title: Phylogenetic relationships of ferns deduced from rbcL gene sequence.
abstract: Part of the large subunit of the ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (rubisco) gene (rbcL) was sequenced from three fern species: Adiantum capillus-veneris, Botrypus strictus, and Osmunda cinnamomea var. fokiensis. This region included 1,333 base pairs, about 90% of the gene. Maximum likelihood analysis of the deduced amino acid sequences indicated that (1) Botrypus (Ophioglossaceae) clustered monophyletically with other ferns (Adiantum, Angiopteris, Osmunda); the closest relative to Botrypus among the three species was Osmunda, which did not support the hypothesis that the Ophioglossaceae are linked to the progymnosperm-seed plant lineage. (2) Eusporangiate ferns containing Botrypus (Ophioglossaceae) and Angiopteris (Marattiaceae) were a paraphyletic group. (3) Seed plants and the four fern species examined formed a monophyletic group, but ferns and bryophytes (liverwort) did not. Variations in rates of substitution for synonymous and nonsynonymous codons were found in fern lineages.
authors.affiliation: Botanical Gardens, University of Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hasebe
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kofuji
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ueda
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Iwatsuki
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D005075:Biological Evolution; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D010944:Plants / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D012273:Ribulose-Bisphosphate Carboxylase / Q000235:genetics*; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
chemical_list: D012273:Ribulose-Bisphosphate Carboxylase