GENETIC STRUCTURE, DIFFERENTIATION, AND PHYLOGENY OF THE GENUS VITIS: IMPLICATIONS FOR GENETIC CONSERVATION

Abstract

Examination of phylogenetic patterns within Vitis 18 microsatellite markers and AFLPs revealed many affinities differing somewhat from the traditional taxonomic classifications based on morphological criteria. East Asian species from China exhibited significant divergence from the North American group, but some aligned with American species/series. Partitioning of molecular variation suggested a significant amount of total variation (-74%) is accounted for by differences among genotypes within species as compared to among species within series (-17 1%) and among series within the genus Vitis (-9%). Although significant gene flow was evident at all levels of classification there was reasonable differentiation among species and series. The results suggest that Vitis represents a complex gene p0(11 within which the interplay of local selection, introgression, drift, and reticulate evolution has played a significant role in shaping genetic structure and phylogeny.