title: Genetic structure and phenotypic variation in wild populations of the medicinal tetraploid species Bromelia antiacantha (Bromeliaceae).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The patterns of genetic structure in plant populations are mainly related to the species life history and breeding system, and knowledge of these patterns is necessary for the management, use, and conservation of biological diversity. Polyploidy is considered an important mode of evolution in plants, but few studies have evaluated genetic structure of polyploid populations. We studied the patterns of genetic structure and morphological variation of Bromelia antiacantha (Bromeliaceae) populations, a polyploid terrestrial species. •
  
  
  METHODS
  Microsatellite markers and morphological analyses were used to explore patterns of genetic and morphological diversity in wild populations of B. antiacantha. •
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results of our simple-sequence repeat analyses supported that B. antiacantha is a polyploid species. The inbreeding coefficients were high and significant in all populations (F(IS) = 0.431), indicating homozygote excess. Bromelia antiacantha showed high levels of genetic differentiation among populations (F(ST) = 0.224) and therefore was highly structured. High morphological variation was observed in fruit phenotypic traits in the populations studied. •
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The levels of genetic diversity and the pattern of the population's structure may be related to the low recruitment of seeds, clonal reproduction, and the population's colonization history. The genetic and morphological variability displayed in this study are important issues in planning the conservation and exploitation of this resource in a sustainable way.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Genética, Instituto de Biociências/Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul-UFRGS, CEP 91501-970, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Camila Martini
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Zanella
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bruxel
authors.forename: Gecele Matos
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Paggi
authors.forename: Márcia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Goetze
authors.forename: Miriam Valli
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Buttow
authors.forename: Fernanda Witt
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: Cidade
authors.forename: Fernanda
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bered
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D031231:Bromelia / Q000235:genetics*; D017931:DNA Primers; D017343:Genes, Plant; D014644:Genetic Variation; D011123:Polyploidy
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers