Inventory of some Tulipa species from Uzbekistan using DNA barcoding

Abstract

Climate fluctuations in the Quaternary period in significantly influenced the evolution and distribution of plants, which caused to a serious genetic effects and speciation activity [1]. Thus, Central Asia is distinguished by a wide variety of flora, including 9520 species, while 20% are endemics [2]. Great phenotypic diversity of the wild flora in Uzbekistan, numbering about 4400 species of vascular plants is determined by the peculiar climatic conditions, a variety of zoning, altitudinal zones [3]. At the same time, being one of the centers of early diversification of monocotyledonous geophytes, taxonomically complex representatives of this group are not sufficiently involved in phylogenetic studies. This study is a pilot study of the flora of Uzbekistan using DNA barcoding method, that based on sequencing of phylogenetically significant sequences. Four plastid (rbcL, psbA-trnH, matK, trnL-F) and one nuclear (ITS) markers were used for species identification of the genus Tulipa. The results of molecular phylogenetic analysis for 15 species of Tulipa (Liliaceae) using the marker sequence encoding ITS fragment are presented. The successful usefulness of DNA technology for genetic inventory has been demonstrated.