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Deciphering Species Relationships Between the Wild and Cultivated Species of Genus Medicago Based on Seed Protein Profiles

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Abstract

The genus Medicago belongs to family Fabaceae and is comprised of around 87 wild and cultivated species. It includes M. sativa, commonly known as alfalfa or lucerne, the world’s most widely cultivated forage crop species. The phylogenetic analysis in the genus has utilized morphological, cytological and molecular markers. In this study, seed protein electrophoresis was used to establish evolutionary relationships among 34 wild and cultivated Medicago species belonging to three sections and four subsections. The neighbor joining tree circumscribed analyzed species into three clusters. Cluster I, the largest, had five subclusters with 18 species, belonging to all the four subsections of section Spirocarpos. Cluster II and III mainly contained species of subsections Leptospirae and Pachyspirae along with M. sativa. The present analysis emphasizes that section Spirocarpos and its subsections except subsection Intertextae are not monophyletic. The study also indicates relatedness among taxa from different subsections. Further, while cultivated polyploid species M. sativa was found closest to M. sativa ssp. falcata, no definite inferences could be drawn about progenitors of two other polyploid species M. scutellata and M. rugosa. The inferences drawn will help to establish species inter-relationships, a prerequisite to undertake further genetic improvement programs in this important genus.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are thankful to SADA (South Australian Department of Agriculture) and USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) for supply of seeds. Technical guidance given by Dr Roma Sarkar, a post-doctoral fellow at Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Cytogenetics, Department of Botany, University of Delhi is gratefully acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Botany, Hansraj College, University of Delhi, Delhi, 110007, India

    Vijay Rani Rajpal

  2. Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Noida, UP, India

    Apekshita Singh & Soom Nath Raina

  3. Department of Botany, Vinoba Bhave University, Hazaribag, Jharkhand, 825319, India

    Avinash Kumar

  4. Department of Botany, Ramjas College, University of Delhi, Delhi, 110007, India

    Suman Sharma

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  1. Vijay Rani Rajpal
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  2. Apekshita Singh
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  3. Avinash Kumar
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  4. Suman Sharma
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  5. Soom Nath Raina
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Contributions

Conceptualization- VRR and SNR.; methodology- VRR.; software- AS, AK.; validation- AS, AK and S.S.; formal analysis- VRR, AS, AK, SS.; investigation- VRR; resources- SNR; writing, original draft preparation- VRR, AS, AK.; writing, review and editing- VRR, SNR.; supervision- SNR. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Vijay Rani Rajpal.

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Significance Statement Seed storage protein analysis of 34 wild and cultivated species of genus Medicago has helped to establish species inter-relationships and phylogenies which will further assist in devising genetic improvement strategies in this important genus.

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Rajpal, V.R., Singh, A., Kumar, A. et al. Deciphering Species Relationships Between the Wild and Cultivated Species of Genus Medicago Based on Seed Protein Profiles. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., India, Sect. B Biol. Sci. 92, 533–540 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40011-021-01328-w

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40011-021-01328-w

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