Loss of Genetic Diversity of Domesticated Panax notoginseng F H Chen as Evidenced by ITS Sequence and AFLP Polymorphism: A Comparative Study with P. stipuleanatus H Tsai et K M Feng

Abstract: In the present study, we evaluated the genetic diversity of Panax notoginseng F H Chen, a domesticated species, and P. stipuleanatus H T Tsai et K M Feng, an endangered wild species in southeastern Yunnan and adjacent areas in Vietnam, using sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions of nuclear ribosomal DNA and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers. Twenty‐four accessions from three plantations of P. notoginseng and 51 samples from eight populations of P. stipuleanatus were assayed. A total of 694 bp of partial sequences of 18S, ITS 1, 5.8S, ITS2, and partial sequences of 26S were obtained. No sequence variation was detected within P. notoginseng and nine sites (1.30%) were variable in P. stipuleanatus. Two‐thirds of the variable sites were found between Langqiao and other populations. In P. notoginseng, four pairs of AFLP primer combinations generated 312 bands, of which 240 (76.9%) were polymorphic and 60.15% of the polymorphisms were harbored within plantations. Approximately 41.0% and 66.9% of bands were polymorphic in population D7 and 5589, respectively. In P. stipuleanatus, the same four primer combinations produced 346 bands, of which 334 (96.5%) were polymorphic and approximately 62.14% of polymorphisms were maintained within populations. Considerable variations were observed. The percentage of polymorphic bands ranged from 50.2% to 84.9% and the average over populations was 70.9%. Cluster analysis did not show correlation of genetic differentiation with the distinctive leaf morphology of P. stipuleanatus(i.e. one form with bipinnatifid leaflets and the other with undivided leaflets). Because over 40% of genetic variations were maintained among populations and because of the very restricted distribution of P. stipuleanatus, all natural populations of this species should be conserved in situ. Considering that there are variations in P. notoginseng within and among plantations, we suggest establishing a genetic resource conservation garden or reintroducing P. notoginseng into its native habitats in southwestern China. Such reintroduction should be carefully executed after large‐scale screening of genetic variation within the species. ( Managing editor: Li‐Hui ZHAO ¹ )     

Genetic differentiation of Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) and H. assulta (Guenée) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) based on AFLP markers

Abstract Here we use amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) to assess genetic differentiation of Helicoverpa armigera and H. assulta . The results indicated that both species-specific fingerprints and cluster analysis showed the ability of AFLP technique to discriminate the two sibling species; among a total 1963 AFLP markers amplified from nine primer combinations: 777 (39.6%) were H. armigera -specific, 602 (30.7%) were H. assulta -specific, and 584 (29.7%) were common bands. The mean number of H. armigera -specific bands was significantly more than that of H. assulta -specific bands for nine primer combinations ( P < 0.05); the intraspecific distance of H. armigera and H. assulta was 0.123 0 and 0.110 7 respectively, and the interspecific distance was 0.178 3. In addition, the percentage of polymorphic loci and estimated average heterozygosity were used to estimate genetic diversity of the two species. This study therefore demonstrates that AFLP analysis is a sensitive and reliable technique to study genetic differentiation and genetic relationships between species and provides sufficient molecular markers for future linkage map construction, location and eventual cloning of genes involved in traits differentiation.     

南亚热带森林优势种群荷木和锥栗在演替系列群落中的分子生态研究(英文)

用扩增片段长度多态性 (AFLP ,amplifiedfragmentlengthpolymorphism)方法研究了荷木 (SchimasuperbaGardn .etChamp .)和锥栗 (CastanopsischinensisHance .)在 3个演替系列群落中的分子变化。研究地点位于广东省鼎湖山。 3个群落是针叶林群落、针阔叶混交林群落和常绿阔叶林群落。荷木的AFLP分析结果表明 ,4组引物对分别扩增出2 4、40、2 7、2 7条带 ,其中分别有 15、2 3、2 3、16条是多样性带 ;锥栗的AFLP分析结果表明同样的 4组引物对分别扩增出 2 7、2 0、33、39条带 ,其中分别有 12、5、15、13条是多样性带。平均杂合度表明荷木比锥栗有更大的分子变异。用AMOVA(analysisofmolecularvariance)分析表明荷木种群有 95 .99%的分子分化表现在种群内 ,4.0 1%的分子分化表现在种群间 ,表现极显著 (P <0 .0 0 1) ;锥栗种群有 75 .36 %的分子分化表现在种群内 ,2 4.6 4%的分子分化表现在种群间 ,极显著 (P <0 .0 0 1)。除趋势面对应分析表明荷木来自不同群落的个体分布没有规律 ,而锥栗来自不同群落的个体大致分布在一起。上述结果的产生是两个不同种群的生物学特性的反映 ,并提示了不同群落微环境对种群分化的影响 ,以及与森林演替群落的相关性。     

Genetic diversity of Hibiscus tiliaceus (Malvaceae) in China assessed using AFLP markers

Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers were used to investigate the genetic variations within and among nine natural populations of Hibiscus tiliaceus in China. DNA from 145 individuals was amplified with eight primer pairs. No polymorphisms were found among the 20 samples of a marginal population of recent origin probably due to a founder effect. Across the other 125 individuals, 501 of 566 bands (88.5%) were polymorphic, and 125 unique AFLP phenotypes were observed. Estimates of genetic diversity agreed with life history traits of H. tiliaceus and geographical distribution. AMOVA analysis revealed that most genetic diversity resided within populations (84.8%), which corresponded to results reported for outcrossing plants. The indirect estimate of gene flow based on phiST was moderate (Nm=1.395). Long-distance dispersal of floating seeds and local environments may play an important role in shaping the genetic diversity of the population and the genetic structure of this species.     

AFLP analysis of genetic diversity of the endangered species Sinopodophyllum hexandrum in the Tibetan region of Sichuan Province, China

Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers were used to estimate the genetic diversity of seven wild populations of Sinopodophyllum hexandrum (Royle) Ying from the Tibetan region of Sichuan Province, China. Six primer combinations generated a total of 428 discernible DNA fragments, of which 111 were polymorphic. The percentage of polymorphic bands (PPB) was 25.93 at the species level, and PPB within population ranged from 4.91 to 12.38%. Genetic diversity (H(E)) within populations varied from 0.01 to 0.04, averaging 0.05 at the species level. As revealed by the results of AMOVA analysis, 58.8% of the genetic differentiation occurred between populations, and 41.2% within populations. The genetic differentiation was, perhaps, due to the limited gene flow (Nm = 0.43) of the species. The correlation coefficient (r) between genetic and geographical distance using Mantel's test for all populations was 0.698 (P = 0.014). The UPGMA cluster analysis revealed a similar result in that the genetic distances among the populations show, to a certain extent, a spatial pattern corresponding to their geographic locations. On the basis of the genetic and ecological information, we propose some appropriate strategies for conserving the endangered S. hexandrum in this region.     

High-resolution DNA fingerprinting of parthenogenetic root-knot nematodes using AFLP analysis

Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) analysis has been used to characterize 15 root-knot nematode populations belonging to the three parthenogenetic species Meloidogyne arenaria , M. incognita and M. javanica. Sixteen primer combinations were used to generate AFLP patterns, with a total number of amplified fragments ranging from 872 to 1087, depending on the population tested. Two kinds of polymorphic DNA fragments could be distinguished: bands amplified in a single genotype, and bands polymorphic between genotypes (i.e. amplified in not all but at least two genotypes). Based on presence/absence of amplified bands and pairwise similarity values, all the populations tested were clustered according to their specific status. Significant intraspecific variation was revealed by AFLP, with DNA fragments polymorphic among populations within each of the three species tested. M. arenaria appeared as the most variable species, while M. javanica was the least polymorphic. Within each specific cluster, no general correlation could be found between genomic similarity and geographical origin of the populations. The results reported here showed the ability of the AFLP procedure to generate markers useful for genetic analysis in root-knot nematodes.     

Genetic Diversity and Population Structure of Yellow Camellia (Camellia nitidissima) in China as Revealed by RAPD and AFLP Markers

Camellia nitidissima, a rare plant but a useful genetic resource for commercial cultivation of ornamental camellias, is distributed in a narrow region of South China and North Vietnam. In this study, RAPD and AFLP markers were used to assess the genetic diversity and population structure of six natural populations of C. nitidissima from Guangxi in South China. Twenty RAPD primers amplified 183 bands, of which 143 bands were polymorphic, and 8 AFLP primer pairs produced 502 bands, of which 364 were polymorphic. Independent as well as combined analyses of the cluster analyses of the RAPD and AFLP fragments showed that the six populations could be classified into two major genetic groups corresponding to the Nanning and Fangcheng areas. The Mantel test revealed significant correlation between the genetic and geographic distances of C. nitidissima populations (r = 0.953, p = 0.036). AMOVA analysis allowed the partitioning of the genetic variation between groups (36.09%), among populations within groups (25.78%), and within populations (38.14%). An understanding of both the genetic diversity and the population structure of C. nitidissima in China can also provide insight into the conservation and management of this endangered species.     

Genetic diversity of Chinese alligator (Alligator sinensis) revealed by AFLP analysis: an implication on the management of captive conservation

Chinese alligator (Alligator sinensis) is one of the most critically endangered species among 23 extant crocodiles in the world. To prevent the extinction of the species, a captive propagation started at early 1980s, and the total number of alligator was brought up to 10 thousands from dozens of founder in 2000. But several genetic investigations showed those alligators were under an extremely low genetic diversity status with few detectible polymorphic loci. To get more insight into its genetic diversity for the management of captive Chinese alligator, AFLP was adopted to characterize variations in the population. Total of 347 bands were generated from 47 individuals using 3 primer combinations, of which 203 (58.50%) were polymorphic, and 35 AFLP phenotypes were revealed from those individuals. Comparing the results between RAPD and AFLP analysis on almost same sample set clearly indicated that AFLP is more efficient in revealing polymorphic loci, especially in those populations with extremely low genetic diversity. In present three assays, electrophoresis profile also displayed 3 individuals possessing very highly polymorphic AFLP phenotypes that were never been found by RAPD and mtDNA D-loop sequencing, implicating that we should offer these individuals more breeding opportunities to maintain the genetic diversity in the population and restrict those carrying few polymorphic loci from reproduction.     

南亚热带森林优势种群荷木和锥栗在演替系列群落中的分子生态研究

Amplified fragment length polymorphism（AFLP）was used to analyze 2 populations: Schima superba Gardn. et Ｃhamp. and Castanopsis chinensis Hance. across three different communities representing three succession stages, in Dinghu Mountain, China. These two were middle succession species in the lower subtropical broad-leaved forest. Four AFLP primer combinations using total 48 individuals of S. superba provided 24, 40, 27 and 27 reliable bands, of which 15, 23, 23 and 16 were polymorphic, respectively. Similarly, total 48 individuals of C. chinensis provided 27, 20, 33 and 39 reliable bands, of which 12, 5, 15 and 13 were polymorphic respectively. These bands were used as presence/absence data to assess the levels of genetic variation and population structure of those species. From average heterozygosity, S．superba possessed higher molecular variation than C．chinensis. Analysis of molecular variance（AMOVA）indicated that most of the genetic variation of S．superba was due to the differences within population（95.99%, P<0.001）, with 4.01%（P<0.001）genetic variation among population. Similarly, AMOVA indicated the most of the genetic variation of C. chinensis was due to the differences within population（75.36%, P<0.001）, with 24.64%（P<0.001）genetic variation among communities（24.64%）. DCA（Detrended Correspondence Analysis） analysis showed that the individuals of S．superba from the same community did not cluster together, while the individuals of C．chinensis from the same community roughly cluster together. The above results reflected the biological characteristics of the two different species suggesting the significant effect of microenvironment of different community on population differentiation and its relationship of which to forest succession resulted in genetic divergence.     

An AFLP analysis of genetic diversity and structure of Caragana microphylla populations in Inner Mongolia steppe, China

Genetic diversity and structure of five natural populations of Caragana microphylla from the Inner Mongolia steppe were estimated using AFLP markers. Five pairs of primers generated a total of 312 bands among 90 individuals, with percentage of polymorphic bands (PPB) being 63% at the population level and 76% at the species level, respectively. The genetic diversity within populations was correlated significantly with the soil N:P ratio. AMOVA analysis revealed high genetic variations within populations (95.5%). The estimated number of migrants per generation (Nm) was 10.72, indicating a high level of gene flow among populations. There was no significant correlation (r = 0.36) between genetic distance and geographical distance. These results were discussed in terms of eco-geographical variations among populations, together with the life history traits and breeding system of the species. The knowledge obtained may have important implications for better conservation and wise use of the vegetation dominate by C. microphylla.     

Identification of molecular markers in soybean comparing RFLP,RAPD and AFLP DNA mapping techniques

Three different DNA mapping techniques—RFLP, RAPD and AFLP—were used on identical soybean germplasm to compare their ability to identify markers in the development of a genetic linkage map. Polymorphisms present in fourteen different soybean cultivars were demonstrated using all three techniques. AFLP, a novel PCR-based technique, was able to identify multiple polymorphic bands in a denaturing gel using 60 of 64 primer pairs tested. AFLP relies on primers designed in part on sequences for endonuclease restriction sites and on three selective nucleotides. The 60 diagnostic primer pairs tested for AFLP analysis each distinguished on average six polymorphic bands. Using specific primers designed for soybean fromEco RI andMse I restriction site sequences and three selective nucleotides, as many as 12 polymorphic bands per primer could be obtained with AFLP techniques. Only 35% of the RAPD reactions identified a polymorphic band using the same soybean cultivars, and in those positive reactions, typically only one or two polymorphic bands per gel were found. Identification of polymorphic bands using RFLP techniques was the most cumbersome, because Southern blotting and probe hybridization were required. Over 50% of the soybean RFLP probes examined failed to distinguish even a single polymorphic band, and the RFLP probes that did distinguish polymorphic bands seldom identified more than one polymorphic band. We conclude that, among the three techniques tested, AFLP is the most useful.     

用AFLP技术分析四川核桃资源的遗传多样性

 利用AFLP分子标记技术, 运用EcoRⅠ/MseⅠ双酶切组合, 选用多态性高、分辨力强的4对选择性扩增引物组合E32/M48、E33/M61、E35/M61、E33/M62分别对四川省3个野生核桃(Juglans regia)种群和1个野生铁核桃(J. sigillata)种群共46个样品进行遗传多样性分析、居群遗传结构分析及种属关系探讨。结果表明: 1)共扩增出244个遗传位点, 其中146个多态位点, 多态率为59.84%; 核桃群体组和铁核桃群体的多态性百分率分别为55.33%和52.05%, 两个物种遗传多态性水平相当; 核桃群体组所检出的位点平均有效等位基因数Ae、Nei’s基因多样度H、平均Shannon信息指数I分别为1.322 9、0.190 8和0.286 3, 而铁核桃群体分别为1.339 9、0.196 1和0.289 8, 铁核桃群体遗传多样性水平略高于核桃群体。2)群体间特异带及群体间共有带占总扩增带数的15.16%, 其中铁核桃群体特异谱带最多, 群体特异谱带揭示了群体间的遗传差异及相似性。3) Shannon信息指数(I)、Nei’s基因多样性指数(H)和分子方差分析(AMOVA)表明核桃遗传多样性在群体间和群体内的分布分别为14.36%和85.64%、12.6%和87.4%、11.07%和88.93%, 表明群体内的遗传多样性大于群体间的遗传多样性; 核桃群体组与铁核桃群体的变异主要存在于群体组内, 组间的遗传变异仅占总变异的9.35%, 两者间的遗传分化系数Gst为0.093 5, 与AMOVA分析结果一致。4) 4个群体的Nei’s遗传距离在0.038 2～0.069 2之间, 遗传一致度在0.933 2～0.962 5之间, 表现出较高的遗传相似性; 运用Nei’s遗传一致度对供试种群进行了UPGMA聚类, 结果表明核桃的3个群体优先聚类, 大渡河流域群体与甘南地区群体聚类最近。AFLP所检测出的结果既是核桃与铁核桃生物学特性的反映, 又是其各自生态学特性的反映, 该研究结果对核桃种质资源的保护和育种提供一定的理论依据。     

用扩增片段的长度多态性分子标记探讨盾叶薯蓣的遗传多样性

用扩增片段的长度多态性(amplified fragment length polymorphism,AFLP)标记分析研究了中国5个盾叶薯蓣居群30个个体的遗传多样性。筛选出9对AFLP引物,从中检测到14698条清晰可见的条带,其中多态性带12628条,多态性比率85.92%。Shannon信息指数(I)为0.3656±0.1721,物种水平的Nei基因多样性(H)为0.2322±0.2200。遗传变异分析表明,物种水平的遗传分化系数Gst为0.4827,说明其群体间存在一定的遗传分化,居群间的基因流Nm为0.5358,居群间遗传交换较小。聚类分析结果显示5个居群盾叶薯蓣有较为丰富的遗传变异,且与地理分布有相关性。     

Modified AFLP technique for rapid genetic characterization in plants

The standard amplified fragment-length polymorphism (AFLP) technique was modified to develop a convenient and reliable technique for rapid genetic characterization of plants. Modifications included (i) using one restriction enzyme, one adapter molecule and primer, (ii) incorporating formamide to generate more intense and uniform bands and (iii) using agarose gel electrophoresis. Sea oats (Uniola paniculata L.), pickerel-weed (Pontederia cordata L.), Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon L.) and Penstemon heterophyllus Lindl. were used to determine the ability to generate adequate resolution power with both self- and cross-pollinated plant species including cultivars, ecotypes and individuals within populations. Reproducibility of bands was higher in all the AFLP experiments compared to random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD). Formamide with or without bovine serum albumin improved band intensities compared to dimethyl sulfoxide and the standard reaction mixture with no organic solvents. Comparison between RAPD and modified AFLP using sea-oats population samples proved that modified AFLP exhibits (i) a low number of faint bands with increased specificity of amplified bands, (ii) a significantly higher number of polymorphic loci per primer, (iii) less primer screening time, (iv) easy scoring associated with fewer faint bands and (v) greatly enhanced reproducibility. The technique described here can be applied with a high degree of accuracy for plant genetic characterization.     

AFLP标记在玉米种质资源鉴定中的应用

利用AFLP分子标记技术对55份玉米(Z ea m ay s L.)种质材料进行了研究.结果表明,20对AFLP引物检测到清晰可见的带656条,其中多态性带487条.平均每个引物组合可以检测到24.4条多态性带.将55份玉米材料聚为6组,与材料来源基本一致.结果显示AFLP有利于玉米遗传多样性分析.对来源美国先锋的P ioneer系列与瑞得种群和BSSS种群的关系进行了初步探讨,认为P ioneer系列中有很多材料与瑞得种群有亲缘关系.     

Molecular markers for gyrodactylids (Gyrodactylidae: Monogenea) from five fish families (Teleostei)

Thirty-one gyrodactylid species from five families of freshwater fish were examined and variable region V4 of the 18S small subunit ribosomal RNA gene and ribosomal RNA internal transcribed spacers ITS1 and ITS2 were sequenced. Both the V4 region and spacers ITS1 and ITS2 proved useful for gyrodactylid diagnosis. Sequences of these fragments exhibited interspecific variations and allowed clear determination at the species level. In some cases, the length of the ITS1 PCR fragment provided useful genetic markers. Species that yielded a short ITS1 fragment also showed distinct groupings in ITS2 and V4 sequences that were markedly different to sequences from species that contain a long ITS1. Repetitive sequences located in the ITS1 of Gyrodactylus gobii and Gyrodactylus vimbi accounted for some of the variations in length of PCR products. There was no evidence for intraspecific variation within these regions and short tandem repeats were not found in the other species studied. The number of polymorphic and intraspecific variations in nucleic acid sequences was low, therefore these variations did not affect species determination of gyrodactylids. Minor differences in the sequences between Western and Eastern European populations were detected for Gyrodactylus salaris/Gyrodactylus thymalli, Gyrodactylus teuchis and Gyrodactylus truttae, but these do not affect species diagnosis based on ribosomal DNA sequence. These results confirm the utility of both variable region V4 and the ITS as molecular markers for Gyrodactylus species.     

RAPD Profiling in Detecting Genetic Variation in Endemic Coelonema (Brassicaceae) of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau of China

Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers were used to measure genetic diversity of Coelonema draboides (Brassicaceae), a genus endemic to the Qilian Mountains of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. We sampled 90 individuals in 30 populations of Coelonema draboides from Datong and Huzhu counties of Qinghai Province in P.R. China. A total of 186 amplified bands were scored from the 14 RAPD primers, with a mean of 13.3 amplified bands per primer, and 87% (161 bands) polymorphic bands (PPB) was found. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) shows that a large proportion of genetic variation (84.2%) resides among individuals within populations, while only 15.8% resides among populations. The species shows higher genetic diversity between individuals than other endemic and endangered plants. The RAPDs provide a useful tool for assessing genetic diversity of rare, endemic species and for resolving relationships among populations. The results show that the genetic diversity of this species is high, possibly allowing it to adapt more easily to environmental variations. The main factor responsible for the high level of differentiation within populations and the low level of diversity among populations is probably the outcrossing and long-lived nature of this species. Some long-distance dispersal, even among far separated populations, is also a crucial determinant for the pattern of genetic variation in the species. This distributive pattern of genetic variation of C. draboides populations provides important baseline data for conservation and collection strategies for the species. It is suggested that only populations in different habitats should be studied and protected, not all populations, so as to retain as much genetic diversity as possible.     

Identification and classification of cut-flower “Huangyinghua”using DNA marker techniques

rch Laboratory, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China) Abstract “Huangyinghua” is a popular cut-flower in China, but it is unclear as to whether “Huangyinghua” is an invasive Solidago canadensis or not. The genetic relationship of a total of 45 samples of “Huangyinghua” with S. canadensis, and S. decurrens were investigated using AFLP technique so as to determine the identity of “Huangyinghua”. Genomic DNA was digested with EcoRI and MseI enzymes and amplified with six E+3 and M+3 primer combinations. AFLP analysis produced 661 endonucleotide discernable bands, of which 639 (96.61%) were polymorphic. Cluster analysis through using UPGMA method indicated that “Huangyinghua” and S. canadensis were clustered into the same group that was different from S. decurrens. Sequence analysis based on the ITS regions showed that their sequences of 5.8S rDNA were the same, and the differences were found only in the ITS1 and ITS2 regions. ITS phylogenetic trees of the tested samples and closely-related species were reconstructed based on our sequence data in combination with those from GenBank. Based on the trees, “Huangyinghua” was found to belong to S. canadensis complex, but not to S. decurrens. Moreover, it was found that there were considerable genetic variation in both “Huangyinghua” and S. canadensis. Therefore, the cut-flower “Huangyinghua” may be invasive, and proper measures should be taken to control the further spread of its propagules.     

AFLP Analysis of Genetic Diversity of the Endangered Species Sinopodophyllum hexandrum in the Tibetan Region of Sichuan Province,China

Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers were used to estimate the genetic diversity of seven wild populations of Sinopodophyllum hexandrum (Royle) Ying from the Tibetan region of Sichuan Province, China. Six primer combinations generated a total of 428 discernible DNA fragments, of which 111 were polymorphic. The percentage of polymorphic bands (PPB) was 25.93 at the species level, and PPB within population ranged from 4.91 to 12.38%. Genetic diversity (H _E) within populations varied from 0.01 to 0.04, averaging 0.05 at the species level. As revealed by the results of AMOVA analysis, 58.8% of the genetic differentiation occurred between populations, and 41.2% within populations. The genetic differentiation was, perhaps, due to the limited gene flow (N _m=0.43) of the species. The correlation coefficient (r) between genetic and geographical distance using Mantel's test for all populations was 0.698 (P=0.014). The UPGMA cluster analysis revealed a similar result in that the genetic distances among the populations show, to a certain extent, a spatial pattern corresponding to their geographic locations. On the basis of the genetic and ecological information, we propose some appropriate strategies for conserving the endangered S. hexandrum in this region.     

Genetic variation of Trigonobalanus verticillata,a primitive species of Fagaceae,in Malaysia revealed by chloroplast sequences and AFLP markers

The genetic variation of Trigonobalanus verticillata, the most recently described genus of Fagaceae, was studied using chloroplast DNA sequences and AFLP fingerprinting. This species has a restricted distribution that is known to include seven localities in tropical lower montane forests in Malaysia and Indonesia. A total of 75 individuals were collected from Bario, Kinabalu, and Fraser's Hill in Malaysia. The sequences of rbcL, matK, and three non-coding regions (atpB-rbcL spacer, trnL intron, and trnL-trnF spacer) were determined for 19 individuals from these populations. We found a total of 30 nucleotide substitutions and four length variations, which allowed identification of three haplotypes characterizing each population. No substitutions were detected within populations, while the tandem repeats in the trnL -trnF spacer had a variable repeat number of a 20-bp motif only in Kinabalu. The differentiation of the populations inferred from the cpDNA molecular clock calibrated with paleontological data was estimated to be 8.3 MYA between Bario and Kinabalu, and 16.7 MYA between Fraser's Hill and the other populations. In AFLP analysis, four selective primer pairs yielded a total of 431 loci, of which 340 (78.9%) were polymorphic. The results showed relatively high gene diversity (H(S) = 0.153 and H(T) = 0.198) and nucleotide diversity (pi(S) = 0.0132 and pi(T) = 0.0168) both within and among the populations. Although the cpDNA data suggest that little or no gene flow occurred between the populations via seeds, the fixation index estimated from AFLP data (F(ST) = 0.153 and N(ST) = 0.214) implies that some gene flow occurs between populations, possibly through pollen transfer.