Conservation genetics of three Rafflesia species in Java Island, Indonesia using SNP markers obtained from MIG-seq

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Yayan Wahyu Candra Kusuma - (Author)
  • Ayumi Matsuo - (Author)
  • Yoshihisa Suyama - (Author)
  • Stefan Wanke - , Chair of Botany (Author)
  • Yuji Isagi - (Author)

Abstract

Rafflesia species (Rafflesiaceae) are among the flagship plants of South-East Asian countries in which they occur. Three species of Rafflesia, i.e. Rafflesia patma, R. rochussenii, and R. zollingeriana, are known from Java, Indonesia. All three species are threatened with extinction due to human activities that cause habitat loss and fragmentation. Conservation efforts such as determining conservation units for prioritization of those species have been difficult due to the lack of data on their population genetics. Availability of genetic information is important to develop appropriate conservation measures. Our study evaluates genetic diversity and structure of the three Rafflesia species using a total of 166 samples across the island. We used single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers obtained via MIG-seq. The three species of Rafflesia in Java bear much lower genetic diversity compared to what was previously shown for R. speciosa and R. lagascae on Borneo, the Philippines and the Malayan Peninsula. Low genetic diversity within the Javanese Rafflesia species, particularly in R. patma and R. zollingeriana, is attributed to bottleneck events and population expansion in the past. We also provide evidence of clonality and existence of different genotypes within Tetrastigma host plants in two species of Rafflesia. Scattered and fragmented populations as reconstructed in the genetic structure analyses are important to be considered in designing appropriate conservation strategies. Furthermore, we demonstrate how the establishment of Rafflesia ex-situ collections can conserve genetic diversity that may no longer be present in nature and could be used in future reintroduction programs.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1039-1052
Number of pages14
JournalConservation Genetics
Volume23
Issue number6
Early online date7 Sept 2022
Publication statusPublished - 7 Sept 2022
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

Scopus 85137478548
unpaywall 10.1007/s10592-022-01470-6
Mendeley b5c493b6-a1d0-3316-af1d-8eae1d2bc833

Keywords

Keywords

  • Population genetics, Rafflesia patma, Rafflesia rochussenii, Rafflesia zollingeriana, SNPs, MIGRATION, INFERENCE, EVOLUTION, INBREEDING DEPRESSION, POPULATION-STRUCTURE, ECOLOGY, DIVERSITY, DIFFERENTIATION, EXTINCTION, INSIGHTS

Library keywords