VARIATION IN THE PSBC GENE REGION OF GYMNOSPERMS AND ANGIOSPERMS AS DETECTED KY A SINGLE RESTRICTION SITE POLYMORPHISM

This paper reports on a PCR-RFLP analysis in a chloroplast DNA region consisting of coding and intergenic spacer sequences of trnS and the a djacent psbC gene. This region was PCR-amplified in 62 woody plant spe cies, predominantly tree species, that represent a broad systematic ra nge in both gymnosperms and dicotyledonous angiosperms. The amplificat ion products were digested by the restriction endonuclease HaeIII (GG down arrow CC). Fourteen different restriction patterns occurred, 5 of which characterised representatives of the gymnosperms, and 9 angiosp erm representatives. A single restriction site polymorphism revealed m ost of the species to share restriction patterns. Groups formed which showed relationships to plant systematic units. This phenomenon is dis cussed with regard to the psbC gene and the GGCC motif for tracing spe cies' relationships on a high taxonomic level of gymnosperms and angio sperms.