Chromosomal Localization of the 5S and 45S rDNA Sites and 5S rDNA Sequence Analysis in Nelumbo Species

The physical location of 45S and 5S rDNA sites by double-target fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and 5S rDNA non-transcribed spacer (NTS) sequences was studied in five accessions of Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn. and one accession of N. nucifera subsp. lutea (Willd.). The chromosome number of all tested materials was 2n=16. The loci of 5S rDNA were close to the centromere regions of chromosome 3, and the loci of 45S rDNA were found on chromosomes 7 and 8 in all the six tested accessions, respectively. Similarly, 45S rDNAs were also located on chromosome 4 in four tested accessions. The 5S rRNA gene sequences were conserved and the NTS sequences were variable among the samples. N. nucifera subsp. lutea was the longest branch in the phylogenetic tree and clustered with N. nucifera cv. Liangzihu. N nucifera cv. Heilongjiang and N nucifera cv. Weishanhu showed a close relationship with each other. N nucifera cv. Dahe Lian was closer to N nucifera cv. Nihelu Lian than to other tested accessions. Analysis of the molecular karyotype and the 5S rRNA gene spacer sequence suggested the genetic diversity was limited within Nelumbo species and it seems suitable that American lotus was considered as the subspecies of N nucifera.