Intra- and interspecific phylogenetic relationships among diploid Triticum-Aegilops species (Poaceae) based on base-pair substitutions, indels, and microsatellites in chloroplast noncoding sequences.

This study analyzes intra- and interspecific variation in chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) in diploid Triticum-Aegilops species. This analysis focused on DNA sequence variation in noncoding regions of cpDNA, which included base-pair substitutions, insertion/deletions (indels, 50 loci pooled), microsatellites (7 loci pooled), and inversions. Nine of 13 Triticum-Aegilops species were successfully identified and genotyped using these data. Sixty-two haplotypes were detected in 115 accessions of 13 diploid species. Because of the large number of characters examined, novel deep relationships within and among Triticum-Aegilops species could be identified and evaluated. Phylogenetic trees for the genus Triticum-Aegilops were constructed with Hordeum vulgare and Dasypyrum villosum as outgroups, and the results were compared to previous studies. These data support the following inferences: (1) Aegilops species should be included in Triticum; (2) groups D, T, M, N, U, and section Sitopsis (except Ae. speltoides) underwent speciation concurrently, but most diploid species evolved independently; (3) Ae. mutica does not occupy a basal position in Triticum-Aegilops; (4) Ae. speltoides is in a basal position and differs significantly from other Sitopsis species; (5) Ae. caudata is polyphyletic in all trees; (6) the genus Aegilops is paraphyletic with Secale.