Comparative genomic analysis of Korean and Japanese green tea trees by using molecular markers

Abstract

-T. 2010. Comparative genomic analysis of Korean and Japanese green tea trees by using molecular markers. Can. J. Plant Sci. 90: 293Á298. Although green tea is one of the most popular beverages in many countries, the evolutionary origin of Korean and Japanese green tea trees has not been extensively elucidated in a molecular level. Lineages of the five Korean green tea populations and cultivars growing in Hadong area were examined in comparison with the six Japanese and one Chinese cultivars using phylogenetic analysis and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis with cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence (CAPS) markers. Molecular phylogenetic analyses using the non-transcribed region (NTS) region of the 5S rRNA suggested that the Korean Hadong cultivar was a minor variant of the Korean Hadong Cheon-nyeon wild tea plant, which has grown in the Hadong area more than 800 years. RFLP analysis with CAPS markers of the genes in phenylpropanoid biosynthetic pathway showed that all of the Korean Hadong wild tea populations and cultivar had unique polymorphism patterns, when compared with those of the six Japanese and one Chinese cultivars. In addition, Hadong Cheon-nyeon wild tea showed unique CAPS patterns in the phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) locus, indicating that the three CAPS markers in the PAL gene are sufficient to distinguish Hadong Cheon-nyeon wild tea from the others. Thus, our genetic analyses suggested that the Korean Hadong Cheon-nyeon wild tea plant might have evolved as a different lineage from the other wild green tea populations in the Hadong area or the Japanese tea cultivars. For personal use only.

Comparative Phylogenetic Analysis of Ancient Korean Tea "Hadong Cheon-Nyeon Cha (Camellia sinensis var. sinensis)" Using Complete Chloroplast Genome Sequences

“…The origin of Korean tea, however, is not clear. Many Korean historical accounts state that tea seeds were first brought from China to Korea in the early 9th century, although widespread tea cultivation did not begin until the 12th century [5]. There is still an argument about whether there were wild tea plants native to Korea.…”

“…There is still an argument about whether there were wild tea plants native to Korea. Two types of green tea have been produced in Korea: the native variety, which comes naturally in the surrounding area of Mountain Jiri, and the cultivated type, whose breeding lines come from China and Japan [5]. Korean tea is mainly produced in Gyeongsang Province, Jeolla Province, and Jeju Island.…”