ELECTROPHORETICAL EVIDENCE OF VARIATION IN POPULATIONS OF THE FODDER LEGUME CHAMAECYTISUS-PROLIFERUS FROM THE CANARY-ISLANDS

Total protein seed electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) of 18 germplasm accessions of the seven morphological forms of Chamaecytisus proliferus supports the existence of three major gene pools for this endemic species of the Canary Islands. The first gene pool is formed by the two taxa endemic to the island of La Palma (C. proliferus ssp. proliferus var. palmensis and C. proliferus ssp. proliferus var. calderae). The second gene pool was formed by those taxa endemic to the islands of El Hierro (C. proliferus ssp. proliferus var. hierrensis), Tenerife and La Gomera (C. proliferus ssp. angustifolius). Finally the two taxa endemic to Gran Canaria (C. proliferus ssp. meridionalis and C. proliferus ssp. proliferus var. canariae) form the third gene pool. Patterns of seed protein variation obtained after SDS-PAGE also agree with previous hypotheses concerning adaptive radiation as the main evolutionary process which has taken place for C. proliferus within each island. Our results indicate that protein profiles can be useful macromolecular markers to understand the evolutionary history of oceanic island endemics.