Molecular Plant Taxonomy, Softcover reprint of the original 1st ed. 2014
Methods and Protocols
Methods in Molecular Biology Series, Vol. 1115

Plant taxonomy is an ancient discipline facing new challenges with the current availability of a vast array of molecular approaches which allow reliable genealogy-based classifications. Although the primary focus of plant taxonomy is on the delimitation of species, molecular approaches also provide a better understanding of evolutionary processes, a particularly important issue for some taxonomic complex groups. Molecular Plant Taxonomy: Methods and Protocols describes laboratory protocols based on the use of nucleic acids and chromosomes for plant taxonomy, as well as guidelines for phylogenetic analysis of molecular data. Experts in the field also contribute review and application chapters that will encourage the reader to develop an integrative taxonomy approach, combining nucleic acid and cytogenetic data together with other crucial information (taxonomy, morphology, anatomy, ecology, reproductive biology, biogeography, paleobotany), which will help not only to best circumvent species delimitation but also to resolve the evolutionary processes in play. Written in the successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible protocols, and notes on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls.

Authoritative and easily accessible, Molecular Plant Taxonomy: Methods and Protocols seeks to provide conceptual as well as technical guidelines to plant taxonomists and geneticists.

Plant Taxonomy: An Historical Perspective, Current Challenges and Perspectives.- Guidelines for the Choice of Sequences for Molecular Plant Taxonomy.- Leaf Tissue Sampling and DNA Extraction Protocols.- DNA Extraction from Herbarium Specimens.- Analysis of Variation in Chloroplast DNA Sequences.- Mitochondrial Genome and Plant Taxonomy.- Nuclear Ribosomal RNA Genes: ITS Region.- New Technologies for Ultra-High Throughput Genotyping in Plant Taxonomy.- Development of Microsatellite Enriched Libraries.- Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and Derived Techniques.- Multilocus Profiling with AFLP, ISSR and SAMPL.- Transposon Based Tagging: IRAP, REMAP and iPBS.- Phylogenetic Reconstruction Methods: An Overview.- The Application of Flow Cytometry for Estimating Genome Size and Ploidy Level in Plants.- Molecular Cytogenetics (FISH and Flurochrome Banding): Resolving Species Relationships and Genome Organisation.- GISH: Resolving Interspecific and Intergeneric Hybrids.- On the Relevance of Molecular Tools for the Taxonomy Revision in Malvales, Malvaceae s.l. and Dombeyoideae.- What Has Molecular Systematics Contributed to Our Knowledge of the Plant Family Proteaceae