栽培西瓜与野生西瓜果实发育过程中的转录组比较分析

<正>目的与意义:西瓜是一种重要的水果作物,但其果实发育和成熟的分子机制尚不清楚。为了更好地了解导致其果实发育差异的遗传基础,对栽培西瓜自交系‘97103’和野生种质‘PI296341-FR’进行比较果实转录组分析,并对果实发育过程中特别的代谢产物进行综合分析,以便为深入了解西瓜果实品质形成和成熟过程中的基因表达调控网络提供依据。     

Physiological responses and adaptive strategies of tomato plants to salt and alkali stresses

In this study, seedlings of tomato were treated with salt stress or alkali stress. The growth, photosynthesis and concentrations of solutes and inorganic ions in tissue sap of stressed seedlings were measured to investigate the physiological adaptive mechanisms by which tomato tolerates alkali stress. The alkali stress clearly inhibited growth and photosynthesis. With increasing salinity, the Na⁺ concentration and Na⁺/K⁺ ratio in leaves increased, with greater degrees of increase under alkali than under salt stress. This indicated that high-pH caused by alkali stress might affect the control of roots on Na⁺ uptake and increased the intracellular Na⁺ to a toxic level, which might be the main cause of reductions of stomatal conductance and net photosynthetic rates under alkali stress. Under salt stress, organic acids (OAs), Na⁺, K⁺ and Cl⁻ were the main osmolytes in both roots and leaves. Under alkali stress, roots and leaves revealed different mechanisms of ion balance and osmotic regulation. Under alkali stress, in roots, OAs and Na⁺ were the main osmolytes, and the osmotic role of K⁺ was small; however, in leaves, OAs, Na⁺ and K⁺ all played important osmotic roles. The mechanisms governing ionic balance under both stresses were different. Under salt stress, the contribution of inorganic ions to keep ion balance was greater than that of OAs. However, under alkali stress, Cl⁻, H₂PO₄⁻ and SO₄²⁻ concentrations decreased, and tomato might have enhanced OA synthesis to compensate for the shortage of inorganic anions.     

Chromosome counts in wild and cultivated species of Abelmoschus Medikus. from the Indian sub-continent

Summary

Abelmoschus is regarded as a polyploid-polyspecies complex and a genus with variable genome organisation and resultant ambiguity in its speciation. A cytogenetic basis for taxonomy can be significant, due to the fact that many of the taxonomic units of Abelmoschus are heterogeneous in nature with deviant numbers of chromosomes. In the present investigation, 39 wild and cultivated accessions of Abelmoschus from India, belonging to three representative taxa, were used to record clear and authentic chromosome counts. From these data, the numbers of somatic chromosomes in A. angulosus var. grandiflorus, A. moschatus ssp. moschatus, and A. moschatus ssp. tuberosus are reported to be 2n = 66, 2n = 72, and 2n = 72, respectively. The present study also confirmed 2n = 130 to be the authentic number of somatic chromosomes in A. esculentus. Earlier conflicting reports are ruled out. Reports of the occurrence of cytotypes in A. esculentus are not acceptable, due to its wide area of cultivation.     

Genetic diversity and relationships of wild and cultivated olives at regional level in Spain

Genetic diversity and relationships between local cultivars and wild olive trees from three important Spanish olive-growing regions, Andalusia (South), Catalonia and Valencia (from Eastern Mediterranean Coastal area), were studied by means of eight SSR loci. Distinct allelic composition and heterozygosity levels were found in wild olive populations and cultivars. The observed patterns of genetic variation revealed: a) the independent clustering of Andalusian wild olives in a separate gene pool, b) the belonging of wild populations and most cultivars from Catalonia to another gene pool, c) the joined clustering of Andalusian and a set of Valencian cultivars in a third gene pool, and d) clustering of wild individuals from Valencia to the three different gene pools. These results suggest that wild populations of Andalusia may represent true oleasters, the ones from Catalonia may be feral forms derived from cultivar seed spreading, while the population of Valencia seems to be the most admixed one. The significant differentiation between Andalusian and most Catalonian cultivars is indicating an independent selection of olive cultivars in the two regions. The detection of a certain wild genetic background in some Catalonian and Valencian cultivars and the similarity found between wild and cultivated forms may suggest the use of local wild trees in olive domestication. The proposed scenario for the development of olive cultivars in Andalusia includes an empirical selection of outstanding local wild genotypes followed by various generations of crosses and various replanting campaigns, as well as possible introductions of ancestral cultivars. Therefore, our findings would lead us to support the hypothesis that the current diversity found in Spanish olive cultivars may be regionally differentiated and due to both, autochthonous and allochthonous origin. The information obtained in this work gives insights into the genetic resources of the main olive producing country, demonstrating that wild olive populations and local cultivars both represent potential sources of useful variability for olive breeding programs.     

The relationship between fruit size and cell division and enlargement in cultivated and wild persimmons

Summary

To determine the anatomical basis for differences in fruit size in Japanese persimmon (Diospyros kaki Thunb.), the number and sizes of parenchymal cells were measured in four astringent cultivars and in wild D. lotus over a single season in Japan. Fruit weight at harvest correlated with the final number of parenchymal cells (r = 0.95*) and their size (r = 0.92*). There was also a correlation between fruit diameter and the number of cell layers at full bloom (r = 0.93*), which increased 1.7 – 1.9-fold during fruit development.The duration of cell division and the sizes of the cells at full bloom were similar among the cultivars, whereas mean parenchymal cell lengths increased by 7.7-, 6.7-, 5.4-, 5.0- and 3.8-fold from full bloom to harvest in ‘Otanenashi’ (average fruit diameter = 96 mm), ‘Hiratanenashi’ (77 mm), ‘Saijo’ (54 mm), ‘Tsurunoko’ (44 mm), and D. lotus (20 mm), respectively. The final size of tannin cells was larger in ‘Otanenashi’ and ‘Hiratanenashi’ than in the other cultivars, including the wild species.These results indicate that the size of fruit at harvest was determined by the number of cells at full bloom, and their expansion during fruit development.     

基于EST-SSR标记的越橘栽培种和几个中国野生种的遗传结构分析

【目的】遗传结构分析能够提供个体的血统来源及组成信息,是遗传关系分析的重要手段。研究越橘栽培种和中国野生种的遗传结构差异,以期为我国越橘育种中野生越橘资源的发掘、利用提供遗传背景依据。【方法】筛选EST-SSR引物并对越橘属84份种质资源的基因组DNA进行PCR扩增,利用ABI 3730xl DNA遗传分析仪进行毛细管电泳分离,统计条带并计算遗传多样性指数,利用STRUCTURE软件构建遗传结构图并进行基于Nie’s遗传距离的聚类分析和主成分分析。【结果】1)从54对EST-SSR引物中筛选到8对高多态性引物,共检测到101个等位变异,平均值12.63,有效等位基因数(Ne)、Shannon’s多态性信息指数(I)、观察杂合度(Ho)、期望杂合度(He)平均值分别为8.711、2.262、0.523和0.860,多态性信息含量(PIC)为0.640~0.915,平均值为0.845,所选引物多态性高。2)贝叶斯遗传结构分析表明,当K=4时,ΔK最大,供试材料被划分为4个类群,类群S1主要是红豆越橘(Vaccinium vitis-idaea)和蔓越橘(V.macrocarpon),以红果类型为特征;类群S2主要是笃斯越橘(V.uliginosum),以抗寒为特征;类群S3主要包括南高丛越橘(V.corymbosum SHB)和兔眼越橘(V.ashei),以低需冷量为特征;类群S4主要包括北高丛越橘(V.corymbosum NHB)和半高丛越橘(V.corymbosum HHB),以高需冷量为特征,表明越橘种质资源内部存在明显的遗传结构差异,4个类群与材料的抗寒性、低温需冷量特性等有明显的对应关系。3)N-J聚类分析和主成分分析结果表明,野生越橘与引进的栽培品种之间亲缘关系较远。4)供试84份材料中Q值≥0.6的品种占91.67%,绝大多数供试越橘资源遗传背景较单一。【结论】从国外引进的越橘栽培种和我国野生种间存在一定程度的基因交流,不存在绝对的生殖隔离,可以通过杂交的方式获得变异植株,实现越橘种质创新和遗传基础拓宽,应加大我国野生越橘资源的发掘和利用。     

Characterisation of cultivated breeding lines of eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) and related wild Solanum species from India

Immature fruit of cultivated species of eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) are commonly used as a summer vegetable in India. Rich morphological variation exists among the cultivated species of eggplant in different growing regions of the country. We have characterised 24 breeding lines of Solanum spp., including 20 eggplant cultivars and four wild species of eggplant, based on 13 morphological characters using Mahalonabis D² statistics. All 24 breeding lines of Solanum spp., including the 20 eggplant cultivars and four wild species, were grouped into four clusters by agglomerative clustering. Cluster II and Cluster IV contained the most accessions (eight each), while Cluster I and Cluster III had four accessions each. The highest inter-cluster (D²) distance (158.33) was observed between Cluster I and Cluster II, followed by Cluster I and Cluster III (108.48), and Cluster II and Cluster IV (102.96), which indicated that accessions in Cluster I and Cluster II were more divergent than those in the other clusters. The highest intra-cluster distance (5.80) was observed in Cluster IV, with eight genotypes, and the lowest intra-cluster distance (2.21) was observed in Cluster II, also with eight genotypes. The intra-cluster distances in all four clusters were lower than the inter-cluster distances, which indicated that genotypes within the same cluster were closely related. Genotypes in Cluster IV had the maximum number of flowers per cluster (3.63), the highest number of fruit per cluster (3.25), and number of fruit per plant (208.63), which revealed that genotypes could be selected from Cluster IV for these characters. The first three principal components (PC1, PC2, and PC3) accounted 73.99% of the total variation among the 24 genotypes. These phenotypic data increase the feasibility of prioritising breeding lines in a crossing programme based on the uniqueness of their desirable morphological traits.     

A whole-plant chamber system for parallel gas exchange measurements of Arabidopsis and other herbaceous species

Background

Photosynthetic assimilation of carbon is a defining feature of the plant kingdom. The fixation of large amounts of carbon dioxide supports the synthesis of carbohydrates, which make up the bulk of plant biomass. Exact measurements of carbon assimilation rates are therefore crucial due to their impact on the plants metabolism, growth and reproductive success. Commercially available single-leaf cuvettes allow the detailed analysis of many photosynthetic parameters, including gas exchange, of a selected leaf area. However, these cuvettes can be difficult to use with small herbaceous plants such as Arabidopsis thaliana or plants having delicate or textured leaves. Furthermore, data from single leaves can be difficult to scale-up for a plant shoot with a complex architecture and tissues in different physiological states. Therefore, we constructed a versatile system—EGES-1—to simultaneously measure gas exchange in the whole shoots of multiple individual plants. Our system was designed to be able record data continuously over several days.

Results

The EGES-1 system yielded comparable measurements for eight plants for up to 6 days in stable, physiologically realistic conditions. The chambers seals have negligible permeability to carbon dioxide and the system is designed so as to detect any bulk-flow air leaks. We show that the system can be used to monitor plant responses to changing environmental conditions, such as changes in illumination or stress treatments, and to compare plants with phenotypically severe mutations. By incorporating interchangeable lids, the system could be used to measure photosynthetic gas exchange in several genera such as Arabidopsis, Nicotiana, Pisum, Lotus and Mesembryanthemum.

Conclusion

EGES-1 can be introduced into a variety of growth facilities and measure gas exchange in the shoots diverse plant species grown in different growth media. It is ideal for comparing photosynthetic carbon assimilation of wild-type and mutant plants and/or plants undergoing selected experimental treatments. The system can deliver valuable data for whole-plant growth studies and help understanding mutant phenotypes. Overall, the EGES-1 is complementary to the readily-available single leaf systems that focus more on the photosynthetic process in within the leaf lamina.

     

栽培裂褶菌与野生裂褶菌的营养效价研究

根据国家食品标准,通过测定人工栽培的裂褶菌菌株(LZJ-1、LZJ-5)子实体与野生裂褶菌(SM-1)子实体的蛋白质、灰分、粗脂肪、矿物质、氨基酸等的含量及组成,评价其营养效价。结果表明:3种裂褶菌子实体均含有17种氨基酸,其中必需氨基酸7种,脂肪含量低,属于高蛋白、低脂肪类食品;氨基酸配比最为合理的是人工栽培菌株LZJ-5(34.2%、55.7%),比较接近FAO/WHO规定值,为理想蛋白质;氨基酸比值系数LZJ-1的SRC值为77.7%,明显高于SM-1(75.5%)和LZJ-5(75.3%);鲜味氨基酸中特征氨基酸天门冬氨酸和谷氨酸含量较高的为LZJ-1,分别达到1.36%、2.14%,明显高于野生种SM-1(0.72、0.97)。综合结果,LZJ-1营养价值较高。     

Variation among Kalanchoe species in their flowering responses to photoperiod and short-day cycle number

Summary

Our objectives were to identify the critical daylength and number of short-day (SD) cycles necessary for flowering in Kalanchoe glaucescens, K. manginii, and K. uniflora. In Experiment I, plants were grown for 20 weeks under 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, or 15 h photoperiods at 300 µmol m^–2 s^–1 for 8 h 55 min (9 h photoperiod), or 9 h and extended with dayextension (3 µmol m^–2 s^–1) lighting (10 – 15 h photoperiods). All species flowered when grown under photoperiods ranging from 9 – 12 h. The percentage of flowering plants decreased for all species as the photoperiod increased from 12 h to 14 h. No flowering occurred on plants grown under a 15 h photoperiod. Node numbers below the terminal inflorescence increased from 18 nodes to 28 nodes on K. glaucescens, from 12 nodes to 14 nodes on K. manginii, and from 12 nodes to 16 nodes on K. uniflora as the photoperiod increased from 12 h to 14 h, from 10 h to 12 h, and from

12 h to 13 h, respectively. Total flower numbers on K. uniflora decreased from 45 flowers to 13 flowers as the photoperiod increased from 9 h to 13 h. In Experiment II, plants were exposed to 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8 weeks of SD (8 h photoperiod) before being placed under night-interruption lighting (2 µmol m^–2 s^–1; between 22.00 – 0.200 h). One-hundred percent of K. glaucescens, K. manginii, and K. uniflora plants flowered when they received more than 1, 3, or 6 weeks of SD, respectively. The node number below the terminal inflorescence in each species was not affected by SD cycle-number. Total flower numbers per plant, and days to first open flower, were unaffected as the number of SD cycles exceeded the number required to induce flowering for all species.     

New microsatellite markers developed from reported Ipomoea trifida sequences and their application to sweetpotato and its related wild species

Ipomoea trifida belongs to the family Convolvulaceae and is closely related to sweetpotato. In this study, we reported the microsatellites in I. trifida sequence database, and tested their transferability and polymorphisms for both sweetpotato and its related wild species.In the DNA database, 1425 sequences were registered for I. trifida. Sixty-one independent sequences were found to have microsatellite motifs and PCR primers were designed to amplify 15 microsatellites loci identified. Twelve primer pairs could amplify the expected product size and nine primer pairs showed polymorphisms among the three genotypes of I. trifida. These 12 functional primer pairs were used to assess the transferability and the level of polymorphism between sweetpotato cultivars and its related wild species. The transferability showed, 100% for I. batatas, 83.3% for I. tiliacea, 75% for I. triloba and 66.7% for I. Lacunosa, respectively. These markers also revealed high level of polymorphism between wild species and sweetpotato cultivars.     

Cyanogenic D-amygdalin contents of the kernels of cultivated almonds and wild Amygdalus webbii Spach.

SUMMARY

D-amygdalin is a toxic compound found in the kernels of some bitter almond cultivars.This compound is toxic because of its potential to release poisonous hydrogen cyanide. The D-amygdalin contents of the kernels of 18 commercial almond cultivars (Prunus dulcis Mill. = Amygdalus communis L.) and three wild genotypes (Amygdalus webbii Spach.) were determined by HPLC. In initial tests, two extraction procedures [100% (v/v) methanol or 4% (w/v) citric acid)], two different kernel cutting sizes (powdered or roughly-cut pieces), and two shaking techniques (mechanical shaking or sonication) were assessed. The results obtained showed that the method of extraction can have a strong effect on the extent of recovery of the potentially toxic compound, which varied by a factor of approx. 20-fold across the different extraction techniques.The greatest recovery of D-amygdalin from wild almond kernels was achieved with mechanical shaking of roughly-cut kernels in 100% (v/v) methanol, and this procedure was applied for all subsequent analyses of the D-amygdalin contents of all genotypes. The highest amounts of D-amygdalin were found in “bitter” cultivars and wild genotypes (716 – 23,025 mg kg^–1), with lower values in “sweet” cultivars (0 – 158 mg kg^–1). High levels of variability were observed both among the 18 almond cultivars and the A. webbii genotypes tested.     

In vitro regeneration and conservation of wild species of Arachis

Summary

Wild species of Arachis are restricted to South America and generally occur in regions under intensive environmental disturbance. Both in situ and ex situ conservation strategies are required in order to maintain the availability of these genotypes. This work developed in vitro regeneration systems from seed explants of 17 wild species of Arachis from six Sections (Heteranthae, Caulorrhizae, Triseminatae, Erectoides, Procumbentes and Arachis). After seed disinfection, embryonic axes, leaflets and cotyledons were excised aseptically and cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 8.8 µM, 22 µM or 110 µM 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP). Cultures were maintained in a growth chamber at 28° ± 2°C with a 16 h photoperiod. Regeneration patterns from seed explants were similar among species from all Sections. Embryonic axes produced plants through meristematic amplification or multiple shoot formation, while cotyledons and embryonic leaflets produced shoots at significantly lower frequencies through direct and indirect organogenesis, respectively. Shoots obtained from all explants were transferred to MS medium without growth regulators to induce root formation.     

Effects of wind and salt exposure on four hybrid cypress cultivars

Newly released × Cupressocyparis hybrids have been tested for their tolerance to exposed coastal conditions. Preliminary data show that the hybrids × C. notabilis and × C. ovensii were severely damaged by salt-laden winds, whilst × C. leylandii clones ‘Rostrevor’ and ‘Leighton Green’ were not seriously affected.     

Photosynthetic and morphological responses of oak species to temperature and [CO2] increased to levels predicted for 2050

Urban forests are environmentally, climatically, socially and economically important. An understanding of the response of urban trees to future climate change is crucial to the maintenance of urban forests and the ecosystem services they support. We conducted a controlled environment pot-experiment on four-year-old Mediterranean oak species: the evergreen Quercus ilex and the deciduous Quercus cerris, to investigate the combined impact of elevated CO₂ and temperature on growth and leaf physiology to levels predicted for 2050 in urban areas of central Italy. Quercus cerris initially increased net-photosynthesis (P_N) under elevated 2050 conditions (EC) compared to present ambient conditions (AC), before P_N declined, possibly indicative of down-regulation of photosynthetic physiology. Quercus ilex P_N was not influenced by EC throughout the 70 days duration of the study. Levels of P_N and stomatal conductance (G_s) were generally lower in Q. ilex than Q. cerris. Quercus ilex also reduced G_s during growth at EC. This reduced transpirative water-loss caused a significant increase in the water use efficiency (WUE) of Q. ilex. This reduction in G_s may have been associated with the observed reduction in stomatal density in Q. ilex grown under EC, while the number of stomata on leaves developed under the experimental conditions were unaffected by the EC treatment in Q. cerris. Over the course of the experiment, above (stem dry weight: SDW) and below-ground biomass (root dry weight: RDW) and foliar starch increased in Q. cerris (in both EC and AC equally) but not Q. ilex. Chlorophyll a fluorescence (ChlF); Prompt Fluorescence (PF), Delayed Fluorescence (DF) and Modulated Reflectance (MR) also indicated that a greater resilience of photochemistry to growth under EC was more apparent in Q. ilex than Q. cerris. In particular, the reduction of the quantum yield efficiency (F_V/F_M) in Q. ilex may also be considered functional to maintain constant P_N levels in elevated temperature and [CO₂]. The results of this study suggest that Q. ilex exhibits greater plasticity and adaptation to EC, and may therefore perform more favourably under future 2050 climatic conditions.     

Effect of two irrigation rates on yield,incidence of blossom-end rot,mineral content and free amino acid levels in tomato cultivated under drip irrigation using saline water

Summary

An experiment investigated the effects of two rates of irrigation, one of which reflected a substantial degree of water stress, on the mineral content, free amino acid levels and incidence of blossom-end rot (BER) in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. `Durinta'). The plants were grown in the open with drip irrigation using saline water from a well (mean EC_w 5.2 dS m²¹). The yield per plant was higher and fewer fruit were affected by BER in the treatment involving the higher level of irrigation. The fruit of the first and fifth truss, and the leaves immediately above, were analysed for their macronutrient, micronutrient and free amino acid content. The macronutrient leaf and fruit content hardly showed any difference, only the N concentration in fruit being significantly affected in the water stressed plants, in which the levels were higher. The Ca concentration in the stylar portion of mature fruit, which is related with the incidence of BER, was not significantly affected by the level of irrigation. As regards micronutrients, only the Fe (in leaf and fruit of the first truss), Cu (in leaf of the first truss), Zn (in leaf and fruit of the first truss, and leaf of the fifth truss) and Mn (in leaf of the first truss) concentrations differed significantly. The total free amino acid leaf content was similar in both irrigation treatments. However, the total free amino acid content of fruit, significantly those of the first truss, was higher in the less irrigated treatment. The amino acids: aspartic acid (only from the first.truss), glutamic acid, proline and alanine had high concentrations in the fruit of the less irrigated plants, while the g-aminobutyric acid and phenylalanine (only from the fifth truss) concentrations were higher in fruit of the more irrigated plants.     

Comparative biology of citrus leaf-miner on different citrus rootstocks and wild hosts

The oviposition by the citrus leaf-miner, Phyllocnistis citrella, was highest on ‘Rangpur’ lime and slightly lower on ‘Jatti Khatti’ and ‘Kharna Khatta’. ‘Cleopatra’ and ‘Troyer’ were moderately preferred, while the lowest number of eggs was recorded on Murraya exotica, followed by Jasminum sambac, but no mining was observed on these two hosts. The mean duration of the egg stage did not vary much on different hosts. The larval duration was highest in ‘Troyer’, indicating prolongation which was possibly due to antibiosis. The minimum larval survival was also recorded in ‘Troyer’, confirming antibiosis. There was not much difference in the pre-pupal stage. The pupal period was prolonged on ‘Troyer’ as compared to other hosts. This further confirms the occurrence of antibiosis in ‘Troyer’ to citrus leaf-miner. In general, the life cycle was short during June and long during February in all the hosts. The general conclusion is that ‘Troyer’ was a less suitable host for citrus leaf-miner compared to other rootstocks.     

Drivers of spontaneous and cultivated species diversity in the tropical city of Zhanjiang,China

Urban plant diversity influences the social functioning and well-being of urban dwellers. However, the patterns and drivers of plant diversity in tropical urban areas are still not entirely understood. In response to the knowledge deficiencies in this area, we investigated spontaneous and cultivated plant richness and their phylogenetic diversity and relatedness in 260 Urban Functional Units (UFUs), which represented nine different land use types according to anthropogenic function, in the tropical coastal city of Zhanjiang, China. Plant diversity was modelled as a function of UFU characteristics and human maintenance practices. Spontaneous species richness was highest in urban villages and vacant lands and lowest in transportation areas, while phylogenetic diversity was highest in utilities and lowest in parks. In comparison, cultivated species richness was highest in multi-family residential areas and lowest in vacant lands, while phylogenetic diversity of cultivated species was highest in commercial/industry areas and lowest in agriculture areas. The number of cultivated species and the degree of phylogenetic relatedness of spontaneous species were positively correlated with the human population density. The phylogenetic diversity of cultivated species within UFUs was generally higher than that of spontaneous species. Human maintenance of landscapes acted as an environmental filter for spontaneous species, but also promoted the number of cultivated plants. We conclude that appropriate investment in urban green areas may improve both plant species richness and phylogenetic diversity in urban environments.     

Development of microsatellite markers in cultivated vanilla: Polymorphism and transferability to other vanilla species

The sources of natural vanilla are the cured fruits of two obligatorily hand-pollinated and clonally propagated orchids: ‘Bourbon/Mexican vanilla’ (Vanilla planifolia G. Jackson) and ‘Tahitian vanilla’ (Vanilla tahitensis J.W. Moore). In this paper we describe for the first time the isolation and characterization of 14 microsatellite loci from V. planifolia. These were monomorphic within cultivated accessions, as expected from the probable single clonal origin of this crop and previous genetic studies. These markers were transferable to V. tahitensis and 11 loci were polymorphic between these two closely related species. Furthermore, some of these markers were transferable and polymorphic across 15 other wild American, African and Asian species and revealed consistent relationships between species, together with a strong pattern of Old World versus New World differentiation in the genus. These microsatellites will be very useful for diversity, hybridization and phylogeographic studies in the genus Vanilla.