Abstract Detail

Population Genetics/Genomics

Haynsen, Matthew [1], Vatanparast, Mohammad [2], Luxian, Liu [3], Cheng-Xin, Fu [4], Crandall, Keith A. [5], Egan, Ashley N. [2].

Population Genetic Analysis of Invasive Kudzu (Pueraria montana var. lobata) throughout Asia and the United States.

Pueraria montana var. lobata (kudzu), one of the most invasive plant species in the United States, is native to southeastern Asia. The twining vine was initially introduced into the United States from Japan during the Centennial Exposition in 1876 with subsequent mass introductions throughout the southeastern United States through the 1930s to 1950s. The native geographic origins of these introductions remain unknown, which poses a concern due to the wide native range of Pueraria montana, a species containing three recognized varieties that share overlapping ranges and delimiting morphological characteristics. It is possible that the invasiveness of kudzu found in the United States can be ascribed to not only admixture from geographically and genetically distinct populations of P. montana var. lobata, but hybridization among two or more varieties of P. montana. Only through the use of high resolution molecular markers on populations of P. montana across both its native and introduced ranges will it be possible to identify the geographic and varietal sources of genetic diversity within introduced populations of invasive kudzu.
In this study we used Genotyping-by-Sequencing, a next generation sequencing methodology, to assess the genetic variation of over 600 individuals of P. montana from China, Japan, Thailand, and the United States. Through the collection of thousands of SNPs per individual we assessed both the among and within nation genetic diversity, native and introduced range structuring of genotypes, and models of introduction pathways.

1 - The George Washington University, Department of Biological Sciences, 2029 G St NW, Bell Hall, Room 302, Washington, DC, 20052, USA
2 - National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Department of Botany, MRC 166, P.O. Box 37012, Washington, DC, 20013-7012, USA
3 - Henan University, College of Life Sciences, Kaifeng, Henan, China
4 - Lab Of Syst. & Evol. Botany And Biodiversity, Yuhangtang Road 866,, Hangzhou, N/A, 310058, China
5 - The George Washington University, Computational Biology Institute, 45085 University Drive, Innovation Hall, Suite 305, Ashburn, VA, 20147, USA

Keywords:
kudzu
Pueraria montana var. lobata
GBS
invasion genetics.

Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 40, Population Genetics/Genomics
Location: Sundance 5/Omni Hotel
Date: Wednesday, June 28th, 2017
Time: 2:15 PM
Number: 40004
Abstract ID:74
Candidate for Awards:Margaret Menzel Award