Genetic Differentiation, Molecular Phylogenetic Analysis, and Ethnobotanical Study of <i>Eutrema japonicum</i> and <i>E. tenue</i> in Japan and <i>E. yunnanense</i> in China

• Yamane Kyoko

  Faculty of Applied Biological Sciences, Gifu University Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Osaka Prefecture University

• Sugiyama Yasuaki

  Izu Agricultural Research Center, Shizuoka Prefectural Research Institute of Agriculture and Forestry

• Lu Yuan-Xue

  Kunming Institute of Botany, Academia Sinica

• Lű Na

  Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University

• Tanno Kenichi

  Graduate School of Agriculture, Yamaguchi University

• Kimura Eri

  Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Osaka Prefecture University

• Yamaguchi Hirofumi

  Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Osaka Prefecture University Faculty of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture

Bibliographic Information

Other Title

• 日本のワサビ属植物（<i>Eutrema japonicum</i> and <i>E. tenue</i>）と中国の近縁野生種（<i>E. yunnanense</i>）における遺伝的分化，分子系統解析および民族植物学的研究
• Genetic Differentiation, Molecular Phylogenetic Analysis, and Ethnobotanical Study of Eutrema japonicum and E. tenue in Japan and E. yunnanense in China

Abstract

This paper reports the level of genetic differentiation between two Japanese and one Chinese species of Eutrema: E. japonicum, “wasabi”; its wild relative in Japan, E. tenue; and their wild relative in China, E. yunnanense. Phylogenetic analyses were based on the DNA sequence of the chloroplast trnK/matK region of 16 Brassicaceae and an outgroup species. Neighbor joining (NJ) and maximum parsimony (MP) trees were constructed, revealing that the three Eutrema species form a single clade clearly separated from other Brassicaceae species. The two Japanese Eutrema species are highly differentiated from Chinese E. yunnanense, and it is estimated that they diverged from E. yunnanense approximately 5 million years ago. An ethnobotanical survey was conducted among ethnic Chinese in Yunnan Province, and the results indicate that E. yunnanense is not perceived as “hot” in taste, while a pungent flavor is associated with wasabi; in addition, no evidence was found for the domestication of E. yunnanense. On the basis of the present molecular phylogenetic study and the ethnobotanical survey, we conclude that wasabi acquired its specific pungent flavor during its long botanical history in Japan, and that its subsequent domestication in Japan was because of this acquired pungent flavor. The culinary habit of using wasabi with raw fish has since become an important feature of Japanese cuisine and culture.

Journal

• The Horticulture Journal

  The Horticulture Journal 85 (1), 46-54, 2016

  The Japanese Society for Horticultural Science

Keywords

• Brassicaceae
• chloroplast DNA
• divergence time
• Japanese cuisine
• <i>trnK</i>/<i>matK</i>

Details

• CRID: 1390001205760034048
• NII Article ID: 130005121332
• NII Book ID: AA12708073
• DOI: 10.2503/hortj.mi-065
• ISSN: 21890110
• ISSN: 21890102
• NDL BIB ID: 027040043
• Web Site: http://id.ndl.go.jp/bib/027040043
• Web Site: https://ndlsearch.ndl.go.jp/books/R000000004-I027040043
• Web Site: https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/hortj/85/1/85_MI-065/_pdf
• Text Lang: en
• Data Source:
  • JaLC
  • NDL
  • Crossref
  • CiNii Articles
  • KAKEN
• Abstract License Flag: Disallowed