vasconcellea spp.) were considered the closest relatives of papaya. However, a molecular phylogeny based on nuclear and plastid sequences from all species shows that Carica papaya is sister to a Mexican clade of four herbaceous species in the genera Jarilla and Horovitzia. This unexpected discovery has important implications for the improvement of papaya by plant breeders, and as a first step, we here summarize the currently sparse knowledge concerning the morphology and ecology of the Mexican Caricaceae. We also discuss the molecular phylogeny of family and its biogeographic implications, such as transatlantic dispersal, diversification concomitant with the Miocene uplift of the Andes, expansion along the Isthmus of Panama, and adaptation of species in the genus Jacaratia to the drier climates and more open vegetation that predominated during the Late Miocene, 12–7 Ma ago.
Paul Goetghebeur - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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molecular phylogeny and evolution of Caricaceae based on rdna internal transcribed spacers and chloroplast sequence data
Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 2005Co-Authors: Tina Kyndt, X Scheldeman, E Romeijnpeeters, J P Romeromotochi, Paul Goetghebeur, Bart Van Droogenbroeck, Patrick Van Damme, Godelieve GheysenAbstract:Abstract This study focused on clarifying phylogenetic relationships and evolution within Caricaceae. Our phylogenetic analysis based on nucleotide sequences from the ITS of the ribosomal DNA and three chloroplast fragments (matK, trnL–trnF, and psbA–trnH) included 29 taxa belonging to five genera: the neotropical genera Carica, Vasconcellea, Jarilla, and Jacaratia and the equatorial African genus Cylicomorpha. Having a relatively low mutation rate, matK, and trnL–trnF were used for estimating relationships at the generic level, while intrageneric evolution within Vasconcellea was studied with the more variable ITS and psbA–trnH sequences. Gaps, coded as binary characters, were added to the sequence alignments before performing Maximum Parsimony and Maximum Likelihood analyses. Monophyly of Caricaceae as well as phylogenetic distance between Carica and Vasconcellea species, previously belonging to the same genus, and monophyly of the resurrected genus Vasconcellea were emphasized. Within Vasconcellea, the largest genus of this family, two well-confirmed evolutionary lineages could be discerned: (1) V. × heilbornii, V. weberbaueri, V. stipulata, and V. parviflora and (2) a clade holding all other taxa of the genus. Incongruence between nuclear ITS and chloroplast psbA–trnH datasets, shown to be significantly caused by some taxa of the genus Vasconcellea, indicated that reticulate events in this genus might be more frequent than previously suspected. Moreover, intra-individual ITS sequence heterogeneity provided further evidence for the hybrid or introgressed origin of different taxa and one presumed hybrid belonging to this genus.
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species relationships in the genus vasconcellea Caricaceae based on molecular and morphological evidence
American Journal of Botany, 2005Co-Authors: Tina Kyndt, E Romeijnpeeters, J P Romeromotochi, Godelieve Gheysen, Bart Van Droogenbroeck, Paul GoetghebeurAbstract:Validity of the taxa currently recognized in the genus Vasconcellea was analyzed by investigating morphological and molecular data from 105 specimens of this genus and six specimens of the related genus Carica. Taxon identification of these specimens was compared with clustering in two phenetic dendrograms generated with 36 morphological characters and 254 amplified fragment length polymorphic (AFLP) markers. Moreover, cytoplasmic haplotypes were assessed using polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) of one mitochondrial and two chloroplast DNA regions. Results show that the morphological data set, containing mainly vegetative characteristics, merely reveals external resemblance between specimens, which is not directly associated with genetic relationships and taxon validity. Phenotypic plasticity and intercompatibility between several species are likely to confuse morphological delimitation of the taxa. Based on the results of our study, several specimens that could not be identified with the currently used identification key (1) could be attributed to a known taxon, which should be extended to include a higher range of morphological variability or (2) could be hypothesized to be of hybrid origin. Because of the high intraspecific variation within V. microcarpa and V. 3 heilbornii, revision of these taxa is recommended.
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phylogenetic analysis of the highland papayas vasconcellea and allied genera Caricaceae using pcr rflp
Theoretical and Applied Genetics, 2004Co-Authors: Bart Van Droogenbroeck, X Scheldeman, E Romeijnpeeters, Inge Maertens, J P Romeromotochi, Tina Kyndt, Paul Goetghebeur, Patrick Damme, Godelieve GheysenAbstract:The chloroplast and mitochondrial DNA diversity of 61 genotypes belonging to 18 Vasconcellea species, the so-called highland papayas, was studied by PCR-RFLP analysis of two non-coding cpDNA regions (trnM-rbcL and trnK1-trnK2) and one non-coding mtDNA region (nad4/1-nad4/2). This sample set was supplemented with six genotypes belonging to three other Caricaceae genera: the monotypic genus Carica, including only the cultivated papaya, and the genera Jacaratia and Cylicomorpha. Moringa ovalifolia was added as an outgroup species. The PCR-amplified cpDNA regions were digested with 18 restriction endonucleases, the mtDNA region with 11. A total of 22 point mutations and four insertion/deletions were scored in the sample. A higher level of interspecific variation was detected in the two cpDNA regions in comparison to the analysis of the mtDNA. Wagner parsimony and Neighbor-Joining analysis resulted in dendrograms with similar topologies. PCR-RFLP analysis supported the monophyly of Caricaceae, but among the 26 mutations scored, an insufficient number of markers discriminated between the different Caricaceae genera included in this study. Hence the inference of the intergeneric relationships within Caricaceae was impossible. However, some conclusions can be noted at a lower taxonomic level. The Caricaceae species were divided into two lineages. One group included only Vasconcellea spp., whereas the second included the remaining Vasconcellea spp., together with the papaya genotypes and those from the other Caricaceae genera. This may indicate a higher level of inter-fertility for the Vasconcellea species from the latter clade in interspecific crossings with papaya. The putative progenitors of the natural sterile hybrid V. × heilbornii, i.e. V. stipulata and V. cundinamarcensis, were only distantly related to V. × heilbornii. This indicates that probably none of these species was involved as the maternal progenitor in the origin of V. × heilbornii. Surprisingly, V. × heilbornii had organellar genome patterns identical with V. weberbaueri, suggesting a possible involvement of this species in the origin of V. × heilbornii. On the basis of discrepancy between morphological traits and the cpDNA profiles of some pairs of Vasconcellea species, we believe that besides V. × heilbornii, some other species have originated through interspecific hybridization. A reticulate evolution for Vasconcellea has therefore been suggested. Finally, intraspecific cpDNA variation was detected in V. microcarpa, thus providing molecular evidence for the high diversity previously indicated by morphological observations.
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aflp analysis of genetic relationships among papaya and its wild relatives Caricaceae from ecuador
Theoretical and Applied Genetics, 2002Co-Authors: B Van Droogenbroeck, E Romeijnpeeters, Tina Kyndt, Paul Goetghebeur, P Breyne, Godelieve GheysenAbstract:The AFLP technique was used to assess the genetic relationships among the cultivated papaya (Carica papaya L.) and related species native to Ecuador. Genetic distances based on AFLP data were estimated for 95 accessions belonging to three genera including C. papaya, at least eight Vasconcella species and two Jacaratia species. Cluster analysis using different methods and principal co-ordinate analysis (PCO), based on the AFLP data from 496 polymorphic bands generated with five primer combinations, was performed. The resulted grouping of accessions of each species corresponds largely with their taxonomic classifications and were found to be consistent with other studies based on RAPD, isozyme and cpDNA data. The AFLP analysis supports the recent rehabilitation of the Vasconcella group as a genus; until recently Vasconcella was considered as a section within the genus Carica. Both cluster and PCO analysis clearly separated the species of the three genera and illustrated the large genetic distance between C. papaya accessions and the Vasconcella group. The specific clustering of the highly diverse group of Vasconcella × heilbornii accessions also suggests that these genotypes may be the result of bi-directional introgression events between Vasconcella stipulata and Vasconcella cundinamarcensis.