On the Origin of Chenopodium album by Means of Hybridization

Diploma thesis deals with genetic variability and evolutionary relationships among selected species of the group Chenopodium album and is especially focused on the origin of hexaploid species C. album in the Czech Republic. The main aim of the study was detection of putative recent emergence of hexaploid C. album s. str. in mixed populations of diploid (C. ficifolium and C. suecicum) and tetraploid (C. strictum and C. striatiforme) species. To assess phylogenetical relationships I performed an analysis of nuclear microsatellite loci, that are suitable for detection parental lines within polyploid species. As long as microsatellite primers have been developed for studied group, therefore they had to be cross-amplified from closely related species C. quinoa. Three PCR multiplexes were assembled by cross-amplification of microsatellite primers. These PCR multiplexes were tested on representative sample sets to estimate genetic variability of individual microsatellite loci. A total of 911 individuals were analyzed from five localities from the Czech Republic. The results of analyses revealed (1) high interspecific differentiation, (2) gene flow among species of the same ploidy levels, (3) presence of hybrids among diploid species of C. ficifolium and C. suecium as well as among tetraploid species C. strictum..