title: Characterization of medicinal Epimedium species by 5S rRNA gene spacer sequencing.
abstract: Sequences of 5S rRNA gene spacer were used to identify Epimedium brevicornu Maxim., E. sagittatum (Sieb. et Zucc.) Maxim., E. wushanense T. S. Ying, E. pubescens Maxim., and E. koreanum Nakai. These species are listed as source plants of Chinese medicine 'Ying Yang Huo' in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. The neighbor-joining method was used in a sequence analysis of Epimedium species. A position-specific nucleotide was found in the 5S rRNA gene spacer for E. pubescens, E. wushanense, and E. brevicornu. A 19-bp deletion was found for E. koreanum in the 5S rRNA gene spacer. E. koreanum was most divergent from the other four endemic Chinese species of Epimedium.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, China.
authors.forename: Ye
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Kwok-Pui
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Fung
authors.forename: Ping-Chung
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.forename: Dawen
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Pang-Chui
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Shaw
mesh_terms: D018744:DNA, Plant / Q000032:analysis; D034181:Epimedium / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008517:Phytotherapy; D035261:Plant Components, Aerial; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012341:RNA, Ribosomal, 5S / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D018744:DNA, Plant; D012341:RNA, Ribosomal, 5S