Microsatellite analysis reveals a progressive widening of the genetic basis in the elite durum wheat germplasm

It has been argued that the level of genetic diversity in the modern durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L. var. durum) elite germplasm may have declined due to the high selection pressure applied in breeding programs. In this study, 58 accessions covering a wide spectrum of genetic diversity of the cultivated durum wheat gene pool were characterized with 70 microsatellite loci (or simple sequence repeats, SSRs). On average, SSRs detected 5.6 different allelic variants per locus, with a mean diversity index (DI) equal to 0.56, thus revealing a diversity content comparable to those previously observed with SSRs in other small-grain cereal gene pools. The mean genetic similarity value was equal to 0.44. A highly diagnostic SSR set has been identified. A high variation in allele size was detected among SSR loci, suggesting a different suitability of these loci for estimating genetic diversity. The B genome was characterized by an overall polymorphism significantly higher than that of the A genome. Genetic diversity is organised in well-distinct sub-groups identified by the corresponding foundation-genotypes. A large portion (92.7%) of the molecular variation detected within the group of 45 modern cvs was accounted for by SSR alleles tracing back to ten foundation-genotypes; among those, the most recent CIMMYT-derived founders were genetically distant from the old Mediterranean ones. On the other hand, rare alleles were abundant, suggesting that a large number of genetic introgressions contributed to the foundation of the well-diversified germplasm herein considered. The profiles of recently released varieties indicate that the level of genetic diversity present in the modern durum wheat germplasm has actually increased over time.Communicated by F. Salamini     

部分耐盐小麦品种(系)SSR位点遗传多样性研究

选择有多态性的32对SSR引物对80个小麦耐盐品种(系)进行遗传差异研究,共检测出155个等位变异,平均每个位点上有4.75个等位变异;供试80份耐盐小麦品种(系)来源广泛,遗传基础丰富,表现出较高的遗传多样性,遗传相似系数范围在0.26～0.81;聚类分析结果显示,冬性小麦品种(系)聚为一大类;春性小麦品种(系)也聚为一大类;一些系谱相同或相近的品种(系)遗传相似系数较大;A、B、D基因组中SSR位点平均等位变异差异不大,以B基因组较高.     

Genetic structure and a selected core set of Brazilian soybean cultivars

Soybean is one of the most valuable and profitable oil crop species and a thorough knowledge of the genetic structure of this crop is necessary for developing the best breeding strategies. In this study, a representative collection of soybean cultivars recommended for farming in all Brazilian regions was genotyped using 27 simple sequence repeat (SSR) loci. A total of 130 alleles were detected, with an average allelic number of 4.81 per locus. These alleles determined the core set that best represented this soybean germplasm. The Bayesian analysis revealed the presence of two clusters or subgroups within the whole collection (435 soybean cultivars) and the core set (31 entries). Cultivars of similar origin (ancestral) were clustered into the same groups in both analyses. The genetic diversity parameters, based on the SSR loci, revealed high similarity between the whole collection and core set. Differences between the two clusters detected in the core set were attributed more to the frequency of their ancestors than to their genetic base. In terms of ancestry, divergent groups were presented and a panel is shown which may foster efficient breeding programs and aid soybean breeders in planning reliable crossings in the development of new varieties.     

我国陆地棉基础种质遗传多样性的SSR分子标记分析

利用398对BNL、JESPR、TMB等SSR引物,对不同亲本来源、不同选育时期、不同种植生态区的43份陆地棉基础种质进行了遗传多样性的SSR分子标记分析。扩增产物用8％的非变性聚丙烯酰胺凝胶检测,银染观察并照相。遗传多样性带型分析按位点多态信息量（PIC）,Shannon-weaver多样性指数（H^＋）等方法,利用NTSYSpc2．1软件计算品种间的遗传相似系数（Jaccard系数）,并用类平均法（UPGMA）进行聚类。结果表明所选择多态性引物分布在棉花基因组的第3、4、5、8、9、10、16、18、20、23号等染色体上,36对多态性引物在基础种质中扩增等位基因130个,其中多态性等位基因占80％,每个引物扩增等位基因2～8个,平均3．6个,PIC为0．278～0．865,平均0．62,基因型多样性（H^＋）为0．451～2．039,平均1．102,基础种质问SSR遗传相似系数平均为0．610,变幅为0．409～0．865,这说明所选基础种质基因组水平的多样性较丰富,变化范围大、代表性强。按品种不同选育时期来讲,第一、二、三期基础种质的SSR分子标记平均遗传相似系数分别是0．587、0．630、0．630,说明现代基础种质比早期基础种质在基因组水平的差异呈下降的趋势,可能是由于育种者偏重于使用优质高产性状的亲本品种,致使我国棉花的育种基础逐渐变窄。不同棉区基础种质SSR标记性状差异大,北部特早熟棉区基础种质间的SSR标记的多样性大于黄河、长江棉区,主要原因是长江、黄河棉区的育种过分强调高产、优质品种选育,品种间的差异变小;基础种质中的国内品种SSR相似系数（0．624）比引进品种（0.85）高,说明国内品种在遗传多样性上目前还没有超越国外品种。总之,我国棉花现代基础种质比早期基础种质的遗传多样性呈下降的趋势,黄河、长江主产棉区基础种质的遗传多样性还没有超过国外基础种质,品种间的遗传背景较为狭窄,还必须采用多种途径丰富我国棉花种质资源的遗传多样性。     

Comparative analysis of the genetic diversity dynamics at gliadin loci in the winter common wheat Triticum aestivum L. cultivars developed in Serbia and Italy over 40 years of scientific breeding

The dynamics of genetic transformations at gliadin-coding loci in the winter common wheat cultivars produced in Serbia and Italy over 40 years of scientific breeding was studied. It was demonstrated that a number of alleles unique for the wheat cultivars of each country were substituted with the alleles of a limited number of donor cultivars, in particular, cultivar Bezostaya 1 and its derivatives. On the background of preserved heterogeneity values during various time periods of breeding in each country, the genetic diversity in the total region decreased, as demonstrated by similarity in the sets of alleles of gliadin loci and their frequencies in the modern cultivars of these two Southern European countries. This decrease in the genetic diversity is an erosion of genetic resources within the region, which results in a loss of unique coadapted gene complexes.     

Comparative analysis of the genetic diversity dynamics at gliadin loci in the winter common wheat Triticum aestivum L. cultivars developed in Serbia and Italy over 40 years of scientific breeding

The dynamics of genetic transformations at gliadin-coding loci in the winter common wheat cultivars produced in Serbia and Italy over 40 years of scientific breeding was studied. It was demonstrated that a number of alleles unique for the wheat cultivars of each country were substituted with the alleles of a limited number of donor cultivars, in particular, cultivar Bezostaya 1 and its derivatives. On the background of preserved heterogeneity values during various time periods of breeding in each country, the genetic diversity in the total region decreased, as demonstrated by similarity in the sets of alleles of gliadin loci and their frequencies in the modem cultivars of these two Southern European countries. This decrease in the genetic diversity is an erosion of genetic resources within the region, which results in a loss of unique coadapted gene complexes.     

Genetic Diversity of Source Germplasm of Upland Cotton in China as Determined by SSR Marker Analysis

The genetic diversity of 43 sources of Upland cotton germplasm with different parental origins, breeding periods, and ecological growing areas in China were studied on the basis of simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. A total of 130 gene alleles with 80% polymorphism were detected from 36 SSR primers. The number of alleles per primer ranged from two to eight with an average of 3.6. The polymorphism information content (PIC) range was 0.278-0.865, with an average of 0.62. The average genotype diversity index (H') was 1.102, the highest was 2.039 and the lowest was 0.451. The average coefficient of the genetic similarity of SSR markers among source germplasm was 0.610, ranging from 0.409 to 0.865. These indicated that the genetic diversity at the genomic level of the selected source germplasm was rich, and was representative of the diversity of the germplasms, in general. The diversity at the genome level of the base germplasm from the second and third breeding periods was decreased compared to that of the first period, indicating that the cotton genetic background in China became narrow gradually. The diversity of SSR markers among the base germplasm from early maturity cotton growing areas in the north was higher than those from the Huanghe and Yangtze growing areas. The molecular marker genetic similarity index of the domestic varieties was higher than that in the introduced varieties, which indicates that the genetic diversity in domestic cultivars was lower than that in the introduced varieties. This study gives an overview of the genetic diversity of the cotton germplasm base in China, and provides a guide for breeders to develop new cultivars efficiently.     

Assessment of Genetic Diversity in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Secale cereale</Emphasis> Based on SSR Markers

The primary aim of this study was to estimate genetic diversity among Secale cereale L. accessions using 22 previously published simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. The plant material included 367 rye accessions comprising historical and contemporary cultivars, cultivated materials, landraces, and breeding strains from the Polish breeding company Danko. The studied accessions represented a wide geographical diversity. Several methods were employed to analyze genetic diversity among the Secale cereale L. accessions and to determine population structure: principal coordinate analysis (PCoA), neighbor-joining (NJ), and Bayesian clustering. We also defined a core collection of 25 rye accessions representing over 93 % of SSR alleles. The results of these analyses showed that accessions from the rye gene bank are clearly divergent in comparison with materials received directly from European breeding companies. Our findings suggest also that the genetic pool of current rye cultivars is becoming narrower during breeding processes. The selected panel of SSR markers performed well in detection of genetic diversity patterns and can be recommended for future germplasm characterization studies in rye.     

Genetic diversity in three groups of barley germplasm assessed by simple sequence repeats.

Genetic diversity can be measured by several criteria, including phenotype, pedigree, allelic diversity at marker loci, and allelic diversity at loci controlling phenotypes of interest. Abundance, high level of polymorphism, and ease of genotyping make simple sequence repeats (SSRs) an excellent molecular marker system for genetics diversity analyses. In this study, we used a set of mapped SSRs to survey three representative groups of barley germplasm: a sample of crop progenitor (Hordeum vulgare subsp. spontaneum) accessions, a group of mapping population parents, and a group of varieties and elite breeding lines. The objectives were to determine (i) how informative SSRs are in these three sets of barley germplasm resources and (ii) the utility of SSRs in classifying barley germplasm. A total of 687 alleles were identified at 42 SSR loci in 147 genotypes. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 4 to 31, with an average of 16.3. Crop progenitors averaged 10.3 alleles per SSR locus, mapping population parents 8.3 alleles per SSR locus, and elite breeding lines 5.8 alleles per SSR locus. There were many exclusive (unique) alleles. The polymorphism information content values for the SSRs ranged from 0.08 to 0.94. The cluster analysis indicates a high level of diversity within the crop progenitors accessions and within the mapping population parents. It also shows a lower level of diversity within the elite breeding germplasm. Our results demonstrate that this set of SSRs was highly informative and was useful in generating a meaningful classification of the germplasm that we sampled. Our long-term goal is to determine the utility of molecular marker diversity as a tool for gene discovery and efficient use of germplasm.     

Genetic diversity changes in Indian lentils over the times

The genetic diversity of 96 genotypes of lentil comprising 34 cultivars, 46 advanced breeding lines, and 16 germplasm lines were studied using 260 SSR markers. These markers generated a total of 749 alleles. The alleles/locus ranged from 2 to 16 with an average value of 2.87. Polymorphic information content varied from 0.02 to 0.91 with a mean of 0.30. Major allelic frequency ranged from 0.14 to 0.99 with a mean of 0.77. Studied genotypes were clustered into two groups according to their breeding history. Advanced breeding lines derived from exotic lines were clustered in one group, while another group accommodated most of the cultivars and advanced breeding lines with common cultivars in parentage. The germplasm lines were sub-clustered within first group. Cumulatively, first three principal components contributed 21.2% to the total variability. Advanced breeding lines showed higher number of alleles/locus and gene diversity (He) than other sets of genetic materials. In present study, no significant differences were observed between cultivars developed in different decadal groups for both NA and He. Moreover, genetic diversity changes between small and large seeded lentil cultivars were also found non-significant in this study. These findings showed that the use of alien genes can help to diversify active gene pool for developing improved new cultivars in lentil.     

A worldwide bread wheat core collection arrayed in a 384-well plate

Bread wheat (Triticum aestivum), one of the world’s major crops, is genetically very diverse. In order to select a representative sample of the worldwide wheat diversity, 3,942 accessions originating from 73 countries were analysed with a set of 38 genomic simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. The number of alleles at each locus ranged from 7 to 45 with an average of 23.9 alleles per locus. The 908 alleles detected were used together with passport data to select increasingly large sub-samples that maximised both the number of observed alleles at SSR loci and the number of geographical origins. A final core of 372 accessions (372CC) was selected with this M strategy. All the different geographical areas and more than 98% of the allelic diversity at the 38 polymorphic loci were represented in this core. The method used to build the core was validated, by using a second set of independent markers [44 expressed sequence tag (EST)-SSR markers] on a larger sample of 744 accessions: 96.74% of the alleles observed at these loci had already been captured in the 372CC. So maximizing the diversity with a first set of markers also maximised the diversity at a second independent set of locus. To relate the genetic structure of wheat germplasm to its geographical origins, the two sets of markers were used to compute a dissimilarity matrix between geographical groups. Current worldwide wheat diversity is clearly divided according to wheat’s European and Asian origins, whereas the diversity within each geographical group might be the result of the combined effects of adaptation of an initial germplasm to different environmental conditions and specific breeding practices. Seeds from each accession of the 372CC were multiplied and are now available to the scientific community. The genomic DNA of the 372CC, which can be entirely contained in a 384-deep-well storage plate, will be a useful tool for future studies of wheat genetic diversity. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Wheat genetic diversity trends during domestication and breeding

It has been claimed that plant breeding reduces genetic diversity in elite germplasm which could seriously jeopardize the continued ability to improve crops. The main objective of this study was to examine the loss of genetic diversity in spring bread wheat during (1) its domestication, (2) the change from traditional landrace cultivars (LCs) to modern breeding varieties, and (3) 50 years of international breeding. We studied 253 CIMMYT or CIMMYT-related modern wheat cultivars, LCs, and Triticum tauschii accessions, the D-genome donor of wheat, with 90 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers dispersed across the wheat genome. A loss of genetic diversity was observed from T. tauschii to the LCs, and from the LCs to the elite breeding germplasm. Wheats genetic diversity was narrowed from 1950 to 1989, but was enhanced from 1990 to 1997. Our results indicate that breeders averted the narrowing of the wheat germplasm base and subsequently increased the genetic diversity through the introgression of novel materials. The LCs and T. tauschii contain numerous unique alleles that were absent in modern spring bread wheat cultivars. Consequently, both the LCs and T. tauschii represent useful sources for broadening the genetic base of elite wheat breeding germplasm.     

吉林省大豆育成品种的遗传多样性特点分析

利用SSR分子标记技术对吉林省近年来新育成的56份大豆品种进行遗传多样性分析,以来自其他14个省份的16份大豆育成品种为对照,结果表明,吉林省育成品种15个SSR位点的等位变异数和特异等位变异数(76,12)均低于省外品种(78,18)。吉林省育成品种的遗传多样性指数(0.63,1.23)均极显著低于省外品种(0.76,1.55)。聚类分析与主成分分析结果都表明,四川省、山西省和内蒙古自治区的育成品种与其他品种的遗传距离较远。通过对不同年份平均遗传相似系数的比较,明确大豆育成品种的遗传基础的发展趋势,表明吉林省育成品种的遗传基础与省外品种相比,遗传变异较少,遗传基础较狭窄,应不断引入外省遗传变异大且亲缘关系较远的品种以拓宽其遗传基础。     

基于遗传多样性构建金针菇的核心种质群体及分子身份证

金针菇Flammulina filiformis是我国产量最高的工厂化栽培食用菌。为提高优良工厂化栽培金针菇种质的育种效率,本研究以国内外收集的105份金针菇种质为材料,开展体细胞不亲和评价,并采用SSR分子标记的方法对所有种质进行遗传多样性分析和聚类分析。20对SSR引物在105份种质中共扩增得到209个等位基因位点,所有种质间的遗传相似系数为0.71-1.00,在遗传距离0.76处可分为5个大类群。105份金针菇种质共包含67种不同的遗传背景,野生金针菇种质比栽培种质具有更丰富的遗传多样性。基于SSR的聚类分析结果和体细胞不亲和评价结果既相互印证,又可互为借鉴。本研究构建了包含44份金针菇种质的核心种质群体,占所有供试材料的41.90%,保留了100%等位基因。核心种质群体覆盖区域广泛,最大限度地保留了原始群体的遗传多样性和表型变异,可为育种的亲本选择提供参考。进一步构建了能同时反映每份金针菇种质SSR分子标记指纹图谱、收集地区、子实体颜色和栽培性状的分子身份证编码,并转换成可视二维码,为金针菇种质的高效标识和快速溯源提供了科学依据。     

Genetic diversity in a collection of old and new bread wheat cultivars from Iran as revealed by simple sequence repeat-based analysis

Genetic diversity in a collection of 70 bread wheat ( Triticum aestivum ) genotypes was studied using 73 microsatellite [simple sequence repeat (SSR)] loci evenly spaced on wheat chromosomes. A total of 592 alleles with an average of 8.53 allele/locus were detected, of which 185 (31.25%) occurred only in a specific group of genotypes. A set of SSR markers consisted of 22 loci with polymorphic information content values of 0.80 or higher were selected for rapid fingerprinting of many genotypes. Average of gene diversity was 0.74 ± 0.017, and significant difference between observed and maximum theoretical values of gene diversity in the analysed SSR loci was obtained using a paired t -test. Genetic distance-based clustering methods including unweighted pair group method with arithmetic average and neighbour joining (NJ) were used for grouping of genotypes. The resulted dendrogram based on NJ and number of differences coefficient hinted of the existence of three groups. This grouping was in agreement with the pedigree information and confirmed by high within-group bootstrap value. A comparatively higher genetic diversity in the studied wheat collection as revealed by presence of high allelic diversity and large number of specific alleles could be utilised in development of new cultivars with desired characteristics.     

甘蔗属不同种及优良甘蔗栽培品种的SSR标记遗传多样性分析

应用21对SSR引物与毛细管电泳技术,分析了52个甘蔗属品种的遗传多样性。共检测出327个SSR标记,平均每对引物检测15.6个。选择141个共显性标记构建SSR标记指纹图谱数据库,利用DNAMAN软件与UPGMA统计方法分析参试材料遗传多样性。DNAMAN软件同源分析显示,新台糖16号与台优1号之间的同源性最高(87%),品种之间最小的同源性为55%;利用UPGMA统计方法可把参试材料分成4个遗传相似性较高的类群。结果表明,SSR标记与毛细管技术的结合,可构建甘蔗种质资源SSR标记指纹图谱、分析甘蔗种质资源遗传多样性。聚类分析显示参试甘蔗材料的遗传基础相近,为了提高甘蔗选育种效率,应拓宽甘蔗选育种亲本的遗传基础,提高杂交栽培品种的抗虫、抗病等特性。     

Genetic diversity among cultivars, landraces and wild relatives of rice as revealed by microsatellite markers

Genetic diversity among 35 rice accessions, which included 19 landraces, 9 cultivars and 7 wild relatives, was investigated by using microsatellite (SSR) markers distributed across the rice genome. The mean number of alleles per locus was 4.86, showing 95.2% polymorphism and an average polymorphism information content of 0.707. Cluster analysis based on microsatellite allelic diversity clearly demarcated the landraces, cultivars and wild relatives into different groups. The allelic richness computed for the clusters indicated that genetic diversity was the highest among wild relatives (0.436), followed by landraces (0.356), and the lowest for cultivars. Allelic variability among the SSR markers was high enough to categorize cultivars, landraces and wild relatives of the rice germplasm, and to catalogue the genetic variability observed for future use. The results also suggested the necessity to introgress genes from landraces and wild relatives into cultivars, for cultivar improvement.     

东北春大豆样本的代表性及其SSR位点的遗传多样性分析

从3226份东北春大豆总体中选择283份春大豆种质,用质量性状和数量性状进行检测,对总体的代表性为80%.利用筛选出61对SSR核心引物对具代表性的东北春大豆样本进行分析,共检测到534个等位变异,平均每个位点的等位变异为8.75个,变幅为2～16个;遗传多样性指数变化范围在0.406～0.886,平均为0.704;东北春大豆样本在大多数位点上有优势等位变异,从而降低了其遗传多样性.其中35份种质具有特异等位变异,分布在29个位点上;各个位点上分化系数均较小,遗传多样性分化程度较低.东北春大豆中3个省种质的共有等位变异较多,以吉林省和辽宁省种质的遗传多样性表现较为一致,均高于黑龙江省种质的遗传多样性.地方品种的遗传多样性高于育成品种.东北春大豆种质资源的遗传多样性分布特点为有目的选择杂交亲本拓宽遗传基础以培育新品种提供了理论依据.     

Trends in genetic diversity among European maize cultivars and their parental components during the past 50 years

It has been claimed that the system that delivers the products of plant breeding reduces the diversity of cultivated varieties leading to an increased genetic vulnerability. The main goal of our study was to monitor the temporal trends in genetic diversity over the past five decades among maize cultivars with the largest acreage in Central Europe. Our objectives were to (1) investigate how much of the genetic diversity present in important adapted open-pollinated varieties (OPVs) has been captured in the elite flint germplasm pool, (2) examine changes in the genetic diversity among the most important commercial hybrids as well as in their dent and flint parents, (3) analyze temporal changes in allele frequencies between the dent and flint parental inbreds, and (4) investigate linkage disequilibrium (LD) trends between pairs of loci within the set of parental dent and flint lines. We examined 30 individuals of five prominent OPVs from Central Europe, 85 maize hybrids of economic importance, and their dent and flint parental components with 55 SSRs. LD was significant at probability level P=0.01 for 20.2% of the SSR marker pairs in the 82 dent lines and for 17.2% in the 66 flint lines. The dent and flint heterotic groups were clearly separated already at the beginning of hybrid breeding in Central Europe. Furthermore, the genetic variation within and among varieties decreased significantly during the five decades. The five OPVs contain numerous unique alleles that were absent in the elite flint pool. Consequently, OPVs could present useful sources for broadening the genetic base of elite maize breeding germplasm.