Diversity and genetic structure of Casearia sylvestris by populational genomic analysis

• Grant number: 11/06756-4
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): October 01, 2011
• Effective date (End): March 31, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Genetics
• Principal researcher: Maria Imaculada Zucchi
• Grantee: Marcos Vinícius Bohrer Monteiro Siqueira
• Home Institution: Agência Paulista de Tecnologia dos Agronegócios (APTA). Secretaria de Agricultura e Abastecimento (São Paulo - Estado). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The growing interest of pharmaceutical companies for new substances and natural products has intensified scientific research on medicinal plants, especially with those already used by traditional medicine. However, the extractive collection often results in varying levels of environmental impact. Reforestation directed from the genetic enrichment, something still not widely practiced in Brazil and can ensure a gain in biodiversity in degraded areas and reverse this way, varying levels of genetic erosion. In this context, Casearia sylvestris, may be elected as a species of interest for reforestation due to their multiple skills. Guacatonga popularly known, is widely used as anti-inflammatory, analgesic and healing in several regions of Brazil and neighboring countries. Despite their importance recognized herbal, knowledge about its genetic variability and how it is structured in space is very incipient. In this sense, population genomics research in wild and cultivated plants of C. sylvestris will generate valuable information for possible management plans and in situ conservation and for its cultivation, aiming at sustainable use of medicinal substances of interest. The forest enrichment proposed here is a new approach to genotype alleles to comprise the new restoration areas with the greatest diversity possible. Analysis of genetic diversity and population structure will be generated by the technique of size polymorphism of amplified fragment (AFLP) and cDNA-AFLP. The population genomics approach for this will be done using markers expressed and not expressed. This way you can generate population parameters that supported the management and conservation of this important medicinal species.