The investigation by using some molecular markers on the phylogenetic relationships of the populations of Artemisia taurica Willd. (Asteraceae) in Turkey

The Investigation by Using Some Molecular Markers on the Phylogenetic Relationships of the Populations of Artemisia taurica Willd. (Asteraceae) in Turkey In order to find phylogenetic relations and kinships between individual samples, the base polymorphisms of caused by mutations in sequences of non - coding trnT -trnL3' section of chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) of 54 individual samples of 22 different populations belong to the species A. taurica Willd. in Turkey were studied. The scope of this thesis has been expanded to include phylogenetic relationships and kinships between individual samples of the species A. taurica Willd., A. spicigera K. Koch and A. fragrans Willd. which are close to one another in terms of morphological characters and a second step has been added to the thesis study. In the second phase, 19 individual samples of the species A. taurica, A. spicigera and A. fragrans were studied. DNA was isolated from the leaves of studied individuals samples by CTAB method and isolated genomic DNA was multiplied in PCR by using trna and trnd primaries of the trnT-trnL3' section. The obtained data was evaluated by Mega 5.1 program and phylogenetic trees was prepared by using "Maksimum Likelihood " method. In order to determine the phylogenetic relations and kinships between studied individual samples, two different phylogenetic trees were drawn based on the base sequences of the trnT-trnL3' section of individual samples; one of these for the studied only 54 individual samples belonging to the spesies A. taurica in the first step of the thesis and other of these for the all studied 73 individual samples belonging to the different populations of spesies A. taurica, A. spicigera and A. fragrans in the first and second steps of the thesis. In the drawing of both phylogenetic trees, the base sequence of the trnT-trnL3' section of the species Haplocarpha scaposa Harv. (Asteraceae) was used as the outer group. In terms of the base sequences of non - coding trnT -trnL3' section of chloroplast DNA (cpDNA), there are no molecular significant differences between populations of the species A. taurica in Turkey depending on absence of genetic isolation and still ongoing gene flow between them was found. The view that the morphological differences observed on the samples of the Zernek dam lake (Van) population of the species A.taurica were found to be related to the ecological conditions and the level of ploidy. For these reasons, Zernek dam lake (Van) population of the species A.taurica was proposed as new variety taxonomically. It has been proven that there is an isolation mechanism that prevents gene flow between the species A. taurica and the other two species (A. spicigera and A. fragrans). These three species (A. taurica, A. spicigera and A. fragrans) were found to be monophyletic. The observation that the species A. spicigera and A. fragrans are close to each other in the revisionory research of the genus Artemisia L. based on the morphological characteristics has also been confirmed in terms of base sequences of non - coding trnT -trnL3' regions of chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) of individual samples belonging to the species A. spicigera and A. fragrans. It has been found that there is no complete genetic isolation mechanism between the species A. spicigera and A. fragrans that inhibit gene flow. For these reasons, it has been suggested that the species A. spicigera and A. fragrans should be taxonomically reduced to variety levels under the same species (according to the priority rule under the species A. fragrans). Key Words : Artemisia L., Artemisia taurica Willd., Artemisia spicigera K. Koch, Artemisia fragrans Willd., Chloroplast DNA, cpDNA, Phylogenetic relations, PCR, trnT -trnL3'