Protistology 2 (3) 159-168 (2002) Genetic diversity and population structure of wild and cultivated brown sea mustard,
Undaria pinnatifida
Man Kyu Huh and Hong Wook Huh
Department of Biology Education, Pusan National University, The Republic of Korea
Summary
Enzyme electrophoresis was used to estimate genetic diversity and population structure of the wild and cultivated sea mustard,
Undaria pinnatifida (Harvey) Suringar. Compared with other ecologically and economically significant brown seaweed, population
structure of this species has not been studied. The objectives of this study were to estimate the levels of genetic diversity in the wild and
cultivated populations and to describe the distribution of genetic variation within and among its populations. In wild brown seaweed, eight of
18 loci (44.4%) showed polymorphism. The cultivated populations were found to have fewer alleles per locus (1.49 vs. 1.63), fewer effective
alleles per locus (1.14 vs. 1.32), lower percent of polymorphic loci (31.7 vs. 43.3), and lower diversity (0.068 vs. 0.159) than wild populations.
These parameters of genetic diversity indicate that cultivated populations are genetically depauperated compared to their
presumptive progenitor and the domestication process has eroded the level of genetic variation of this species. Nevertheless, genetic
diversity of this species was higher than average values for species with similar life history. The sexual reproduction, perennial nature, high
fecundity, and colonization process are proposed as possible factors contributing to high genetic diversity.
Key words: brown seaweed, genetic diversity, population structure, Undaria pinnatifida
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