Abstract

Genus Zanthoxylum which has significant medical importance belongs to the family Rutaceae. This investigation was aimed to identify total internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions among the nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrDNA) to distinguishZanthoxylum piperitum from Zanthoxylum sichinifolium. The nrDNA ITS sequence markers were developed by using universal ITS5/ITS4 primer pairs. Species-specific primers amplified the total ITS region sequence named ITS1-YL1 and ITS1-YL2. These were amplified efficiently when paired with universal primer ITS4 in Z. piperitum, but not in Z. schinifolium. ITS1-YL1/ITS4 or ITS1-YL2/ITS4 preferential amplification was shown to be particularly useful for detection and distribution of Z. piperitum from other plant species, especially Z. schinifolium. These primers are useful to study the structure of Rutaceae family. Such identifications will be helpful for phylogenetic analysis in intraspecies population of the genus Zanthoxylum.

Key words: Zanthoxylum piperitum, rDNA Int-sp markers, phylogenetic relationship, ribosomal DNA, internal transcribed spacer.

Abbreviation

ITS, Internal transcribed spacer; PCR, polymerase chain reaction;SDS, sodium dodecyl sulfate; SSU, small subunit; LSU, large subunit; ETS,external transcribed spacer.