Chloroplast DNA Polymorphism of the Medicinal Plant Eleutherococcus senticosus (Rupr. et Maxim.) Maxim. in the Southern Part of the Russian Far East

The polymorphism of the nucleotide sequences of the trnL–trnF, rpl16 intron, and matK regions of chloroplast DNA of the medicinal plant Eleutherococcus senticosus in the southern part of the Russian Far East (RFE) has been studied. The level of genetic diversity was found to be high in the populations of Primorskii krai and average on Sakhalin Island. Hierarchical analysis of the molecular variance showed very low and insignificant genetic differentiation between the populations of these two regions (ΦCT = 0.043, P > 0.479); more than 62% of all genetic variability accounted for the intrapopulation component (ΦST = 0.377, P = 0.000). Eleven haplotypes were identified in the RFE, one of which was unique and two of which were rare for the species. All haplotypes known for E. senticosus form a single group with minimal divergence between each other.