Genetic Diversity and Core Collection Evaluations in Common Wheat Germplasm from the Northwestern Spring Wheat Region in China

Fluorescence microsatellite markers were employed to reveal genetic diversity of 340 wheat accessions consisting of 229 landraces and 111 modern varieties from the Northwest Spring Wheat Region in China. The 340 accessions were chosen as candidate core collections for wheat germplasm in this region. A core collection representing the genetic diversity of these accessions was identified based on a cluster dendrogram of 78 SSR loci. A total of 967 alleles were detected with a mean of 13.6 alleles (5–32) per locus. Mean PIC was 0.64, ranged from 0.05 to 0.91. All loci were distributed relatively evenly in the A, B and D wheat genomes. Mean genetic richness of A, B and D genomes for both landraces and modern varieties was B > A > D. However, mean genetic diversity indices of landraces changed to B > D > A. As a whole, genetic diversity of the landraces was considerably higher than that of the modern varieties. The big difference of genetic diversity indices in the three genomes suggested that breeding has exerted greater selection pressure in the D than the A or B genomes in this region. Changes of allelic proportions represented in the proposed core collection at different sampling scales suggested that the sampling percentage of the core collection in the Northwest Spring Wheat Region should be greater than 4% of the base collection to ensure that more than 70% of the variation is represented by the core collection. Electronic supplementary material Electronic supplementary material is available for this article at and accessible for authorised users.     

Development,characterization and utilization of genomic microsatellite markers in turmeric (Curcuma longa L.)

Development of a robust set of 18 genomic microsatellite markers from turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) and its effective utilization in estimating the genetic diversity of 20 turmeric accessions are described. A total of 103 alleles were detected with an average of 5.7 alleles per locus. These markers displayed varied levels of polymorphism as evident from its discriminating power ranging from 0.19 to 0.70. The UPGMA cluster analysis of genetic distance values resolved the 20 turmeric accessions into five main groups. Three sets of genetically identical accessions were detected within the analyzed accessions, suggesting a revisit of the germplasm collection strategy based on vernacular identity. The entire grouping pattern of the entities was loose and independent of their geographical origins. These polymorphic SSR markers would be useful for the population genetic studies and germplasm management of turmeric.     

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.     

Features of SNP and SSR diversity in a set of ICARDA barley germplasm collection

Detection and utilization of genetic variation available in the germplasm collection for crop improvement have been the prime activities of breeders. Here a set of ICARDA barley germplasm collection comprising of 185 cultivated (Hordeum vulgare L.) and 38 wild (H. spontaneum L.) genotypes originated from 30 countries of four continents was genotyped with 68 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and 45 microsatellite or simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers derived from genes (expressed sequence tags, ESTs). As two SNP markers provided 2 and 3 datapoints, a total of 71 SNPs were surveyed that yielded a total of 143 alleles. The number of SSR alleles per locus ranged from 3 to 22 with an average of 7.9 per marker. Average PIC (polymorphism information content) value for SSR and SNP markers were recorded as 0.63 and 0.38, respectively. Heterogeneity was recorded at both SNP and SSR loci in an average of 5.72 and 12.42% accessions, respectively. Genetic similarity matrices for SSR and SNP allelic data were highly correlated (r = 0.75, P < 0.005) and therefore allelic data for both markers were combined and analyzed for understanding the genetic relationships among the germplasm surveyed. Majority of clusters/subclusters were found to contain genotypes from the same geographic origins. While comparing the genetic diversity, the accessions coming from Middle East Asia and North East Asia showed more diversity as compared to that of other geographic regions. Majority of countries representing Africa, Middle East Asia, North East Asia and Arabian Peninsula included the genotypes that contained rare alleles. As expected, spontaneum accessions, as compared to vulgare accessions, showed a higher number of total alleles, higher number of alleles per locus, higher effective number of alleles and higher allelic richness and a higher number of rare alleles were observed. In summary, the examined ICARDA germplasm set showed ample natural genetic variation that can be harnessed for future breeding of barley as climate change and sustainability have become important throughout all growing areas of the world, drought/heat tolerance being the most important ones.     

Microsatellite (SSR) markers reveal genetic identities, genetic diversity and relationships in a Malus×domestica borkh. core subset collection

 A collection of 66 Malus×domestica Borkh. accessions from the USDA-ARS Plant Genetic Resources Unit’s core collection was screened with a set of eight SSR (simple sequence repeat) primers developed at the PGRU in order to determine genetic identities, estimate genetic diversity, and to identify genetic relationships among these accessions. All eight primer pairs generated multiple fragments when used in amplification reactions with DNA from these accessions. High levels of variation were detected with a mean of 12.1 alleles per locus and a mean heterozygosity across all eight loci of 0.693. The eight primer pairs utilized in this study unambiguously differentiated all but seven pairs of accessions in this collection of 66 M.×domestica Borkh. genotypes. The probability of matching any two genotypes at all eight loci in this study was approximately 1 in 1 billion. The markers detected two misnamed accessions in the collection. Genetic-identity data produced a genetic-relatedness phenogram which was concordant with geographic origins and/or known pedigree information. These SSR markers show great promise as tools for managing Malus ex situ germplasm collections as well as for collection and preservation strategies concerning wild Malus populations in situ. Received: 28 March 1998 / Accepted: 29 April 1998     

Molecular characterization and genetic diversity analysis of soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) germplasm accessions in India

Molecular characterization and genetic diversity among 82 soybean accessions was carried out by using 44 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. Of the 44 SSR markers used, 40 markers were found polymorphic among 82 soybean accessions. These 40 polymorphic markers produced a total of 119 alleles, of which five were unique alleles and four alleles were rare. The allele number for each SSR locus varied between two to four with an average of 2.97 alleles per marker. Polymorphic information content values of SSRs ranged from 0.101 to 0.742 with an average of 0.477. Jaccard’s similarity coefficient was employed to study the molecular diversity of 82 soybean accessions. The pairwise genetic similarity among 82 soybean accessions varied from 0.28 to 0.90. The dendrogram constructed based on genetic similarities among 82 soybean accessions identified three major clusters. The majority of genotypes including four improved cultivars were grouped in a single subcluster IIIa of cluster III, indicating high genetic resemblance among soybean germplasm collection in India.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s12298-014-0266-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Evaluation of SSR Markers for the Assessment of Genetic Diversity and Fingerprinting of Gossypium hirsutum Accessions

A total 177 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers were screened using a set of 47 Upland cotton genotypes comprising 14 commercial varieties, 14 germplasm accessions and 19 advanced breeding lines to identify informative markers for genetic diversity assessment and fingerprinting in G. hirsutum. Only 21% (381177) of SSR markers tested showed polymorphism with a mean of 2.18 alleles per locus and with average polymorphism information content (PIC) of 0.32. The SSR markers revealed a Jaccard’ similarity coefficient ranging between 0.43 and 0.89, with an average of 0.67 among accessions. Cluster analysis using unweighted pair group method with arithmetic averages (UPGMA) and principal component analysis (PCA) indicated that majority of the genotypes were very closely related. All the 47 genotypes showed heterorygosity for at least one of the SSR loci. We discovered 19 rare and 6 unique alleles among the tested genotypes of cotton. Fingerprint based on all the 38 loci revealed a probability of identical match by chance of 3.98x10. A set of ten SSR markers was identified which could distinguish all the 47 genotypes with a moderate probability of identical match by chance (X?_D ⁿ = 0.01).     

Assessing genetic diversity of wheat (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Triticum aestivum</Emphasis> L.) germplasm using microsatellite markers

A set of 24 wheat microsatellite markers, representing at least one marker from each chromosome, was used for the assessment of genetic diversity in 998 accessions of hexaploid bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) which originated from 68 countries of five continents. A total of 470 alleles were detected with an average allele number of 18.1 per locus. The highest number of alleles per locus was detected in the B genome with 19.9, compared to 17.4 and 16.5 for genomes A and D, respectively. The lowest allele number per locus among the seven homoeologous groups was observed in group 4. Greater genetic variation exists in the non-centromeric regions than in the centromeric regions of chromosomes. Allele numbers increased with the repeat number of the microsatellites used and their relative distance from the centromere, and was not dependent on the motif of microsatellites. Gene diversity was correlated with the number of alleles. Gene diversity according to Nei for the 26 microsatellite loci varied from 0.43 to 0.94 with an average of 0.77, and was 0.78, 0.81 and 0.73 for three genomes A, B and D, respectively. Alleles for each locus were present in regular two or three base-pair steps, indicating that the genetic variation during the wheat evolution occurred step by step in a continuous manner. In most cases, allele frequencies showed a normal distribution. Comparative analysis of microsatellite diversity among the eight geographical regions revealed that the accessions from the Near East and the Middle East exhibited more genetic diversity than those from the other regions. Greater diversity was found in Southeast Europe than in North and Southwest Europe. The present study also indicates that microsatellite markers permit the fast and high throughput fingerprinting of large numbers of accessions from a germplasm collection in order to assess genetic diversity.     

Newly developed SSR markers reveal genetic diversity and geographical clustering in spinach (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Spinacia oleracea</Emphasis>)

Spinach is a popular leafy green vegetable due to its nutritional composition. It contains high concentrations of vitamins A, E, C, and K, and folic acid. Development of genetic markers for spinach is important for diversity and breeding studies. In this work, Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technology was used to develop genomic simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. After cleaning and contig assembly, the sequence encompassed 2.5% of the 980 Mb spinach genome. The contigs were mined for SSRs. A total of 3852 SSRs were detected. Of these, 100 primer pairs were tested and 85% were found to yield clear, reproducible amplicons. These 85 markers were then applied to 48 spinach accessions from worldwide origins, resulting in 389 alleles with 89% polymorphism. The average gene diversity (GD) value of the markers (based on a GD calculation that ranges from 0 to 0.5) was 0.25. Our results demonstrated that the newly developed SSR markers are suitable for assessing genetic diversity and population structure of spinach germplasm. The markers also revealed clustering of the accessions based on geographical origin with clear separation of Far Eastern accessions which had the overall highest genetic diversity when compared with accessions from Persia, Turkey, Europe, and the USA. Thus, the SSR markers have good potential to provide valuable information for spinach breeding and germplasm management. Also they will be helpful for genome mapping and core collection establishment.     

Microsatellite-based molecular diversity of bread wheat germplasm and association mapping of wheat resistance to the Russian wheat aphid

Genetic diversity of a set of 71 wheat accessions, including 53 biotype 2 Russian wheat aphid (RWA2)-resistant landraces and 18 RWA2 susceptible accessions, was assessed by examining molecular variation at multiple microsatellite (SSR) loci. Fifty-one wheat SSR primer pairs were used, 81 SSR loci were determined, and 545 SSR alleles were detected. These SSR loci covered all the three genomes, 21 chromosomes, and at least 41 of the 42 chromosome arms. Diversity values averaged over SSR loci were high with mean number of SSR alleles/locus = 6.7, mean Shannon’s index (H) = 1.291, and mean Nei’s gene diversity (He) = 0.609. The three wheat genomes ranked as A > D > B and the homoeologous groups ranked as 7 > 3  > 1 > 2 > 6 > 5 > 4 based on the number of alleles per locus. Xgwm136 on chromosome arm 1AS is the most polymorphic SSR locus with the largest number of observed and effective alleles and the highest H and He. Among all 2485 pairs of wheat accessions, genetic distance (GD) ranged from 0.054 to 1.933 and averaged 0.9832. A dendrogram based on GD matrix showed that all the wheat accessions could be grouped into distinct clusters. Most of the susceptible cultivars (13/18) were clustered into groups that contains all or mostly susceptible accessions. Most of the U.S. cultivars belong to a group that is distinguishable from all the different RWA2 resistant groups. Diversity analysis was also conducted separately for subgroups containing 53 RWA2-resistant accessions and 18 RWA2-susceptible accessions. Association mapping revealed 28 SSR loci significantly associated with leaf chlorosis, and 8 with leaf rolling. New chromosome regions associated with RWA2 resistance were detected, and indicated existence of new RWA resistance genes located on chromosomes of all other homoeologous groups in addition to the groups 1 and 7 in bread wheat. This information is helpful for development of mapping populations for RWA2 resistance genes from different phylogenetic groups, and for wise utilization of the RWA-resistant germplasm in wheat breeding programs.     

Expanding the repertoire of microsatellite markers for polymorphism studies in Indian accessions of mung bean (Vigna radiata L. Wilczek)

Limited availability of validated, polymorphic microsatellite markers in mung bean (Vigna radiata), an important food legume of India, has been a major hurdle towards its improvement and higher yield. The present study was undertaken in order to develop a new set of microsatellite markers and utilize them for the analysis of genetic diversity within mung bean accessions from India. A GA/CT enriched library was constructed from V. radiata which resulted in 1,250 putative recombinant clones of which 850 were sequenced. SSR motifs were identified and their flanking sequences were utilized to design 328 SSR primer pairs. Of these, 48 SSR markers were employed for assessing genetic diversity among 76 mung bean accessions from various geographical locations in India. Two hundred and thirty four alleles with an average of 4.85 alleles per locus were detected at 48 loci. The polymorphic information content (PIC) per locus varied from 0.1 to 0.88 (average: 0.49 per locus). The observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.40 to 0.95 and 0.40 to 0.81 respectively. Based on Jaccard’s similarity matrix, a dendrogram was constructed using the unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic averages (UPGMA) analysis which revealed that one accession from Bundi, Rajasthan was clustered out separately while remaining accessions were grouped into two major clusters. The markers generated in this study will help in expanding the repertoire of the available SSR markers thereby facilitating analysis of genetic diversity, molecular mapping and ultimately broadening the scope for genetic improvement of this legume.     

棉花耐盐相关种质资源遗传多样性分析

为了解我国棉花耐盐相关种质资源的遗传变异,利用88对SSR引物对23份棉花耐盐材料和24份盐敏感材料进行遗传多样性分析。88个SSR位点在47份材料中共检测出338个等位基因变异,平均每个位点有3.841个;其中耐盐材料中检测出333个,盐敏感材料中检测出312个。耐盐材料的位点多态信息含量(PIC)、每个位点的有效等位基因数(Ne)、基因型多样性(H′)分别为0.613、2.929和1.083,盐敏感材料的PIC、Ne、H′分别为0.605、2.883和1.071。耐盐材料和盐敏感材料的Jaccard相似性系数分别在0.530–0.979和0.525–0.878之间,遗传相似性系数总体平均值接近,但耐盐材料的变化幅度更大。用类平均法(UPGMA)聚类将47份材料分成3个类群。总体而言,大多数材料之间的遗传相似性系数较高,表明我国陆地棉耐盐相关种质资源遗传基础狭窄。本结果为棉花耐盐育种中亲本的选配和优势组合的预测以及耐盐资源的合理利用等提供了基础资料。     

Assessment of genetic diversity in Ethiopian cowpea [<Emphasis Type="Italic">Vigna unguiculata</Emphasis> (L.) Walp.] germplasm using simple sequence repeat markers

The genetic diversity of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.) in Ethiopia was analyzed using 19 uniform accessions, 62 variable accessions (yielding 185 sub-types), and two mungbean (Vigna radiata) accessions (four subtypes) as outgroup. A set of 23 polymorphic simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers was identified, and polymorphism in the various accessions was scored by determining amplicon variability. Allele frequency, genetic diversity, and polymorphism information content (PIC) were determined for each SSR marker, and a neighbor joining dendrogram was generated to show the genetic relationship among the individual accessions. A total of 75 allelic variants was defined, with the average number of alleles per locus calculated to be three. The average genetic diversity (D) was 0.47, and PIC was 0.4. Three main clusters were identified by phylogenetic analysis, and the clusters and sub-grouping were supported by STRUCTURE and principal component analysis. This grouping had a moderate fixation index value of 0.075 and gene flow (Nm) of 3.176, indicating that the accessions possess wide diversity within individuals and populations. The accessions showed no clustering by geographical origins. Three well-characterized molecular markers (SSR1, C42-2B, and 61RM2) for race specific resistance to Striga gesnerioides in the cowpea cultivar B301 were used to evaluate the accessions for their potential for use in genetic improvement against this pest. Based on this analysis, only two accessions, 222890–2 from Gambela and 286–2 from the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples (SNNP) region, were found to cluster with B301 and contain the SSR1 resistance allele. These findings will assist in germplasm conservation efforts by the Institute of Biodiversity and Conservation of Ethiopia, and contribute to future studies aimed at the genetic improvement of local germplasm for improved overall agronomic performance as well as Striga resistance in particular.     

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     

Evaluation of the genetic diversity and population structure of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) using microsatellite markers

Sixteen polymorphic microsatellite (SSR) markers, developed from an SSR-enriched genomic DNA library of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.), were used to assess genetic diversity, phylogenetic relationships, and population structure among 150 sesame accessions collected from 22 countries. A total of 121 alleles were detected among the sesame accessions. The number of detected alleles varied from 2 to 18, with an average of 7.6 alleles per locus. Polymorphism information content values ranged from 0.03 to 0.79, with an average of 0.42. These values indicated an excess of heterozygous individuals at 16 loci and an excess of homozygous individuals at three loci. Of these, 32 genotype-specific alleles were identified at 11 of 16 polymorphic SSR markers. Cluster analyses were performed by accession and population, revealing a complex accession distribution pattern with mean genetic similarity coefficient of 0.45 by accession and 0.52 by population. The wide variation in genetic similarity among the accessions revealed by SSRs reflected a high level of polymorphism at the DNA level. Model-based structure analysis revealed the presence of three groups that were basically consistent with the clustering results based on genetic distance. These findings may be used to augment the sesame germplasm and to increase the effectiveness of sesame breeding.     

Identification of unique alleles and assessment of genetic diversity of rabi sorghum accessions using simple sequence repeat markers

Genetic diversity among 42 sorghum accessions representing landraces (19), advanced breeding lines (16), local cultivars (2) and release varieties (5) with 30 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers revealed 7.6 mean number of alleles per locus showing 93.3% polymorphism and an average polymorphism information content of 0.78 which range from 0.22 (Xtxp12) and 0.91(Xtxp321). The average heterozygosity and effective number of alleles per locus were 0.8 and 6.65 respectively. Cluster analysis based on microsatellite allelic diversity clearly demarcated the accessions into ten clusters. A total of 24 unique alleles were obtained from seven SSR loci in 23 accessions in a size range of 110–380 bp; these unique alleles may serve as diagnostic tools for particular region of the genome of respective genotypes. Selected SSR markers from different linkage groups provided an accurate way of determining genetic diversity at the molecular level.     

SSR-based genetic diversity and structure of garlic accessions from Brazil

Garlic is a spice and a medicinal plant; hence, there is an increasing interest in ‘developing’ new varieties with different culinary properties or with high content of nutraceutical compounds. Phenotypic traits and dominant molecular markers are predominantly used to evaluate the genetic diversity of garlic clones. However, 24 SSR markers (codominant) specific for garlic are available in the literature, fostering germplasm researches. In this study, we genotyped 130 garlic accessions from Brazil and abroad using 17 polymorphic SSR markers to assess the genetic diversity and structure. This is the first attempt to evaluate a large set of accessions maintained by Brazilian institutions. A high level of redundancy was detected in the collection (50 % of the accessions represented eight haplotypes). However, non-redundant accessions presented high genetic diversity. We detected on average five alleles per locus, Shannon index of 1.2, H_O of 0.5, and H_E of 0.6. A core collection was set with 17 accessions, covering 100 % of the alleles with minimum redundancy. Overall F_ST and D values indicate a strong genetic structure within accessions. Two major groups identified by both model-based (Bayesian approach) and hierarchical clustering (UPGMA dendrogram) techniques were coherent with the classification of accessions according to maturity time (growth cycle): early-late and midseason accessions. Assessing genetic diversity and structure of garlic collections is the first step towards an efficient management and conservation of accessions in genebanks, as well as to advance future genetic studies and improvement of garlic worldwide.     

Genetic analysis of maize germplasm in the Korean Genebank and association with agronomic traits and simple sequence repeat markers

We assessed genetic and phenotypic variation in 105 maize germplasm accessions from RDA-Genebank of Korea and performed association analyses for 11 agronomical traits and 100 simple sequence repeats (SSR). Genetic diversity (GD) analysis revealed a total of 1104 alleles at the 100 SSR loci. The average number of alleles per locus was 11.0. The average GD and polymorphic information content values were 0.73 and 0.70, respectively. The average major allele frequency was 0.41. Population structure analysis indicated that these maize accessions comprised two major groups and one admixed group based on a membership probability threshold of 0.80. The two major groups contained 35 and 46 maize accessions. A mixed linear model of association analysis revealed five marker-trait associations with a significance level of P?≤?0.01 involving five SSR markers. A general linear model showed 72 marker-trait associations involving 42 SSR markers. We confirmed the presence in the general linear model associations of the five significant marker-trait associations (SMTAs) identified in the mixed linear model. For these SMTAs, two loci were associated with stem diameter and one locus each was associated with ear row number, leaf width, and leaf length. These results should prove useful for breeding new inbred lines by selecting parental lines using molecular markers and will help to preserve maize genetic resources in Korea.     

Microsatellite markers reveal high genetic diversity in date palm (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Phoenix dactylifera</Emphasis> L.) germplasm from Sudan

Genetic diversity in date palm germplasm from Sudan representing 37 female and 23 male accessions was investigated using 16 loci of microsatellite (SSR) primers. Eight female accessions from Morocco were included as reference material. The tested SSR markers showed a high level of polymorphism. A total of 343 alleles were detected at the 16 loci. The number of alleles per marker ranged from 14 to 44 with an average of 21.4 per locus. A high level of expected heterozygosity was observed among Sudan cultivars (0.841), Morocco cultivars (0.820) and male accessions (0.799). The results indicate that the genetic groups of the Sudan cultivars and/or males do not follow a clear geographic pattern. However, the morocco group showed significant differentiation in relation to the Sudan groups, as measured by F (ST) values and genetic distances. The effect of the methods of pollination and cultivar selection on the genetic structure was clearly detected by the weak clustering association that was observed for the majority of accessions originating from Sudan and Morocco as well. This suggests the need for further investigation on the genetic diversity of Sudanese date palm germplasm. A deeper insight will be revealed by a detailed analysis of populations originating from different geographic locations.     

Isolation of EST-derived microsatellite markers for genotyping the A and B genomes of wheat

Genetic variation present in 64 durum wheat accessions was investigated by using three sources of microsatellite (SSR) markers: EST-derived SSRs (EST-SSRs) and two sources of SSRs isolated from total genomic DNA. Out of 245 SSR primer pairs screened, 22 EST-SSRs and 20 genomic-derived SSRs were polymorphic and used for genotyping. The EST-SSR primers produced high quality markers, but had the lowest level of polymorphism (25%) compared to the other two sources of genomic SSR markers (53%). The 42 SSR markers detected 189 polymorphic alleles with an average number of 4.5 alleles per locus. The coefficient of similarity ranged from 0.28 to 0.70 and the estimates of similarity varied when different sources of SSR markers were used to genotype the accessions. This study showed that EST-derived SSR markers developed in bread wheat are polymorphic in durum wheat when assaying loci of the A and B genomes. A minumum of ten EST-SSRs generated a very low probability of identity (0.36×10⁻¹²) indicating that these SSRs have a very high discriminatory power. EST-SSR markers directly sample variation in transcribed regions of the genome, which may enhance their value in marker-assisted selection, comparative genetic analysis and for exploiting wheat genetic resources by providing a more-direct estimate of functional diversity. Received: 19 December 2000 / Accepted: 17 April 2001