A molecular genetic analysis of Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter: non-codingregions of chloroplast DNA, 18S rDNA and the transcription factor VP1

The non-coding chloroplast DNA sequences of the trnL (UAA) intron and the t rnL-trnF (GAA) intergeneric spacer (IGS), the coding sequences of nuclear 1 8S rDNA, and the transcription factor Vp1 of the cereal tef (Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter) were studied. No intraspecific variation was found among the 6 studied tef varieties. However, the study displayed that Eragrostis t ef has a number of unique traits compared to other grasses. Phylogenetic an alyses of the chloroplast DNA gave three grass clades, joining Eragrostis w ith sorghum and maize in one. In the analysis of the 18S rDNA sequences, th e three grass species were joined in a monophyletic trichotomy in the clado gram, in which maize is the most divergent, rice the least and tef intermed iate. The Vp1 is highly conserved. The Vp1 phylogeny showed that the tef Vp 1-sequence is the hitherto most divergent Vp1-sequence reported from a gras s.