Detection of sibling species in the mangrove genus Ceriops using biochemical genetics

Populations of Ceriops tagal var. tagal and C. tagal var. australis were sampled from five sites in northern Queensland in 1987. Collections were made from Missionary Bay (April), Port Douglas (July), Lucinda (October) and Cardwell (October). Samples were collected five times between March and December from the same six trees of each variety at Cape Ferguson, to detect seasonal variation in enzyme phenotypes. C. decandra was also sampled from the Murray River, Lucinda and Cardwell. Branch tips with at least two pairs of fully expanded leaves were collected and the apical buds and their stipules were removed and stored in liquid nitrogen.Twenty-one enzymes were investigated (AAT, ACON, ACP, ALP, DIA, EST, GDH, G3PD, GPI, G6PD, HK, IDH, LAP, LDH, MDH, ME, PER, 6PGD, PGM, SKDH, TPI). Eleven enzymes were resolved adequately for all samples of the three taxa (AAT, EST, GDH, GPI, IDH, LAP, MDH, PER, 6PGD, PGM, SKDH). This research was undertaken to investigate the taxonomic status of the two varieties of the mangrove tree Ceriops tagal using enzyme electrophoresis.

1987年，研究人员于澳大利亚昆士兰州北部的五个采样位点，采集了角果木（Ceriops tagal）原变种（C. tagal var. tagal）与澳洲变种（C. tagal var. australis）的种群样本。采样分别在传教士湾（4月）、道格拉斯港（7月）、卢辛达（10月）与卡德威尔（10月）完成。针对费格森角的两个变种各6棵固定样树，研究人员于3月至12月间开展了5次采样，以检测酶表型的季节变异。研究人员同时从墨累河、卢辛达与卡德威尔采集了十雄角果木（Ceriops decandra）的样本。本次研究采集带有至少两对完全展开叶片的枝条梢端，去除顶芽及其托叶后，将样品封存于液氮中保存。本研究共检测了21种酶（AAT、ACON、ACP、ALP、DIA、EST、GDH、G3PD、GPI、G6PD、HK、IDH、LAP、LDH、MDH、ME、PER、6PGD、PGM、SKDH、TPI），其中11种酶可在三个类群的全部样品中获得稳定清晰的电泳解析结果（AAT、EST、GDH、GPI、IDH、LAP、MDH、PER、6PGD、PGM、SKDH）。本研究旨在通过酶电泳技术，探究红树林植物角果木两个变种的分类学地位。