Phylogenetic analysis of the nrDNA ITS and cpDNA rbcL sequences of some endemic Dianthus (Caryophyllaceae) species from Türkiye

Abstract

In this study the phylogenetic relationship of four species of Dianthus genus which are endemic and distributed in Türkiye including D. zederbaueri Vierch D. varankii Hamzaoğlu & Koç D. halisdemirii Hamzaoğlu & Koç and D. goekayi Kaynak was determined using nuclear DNA (nrDNA) internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) rbcL regions. After sampling from the plant DNA was extracted and the ITS (ITS4-ITS5A) and rbcL (rbcLaF-rbcLaR) primers were used to perform PCR amplification. Sequencer 5.4.6. was used to edit the sequences. MEGA 11 software was used to determine the nucleotide ratios genetic distance matrix and π = nucleotide diversity. Some species of Dianthus available in the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) were used to construct maximum likelihood (ML) phylogenetic trees. As a result based on the ITS analysis π = nucleotide diversity was determined as: 0.001543 and the result of the rbcL analysis π = nucleotide diversity was determined as: 0.000000. In the ITS results D. halisdemirii D. superbus and D. varankii appeared together while D. zederbaueri and D. aculeatus appeared together. The rbcL results showed that D. zederbaueri and D. varankii were closely related but the relationship between D. halisdemirii and D. goekayi could not be determined. Furthermore in the phylogenetic tree constructed by taking the ITS and rbcL sequences of Dianthus Gypsophila Silene Arenaria Saponaria Cerastium Stellaria Petrorhagia Minuartia Agrostemma and Polycarpon species from NCBI using ITS and rbcL sequences our endemic Dianthus species appeared in the same group with Petrorhagia Gypsophila and Saponaria species. To conclude our ITS and rbcL results were consistent in determining the phylogenetic relationships of our Dianthus species with other species. © 2025 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.