Characterization of wild Prunus yedoensis analyzed by inter-simple sequence repeat and chloroplast DNA

This study was initiated to attempt clarify the identities of taxa referred to as Prunus yedoensis that grows under natural environments in Jeju, Korea and of Yoshino cherry hybrids of cultivated origin (also recorded as P. × yedoensis) in Japan, and to understand the difference between these two taxa. P. yedoensis and other species collected from natural habitats from Jeju, Korea and cultivated materials of Yoshino cherries from Tokyo and Washington, DC, were analyzed with inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers, and sequence analysis of two chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) genes, rpl16 and trnL-trnF spacer. Depending on the source of Yoshino cherry, accessions show variations with ISSR and cpDNA. Accessions belonging to each of P. serrulata var. spontanea, P. serrulata var. pubescens, and P. sargentii were grouped closely to P. yedoensis and Yoshino cherry accessions. However, two Yoshino cherry accessions that include ‘Akebono’ showed the same rpl16 haplotype of A and A at the position of 113 and 206, respectively, which were found in 4 out of 16 P. yedoensis accessions. Twelve accessions of P. yedoensis and 11 other Yoshino cherries showed rpl16 haplotype of T and A at these positions. P. yedoensis native to Korea can be considered different from Yoshino cherry of hybrid origin from Japan based on ISSR markers and rpl16 haplotypes. Therefore, it may be concluded that the Korean taxon currently referred to as P. yedoensis can be considered indigenous and sufficiently distinct to warrant recognition as a distinct entity.