Phylogenetic analysis of some species of the Biarum genus in Turkey based on plastid rps16 DNA sequences

Purpose: In this study, phylogenetic relationships of some species of Biarum genus naturally distributed in Turkey were determined by sequence analyses based on rps16 region in chloroplast DNA. Method: 8 Biarum species naturally distributed in different localities of Turkey were collected and DNA isolation was performed using a kit, and rps16 region was amplified by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). Genetic distances between species were calculated by analyzing DNA sequences and a phylogenetic tree was constructed using the Neighbor-Joining method. Findings: As a result of the analyses, Biarum bovei and B. crispulum species were identified as the closest genetic relatives, while Biarum davisii subsp. marmarisense and B. bovei were determined as the most distant relatives. The obtained genetic analysis results confirm the classification based on morphological data and reveal that the phylogenetic structure of Biarum species should be supported by genetic analyses. Conclusion: This study provides one of the first phylogenetic analyses based on the rps16 chloroplast region in Turkish Biarum species and it is recommended that future phylogenetic studies be conducted using more comprehensive markers including geographical and ecological factors.