Abstract
The genus
Jatropha
belongs to the family Euphorbiaceae having significant economic importance. The present investigation was undertaken with an aim to understand phylogenetic relationships among seven species (
J. curcas, J. glandulifera
,
J. gossypifolia
,
J. integerrima
,
J. multifida, J. podagrica,
and
J. tanjorensis
.) which are widely distributed in India, using nuclear ribosomal DNA ITS sequence (nrDNA ITS) and to compare the results with multilocus marker analysis systems reported earlier for the same genus. The size variation obtained among sequenced nrDNA ITS regions was narrow and ranged from 647 to 654 bp. The overall mean genetic distance (GD) of genus
Jatropha
was found to be 0.385. Highest interspecific GD (0.419) was found between
J. glandulifera
and
J. multifida
. The least interspecific GD (0.085) was found between
J. gossypifolia
and
J. tanjorensis.
The highest intraspecific GD was observed in
J. podagrica
(0.011) and least in
J. gossypifolia
(0.002). The phylogram obtained using nrDNA ITS sequence showed congruence with the phylograms obtained using multilocus markers system reported earlier with minor variations. The present study also strongly supports high phylogentic closeness of
J. curcas
and
J. integerrima
. The only exception found was
J. podagrica
which clustered with
J. multifida
in earlier based on multilocus marker analysis, was clustered with
J. curcas
in the present analysis. The sequence data generated in the present investigation will help for further studies in intraspecies population, and their phylogentic analysis, biogeographical, molecular evolution studies and also pave way for future phylogetic and/or evolution studies among the other groups belongs to the family Euphorbiaceae.