engleski

Isoenzyme variability among isophyllous, "isophylloid" and heterophylloid Campanula representatives in Croatia

Being exceptionally rich in plant species, Croatia has 30 Campanula (Campanulaceae) species and 5 subspecies, out of which as much as 20 (57%) endemic, with several narrowly distributed subendemics. Most of the endemic campanulas are members of two indigenous lineages: isophyllous Garganica sensu Trinajstić (1978) and heterophyllous Rotundifolia sensu Kovanda (1970). According to the latest molecular research, an interesting range of the intermediate taxa, so called the “ Isophylloids” , has been developed between those two superior Campanula groups. The “ isophylloid” campanulas share some morphologic and biogeographic characteristics with both Garganicae and Rotundifoliae, but are undoubtedly of separate evolution. In this study enzyme electrophoresis was employed to measure variation within and divergence among several representatives of these interesting Campanula groups. Isoenzymes have often been used to study the intra- and inter-specific polymorphism, since a range of enzymes can be easily studied with minimum preparation and cost, using a small quantity of material. This is very important, due to a fact that a number of investigated Campanula species is of tiny distributions, represented by scattered and low-numbered populations. This research included 9 Campanula taxa from 4 separate groups, investigated by 4 different isoenzymes. The isophyllous (Garganica) representatives included to this research were Croatian subendemics C. fenestrellata (Velebit Mt) and C. poscharskyana (Dubrovnik region). Of the “ isophylloid” campanulas we included the representatives of two separate lineages: Croatian subendemic C. tommasiniana (Učka Mt) and stenoendemic C. waldsteiniana (Velebit Mt) of the Waldsteiniana aggregate, while an Illyrian-Balkan endemic C. pyramidalis represents the Pyramidalis aggregate. Heterophyllous (Rotundifolia) taxa included were the endemics C. hercegovina (Čvrsnica Mt, Bosnia and Herzegovina) and C. justiniana (Snježnik Mt, Croatia), and broadly distributed C. scheuchzeri (Platak, Croatia) and C. velebitica (Velebit Mt, Croatia). Isoenzyme patterns of superoxid dismutases (SOD), pyrogallol, ascorbat peroxidases and estherases were compared, showing significant variability among the studied Campanula groups.

Campanula; isoenzymes; divergence

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