Pre-and post-zygotic reproductive isolation between co-occurring Mussaenda pubescens var.alba and M. shikokiana(Rubiaceae)  

作　　者：Shi Chen Zhonglai Luo Dianxiang Zhang 

机构地区：[1]Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservation and Sustainable Utilization, South China Botanical Garden, the Chinese Academy of Sciences

出　　处：《Journal of Integrative Plant Biology》2014年第4期411-419,共9页植物学报（英文版）

基　　金：supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31170184, U1202261, 31000109);the China Scholarship Council (for C. S.’s study in Canada)

摘　　要：Reproductive isolation is a fundamental require- ment for speciation and includes several sequential stages. Few studies have determined the relative contributions of pre- and post-zygotic reproductive isolation in plants, especially between relative species with clear differentiation in flower form. To investigate the mechanisms responsible for repro- ductive isolation in sympatric A4ussaenda pubescens var. alba and Mussaenda shikokiana （Rubiaceae） in Guangxi Province, China, we made observations of flowering phenology, patterns of insect visitation, and conducted pollination experiments, including artificial hybridization. The two species had over- lapping flowering times and were pollinated by overlapping pollinators; however, their relative importance differed significantly with M. pubescens visited more commonly by bees and M. shikokiana more frequently by butterflies. Using vegetative and floral characters and molecular evidence based on nuclear ribosomal internal and external transcribed spacer regions we detected seven naturally occurring hybrids among a sample of approximately 125 individuals. Hybrids were characterized by morphologies that most closely resembled their maternal parents based on chloroplast evidence. Studies of artificially synthesized and natural hybrids demonstrated that hybrid seed had very low germination rates and naturally occurring hybrids exhibited pollen sterility. Post-zygotic reproductive isolating mechanisms play a primary role in limiting gene exchange between co-occurring species and maintaining species integrity in areas of sympatry.Reproductive isolation is a fundamental require- ment for speciation and includes several sequential stages. Few studies have determined the relative contributions of pre- and post-zygotic reproductive isolation in plants, especially between relative species with clear differentiation in flower form. To investigate the mechanisms responsible for repro- ductive isolation in sympatric A4ussaenda pubescens var. alba and Mussaenda shikokiana （Rubiaceae） in Guangxi Province, China, we made observations of flowering phenology, patterns of insect visitation, and conducted pollination experiments, including artificial hybridization. The two species had over- lapping flowering times and were pollinated by overlapping pollinators; however, their relative importance differed significantly with M. pubescens visited more commonly by bees and M. shikokiana more frequently by butterflies. Using vegetative and floral characters and molecular evidence based on nuclear ribosomal internal and external transcribed spacer regions we detected seven naturally occurring hybrids among a sample of approximately 125 individuals. Hybrids were characterized by morphologies that most closely resembled their maternal parents based on chloroplast evidence. Studies of artificially synthesized and natural hybrids demonstrated that hybrid seed had very low germination rates and naturally occurring hybrids exhibited pollen sterility. Post-zygotic reproductive isolating mechanisms play a primary role in limiting gene exchange between co-occurring species and maintaining species integrity in areas of sympatry.

关 键 词：Gene flow Mussaenda natural hybrids reproductiveisolation sympatric congeners 

分 类 号：Q943[生物学—植物学]