PMS.07

PMS.07 - P.16
Toward a synthetic map of the genetic
diversity of Quercus cerris in Italy
F. Gorian1, B. Bertolasi1, M. Meloni2, G. Binelli2, S. Fineschi3, F. Sebastiani4 & G.G. Vendramin5
1
Centro Nazionale Biodiversità Forestale, Peri (Verona); 2Dept. Biotechnology and Molecular Sciences, Univ. Insubria (Varese); 3Plant Protection Institute CNR; 4Dept. of Agricultural Biotechnology, GenExpress Lab - Univ. Firenze ; 5Plant Genetics Institute, Florence Division - CNR
The turkey oak (Quercus cerris L.) is an important species within
the European oak species complex. Its range is from the coastal
belt of the Anatolia, through the Balkans to Italy and sporadically
Provence and Eastern Spain. The Italian range includes all of the
Apennines from North to South and mountain areas in the north
of Sicily. It is very rare in the Northern plains, where it is
present with isolated populations in pre-alpine slopes and hills.
Italian range
European range of Quercus cerris
of Quercus cerris
This species presents high adaptability
considering the fact that, albeit
sporadically, is present in a panoply of
forestry ecological environments that
are sometimes considerably different.
Data on the degree of genetic variation in this species are very
scarce. Due to its remarkable aesthetic and landscaping
importance, we started a project aimed either at the
assessment of the distribution of genetic variability in the
Italian populations and at the unravelling of phylogeographic
aspects.
Twenty-one natural populations of
Q. cerris have been sampled, for a
total of 654 trees.
(1) Weising K, Gardner RC (1999). Genome 42: 9-19
(2) Sebastiani F, Carnevale S, Vendramin GG (2004). Mol Ecol Notes 4:
259-261
7
1 2 5 10
11 12 13
6
4
21
8
19
1. Albarè (VR)
2. Bosco Fontana (MN)
3. Cala Violina, (LI)
4. Casale Monferrato (AL)
5. Colli Berici (VI)
6. Dolegna del Collio (GO)
7. Laveno (VA)
8. Ligonchio (RE)
9. Manziana (ROMA)
10. Val Trompia, (BS) 12. Campofontana (VR)
13. Bedonia (PR)
11. Esenta (BS)
14. Ficuzza (PA)
15. Madonne (PA)
16. Todi (PG)
17. S. Eufemia (AV)
18. Alberona (FG)
19. Radicofani (AR)
20. Labro (TN)
21. Genova
Eight chloroplastic SSRs (cpSSRs:
ccmp6, ccmp4(1), QS1, QS6, QS9, QS7,
QS8, QS14(2)), have been used to
genotype a subset of the trees in each
population to get a preliminary picture
of the distribution of the genetic
variability.
It usually cohabits with other oaks, such as
Q. robur, Q. pubescens and Q. ilex, but
tends to concentrate in sectors where its
optimal pedo-climatic conditions are present
(northern expositions and wetter soils in
central-south Italy, more dry soils in wet
northern plains, southern expositions in prealpine areas).
Distribution of the haplotypes for 7
cpSSR loci in Quercus cerris
3
16
20
9
17
14
18
15
Very few genetic variability is present within population,
in agreement with similar estimates from other
Quercus spp. It is of interest, however, that two of the
haplotypes found, corresponding to the “yellow” and the
“orange” ones of the figure above, are exactly the same
found in Quercus suber.
Preliminary conclusions and future steps
The populations from Colli Berici (Veneto) and Ficuzza (Sicily) show the
presence of haplotypes which are very different from those of the
other Italian populations sampled.
The highly predominant presence in Q. cerris of haplotypes typical of Q.
suber suggests a possible introgression for the two species.
A higher number of trees for each populations is being genotyped at the
cpSSR loci; the genotyping of all 654 trees for nuclear SSRs has also
started.