Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis of Protein Extracts from Members of the Parmelia perforata Complex

Abstract

Total protein extracts from North Carolinian [USA] populations of P. perforata (Jacq.) Ach., P. hypotropa Nyl. and P. hypoleucina B. Stein. were subjected to electrophoresis on acid polyacrylamide gels and the banding patterns were converted to numerical scores with the intensity of each electromorph being represented by a value on a 1-5 scale. Neither the hierarchy produced by sum of squares agglomeration nor the distribution of OTU [operational taxonomic unit] produced by the principal components analysis provided particularly strong support for the present specific designations, though some affinity among individuals of the same species could be seen. The data did support Culberson''s taxonomy more than the previously used classical system. The observed interspecific differences were mostly of a quantitative nature.