Genetic relationship among wild,landraces and cultivars of hazelnut (Corylus avellana) from Portugal revealed through ISSR and AFLP markers

The genus Corylus, a member of the birch family Betulaceae, includes several species that are widely distributed throughout temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. This study assesses the genetic diversity in 26 international cultivars and 32 accessions of Corylus avellana L. from Portugal: 13 wild genotypes and 19 landraces. The genetic relationships among the 58 hazelnuts (Corylus avellana L.) were analyzed using inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers. Eighteen ISSR primers and seven AFLP primer pairs generated a total of 570 unambiguous and repeatable bands, respectively, from which 541 (95.03 %) were polymorphic for both markers. Genetic similarity index values ranged from 0.239 for wild types and cultivars to 0.143 for landraces and wild types. The genetic relationships were presented as a Neighbor-Joining method dendrogram and a two-dimensional principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) plot. The Neighbor-Joining dendrogram showed three main clusters, and the PCoA analysis has shown to be congruent with the hierarchical analysis. Bayesian analysis clustered all individuals into three groups showing a good separation among wild genotypes, landraces and cultivars. The genetic diversity found on wild genotypes and Portuguese landraces may provide relevant information for the diversity conservation and it will be useful in breeding programs and to identify local selections for preservation.     

Genetic diversity among Chinese Hami melon and its relationship with melon germplasm of diverse origins revealed by microsatellite markers

Thick-skinned melon called Hami melon is the most widely cultivated and exported type of melon in China, and mainly grown in Xinjiang province. Here the genetic variation of 64 melon genotypes including 43 Xinjiang Hami melon accessions was analyzed using 36 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers yielding 145 alleles. The polymorphic information content of SSR markers ranged from 0.09 to 0.83 (average 0.45). Based on the SSR markers, the melon accessions were clustered into 2 major groups (thick and thin-skinned melons). In addition, the sub-cluster analysis based on SSR markers partitioned different botanical groups, even separating similar agronomic trait groups (Xinjiang landraces var. ameri and var. inodorus). SSR analysis showed that 4 SSR markers (CMBR150, CMCTT144, CMBR84 and CMBR12) produced polymorphic bands of different sizes between these two botanical groups. Those four molecular markers might be related to melon fruit maturing time. A considerably low level of genetic diversity was detected in Xinjiang melon accessions. Genetic distances indicated the relatively narrower genetic base but specific taxonomic status of Xinjiang landraces compared with foreign reference accessions.     

Population structure and genetic diversity in bottle gourd [Lagenaria siceraria (Mol.) Standl.] germplasm from India assessed by ISSR markers

Genetic diversity analysis was undertaken in 42 geographically distant genotypes accessions of bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria) from India northeastern (14) and northern region (28) using inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers. A total of 209 amplified bands were obtained from 20 ISSR primers used in this study, of which 186 were polymorphic with 89.00 % band polymorphism. Various parameters namely, observed number of alleles, effective number of alleles, Nei’s gene diversity/heterozygosity, resolving power, Shannon’s information index and gene flow were estimated under experiment. Jaccard’s similarity coefficient matrix was generated for pairwise comparisons between individual ISSR profiles and UPGMA cluster analysis based on this matrix showed clustering into six groups. Jaccard’s coefficient of similarity values ranged from 0.409 to 0.847, with a mean of 0.628 revealing a moderate level of genetic diversity. The Bayesian model-based approach to infer hidden genetic population structures using the multilocus ISSR markers revealed two populations among the 42 genotypes. This is the first report on the assessment of genetic variation using ISSR markers in this medicinal vegetable plant, and this study of diversity analysis will be helpful in analyzing future hybrid breeding strategy and devising effective germplasm exploration and conservation strategy.     

ISSR fingerprinting of Coffea arabica throughout Ethiopia reveals high variability in wild populations and distinguishes them from landraces

Forests of SW Ethiopia constitute the native habitat of Coffea arabica and also the place where domestication of Arabica coffee started. Selection from wild populations has led to numerous landraces (farmer’s varieties) and cultivars. Inter-simple sequence repeats (ISSRs) were generated from a representative set of forest coffee populations and landraces across Ethiopia. For the broad diversity assessment, nine di- and tri-nucleotide ISSR primers were applied, as chosen from a total of 102 primers tested initially. Tetranucleotide ISSR primers differed in amplifying fingerprints that could hardly be analysed due to excessive variation. Tree building analysis (NJ, UPGMA) of 84 polymorphic loci amplified for 125 C. arabica individuals provided evidence for several groups of related genotypes occurring in certain geographical areas of Ethiopia and underscored the existence of wild coffee distinct from landraces. Landraces seem to have originated in different geographical areas of Ethiopia in a stepwise domestication process. While the overall geographical signal in the dataset was weak, analysis in a Bayesian framework using the admixture model with geographical priors in STRUCTURE recovered some genetic clustering. Based on Shannon’s diversity index, populations from Yayu (0.47) and Bonga (0.46) showed highest diversity, followed by individuals from Berhane Kontir (0.41). A likely scenario for the differentiation of C. arabica after an allopolyploidization event is that the hierarchical-geographical patterning of wild Coffea genotypes expected from stepwise range extension was obscured by recent or ancient gene flow. The diversity and geographical distribution of autochthonous C. arabica genotypes indicates the need for a multi-site in situ conservation approach.     

Comparative Evaluation of RAPD, ISSR and Anchored-SSR Markers in the Assessment of Genetic Diversity and Fingerprinting of Oilseed Brassica Genotypes

Forty-two genotypes representing oilseed Brassica species were analyzed for the level of genetic diversity and molecular identity using Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD), Inter-Simple Sequence Repeat (ISSR) and 5'-Anchored Simple Sequence Repeat (ASSR) markers. DNA profiles revealed high degree of interspecific polymorphism, while the level was considerably low within a species, particularly in B. juncea. The UPGMA clusters clearly delineated genotypes of the respective Brassica species. Comparison of cophenetic matrices indicated a high degree of correspondence between dendrograms generated by different marker systems. A minimum of 10 random primers (approximately 105 bands) were required for the RAPD profiles to generate the expected cluster. Comparatively less number of primers was required to do the same in case of ISSR (4 primers) and ASSR (3 primers). The principal component analysis revealed similar genetic relationship among the genotypes as in cluster analysis. Although none of the DNA profiles could individually identify all the B. juncea genotypes, a combined DNA profile consisting 125 markers from the informative primers of all the three DNA marker systems could do the same. A positive correlation was found among the marker utility parameters (calculated for individual primers of different marker systems) such as marker index (MI), resolving power (Rp) and discrimination coefficient (D) with the number of genotypes identified by each primer with a few exceptions. Single plant analysis for a set of five B. juncea varieties revealed absence of intra-varietal heterogeneity in case of ASSR profiles, thereby suggesting its utility in varietal identification and differentiation.     

Comparison of ISSR,IRAP and REMAP markers for assessing genetic diversity in different species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Brassica</Emphasis> sp.

Molecular markers provide facilities in order to study genetic diversity and relationship among genotypes. In this study, genetic diversity among 35 genotype of Brassica sp. (belonging B. napus, B. juncea, B. rapa, B. nigra) were determined using 13 ISSR, 3 IRAP markers and 18 REMAP (primer combinations of ISSR and retrotransposon primer). The percentage of polymorphism for ISSR, IRAP and REMAP was 96.38, 94 and 96%, respectively. By comparison between markers, ISSRs indicated the highest expected heterozygosity (He) and Shannon’s information index (I) with value of 0.34 and 0.51, respectively, while REMAP marker had by far the highest number of polymorphic bands (340) and marker index (7.1) among all fragments scored over all markers. In pattern of clustering based on Bayesian methods, K = 8 was resulted for combined data clustering that was more organized clustering for genotypes compared to others. This research suggests the combined data of ISSR, IRAP and REMAP markers are most reliable than each solely marker whilst have been clustered genotypes in their taxonomic classification of Brassica without any mixture. Principle coordinate analysis (PCoA) separated 35 genotypes in four groups which all of genotypes were clustered correctly based on their taxonomic classification. The findings of this study provide the valuable insight into the Brassica species relationships in terms of similarity among genotypes which can be helpful in breeding programs, and also demonstrate that retrotransposon markers are legible for genetic diversity and next genetic analysis in Brassica genus.     

Genetic diversity in Capsicum germplasm based on microsatellite and random amplified microsatellite polymorphism markers

A sound knowledge of the genetic diversity among germplasm is vital for strategic germplasm collection, maintenance, conservation and utilisation. Genomic simple sequence repeats (SSRs) and random amplified microsatellite polymorphism (RAMPO) markers were used to analyse diversity and relationships among 48 pepper (Capsicum spp.) genotypes originating from nine countries. These genotypes covered 4 species including 13 germplasm accessions, 30 improved lines of 4 domesticated species and 5 landraces derived from natural interspecific crosses. Out of 106 SSR markers, 25 polymorphic SSR markers (24 %) detected a total of 76 alleles (average, 3.04; range, 2–5). The average polymorphic information content (PIC) was 0.69 (range, 0.29–0.92). Seventeen RAMPO markers produced 87 polymorphic fragments with average PIC of 0.63 (range, 0.44–0.81). Dendrograms based on SSRs and RAMPOs generated two clusters. All 38 Capsicum annuum genotypes and an interspecific landrace clustered together, whereas nine non-annuum (three Capsicum frutescens, one Capsicum chinense, one Capsicum baccatum and four interspecific landraces) genotypes clustered separately. Genetic variation within non-annuum genotypes was greater than the C. annuum genotypes. Distinctness of interspecific derivative landraces grown in northeast India was validated; natural crossing between sympatric Capsicum species has been proposed as the mechanism of their origin.     

Deciphering allelic variability and population structure in buckwheat: An analogy between the efficiency of ISSR and SSR markers

Food and nutritional security continue to be the issues of concern in developing countries like ours. Exploring the reservoir of high potential unexplored genetic resources could address the world’s food and nutritional insecurity. The availability of diverse data and the population structure of any crop germplasm is a valuable genetic resource for discovering genes that can help achieve food and nutritional stability. We used seven ISSR and seven SSR markers to investigate diversity among 63 buckwheat genotypes, including landraces from India''s northwestern Himalayas. Various parameters such as percent polymorphism, PIC, resolving power, and marker index was used to evaluate the inequitable efficacy of these markers. We foundthat both marker systems are effective in detecting polymorphism in buckwheat germplasm. Seven ISSRs produced 55 polymorphic bands, while seven SSRs produced 32bands. When compared to ISSRs, SSRs had a greater average PIC value (0.43) than that of (0.36). ISSRs, on the other hand, had a resolving power of (4.38) compared to (1.42) for SSRs. The hierarchical cluster analysis dendrogram divided genotypes into three major clusters. We found that both marker systems were equally accurate in grouping buckwheat genotypes according to their geographical origins. Using 7 ISSR and 7 SSR markers, the model-based STRUCTURE analysis established a population with two sub-populations that correspond to species-based groupings. Within the population, there was a high level of genetic diversity. These results have consequences for both buckwheat breeding and conservation efforts.Keyword: Buckwheat, SSR, ISSR, Genetic diversity, Population structure     

Assessment of Genetic Diversity in Ziziphus mauritiana Using Inter-Simple Sequence Repeat Markers

Genetic diversity among 47 ber accessions belonging to cultivated species (Ziziphus mauritiana Lam) and one wild accession of Ziziphus nummularia (Burm F) Willed was investigated using Inter-Simple Sequence Repeat (ISSR) markers. A total of 167 amplification products were detected with 18 ISSR primers of which 152 (89.96%) were polymorphic. Most of the primers that produced distinct bands (14 primers out of 18) contained dinucleotide repeats. Primers based on (AC)n and (AG)_n repeats produced more polymorphic bands. Genetic similarity ranging from 43.07% to 90.30% suggested that the 48 Ziziphus genotypes used in the study were divergent. Cluster analysis based on UPGMA method and Bootstrap analysis separated all the 48 genotypes in four distinct clusters. The present study has successfully distinguished morphologically similar genotypes that emphasize the use of molecular markers to the taxonomists. Morphologically similar but genetically distinct genotypes, identified using ISSR markers could be potential sources for genotype identification and to resolve controversies over misnomination of ber genotypes. Present study is the first report on the exploitation of ISSR markers in ber for genetic diversity analysis.     

Physiological characterization and allelic diversity of selected drought tolerant traditional rice (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Oryza sativa</Emphasis> L.) landraces of Koraput,India

Water-deficit stress tolerance in rice is important for maintaining stable yield, especially under rain-fed ecosystem. After a thorough drought-tolerance screening of more than 130 rice genotypes from various regions of Koraput in our previous study, six rice landraces were selected for drought tolerance capacity. These six rice landraces were further used for detailed physiological and molecular assessment under control and simulated drought stress conditions. After imposing various levels of drought stress, leaf photosynthetic rate (P_N), photochemical efficiency of photosystem II (Fv/Fm), SPAD chlorophyll index, membrane stability index and relative water content were found comparable with the drought-tolerant check variety (N22). Compared to the drought-susceptible variety IR64, significant positive attributes and varietal differences were observed for all the above physiological parameters in drought-tolerant landraces. Genetic diversity among the studied rice landraces was assessed using 19 previously reported drought tolerance trait linked SSR markers. A total of 50 alleles with an average of 2.6 per locus were detected at the loci of the 19 markers across studied rice genotypes. The Nei’s genetic diversity (He) and the polymorphism information content (PIC) ranged from 0.0 to 0.767 and 0.0 to 0.718, respectively. Seven SSR loci, such as RM324, RM19367, RM72, RM246, RM3549, RM566 and RM515, showed the highest PIC values and are thus, useful in assessing the genetic diversity of studied rice lines for drought tolerance. Based on the result, two rice landraces (Pandkagura and Mugudi) showed the highest similarity index with tolerant check variety. However, three rice landraces (Kalajeera, Machhakanta and Haldichudi) are more diverse and showed highest genetic distance with N22. These landraces can be considered as the potential genetic resources for drought breeding program.     

SPAR methods revealed high genetic diversity within populations and high gene flow of Vanda coerulea Griff ex Lindl (Blue Vanda), an endangered orchid species

Molecular genetic fingerprints of seven populations of Vanda coerulea comprising of thirty-two genotypes from Northeast India were developed using PCR based markers. Genetic variability in the wild genotypes of V. coerulea was analyzed using two different single primer amplification reactions (SPAR) methods, viz., random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and inter-simple sequence repeats (ISSR). A total of 32 genotypes were used to investigate the existing natural genetic diversity at intra-specific level. Two hundred and twenty six (226) amplification products were scored by RAPD and ISSR, both of which collectively showed 58.88% polymorphism with a mean intra-population genetic diversity (Hpop) of 0.119. However, their level of diversity at inter- and intra-population levels was significant, with the percentage of polymorphic loci (Pp) ranging from 17.70% to 45.13%, Shannon's information index (I) from 0.105 to 0.268 and Nei's gene diversity (h) from 0.072 to 0.185 with mean Nei's gene diversity 0.174 and the overall estimate of gene flow being (Nm) 1.165. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) showed 96.07% of variation at intra-population level, whereas 3.93% variation was recorded at inter-population level. Only one major cluster was detected by cluster analysis using the unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic average (UPGMA). Present investigation suggests the efficiency of SPAR methods to estimate the genetic diversity of V. coerulea and can be seen as a starting point for future research on the population and evolutionary genetics of this species.     

Analysis of genetic and virulence diversity of Cylindrocarpon liriodendri and C. macrodidymum associated with black foot disease of grapevine

Inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) analysis was used to investigate the genetic diversity of 87 Cylindrocarpon liriodendri and C. macrodidymum isolates, the causal agents of black foot disease of grapevine. The four ISSR primers (GT)₇, (CCA)₅, (CGA)₅ and (TCG)₅, were able to provide reproducible and polymorphic DNA fingerprint patterns and detected relevant genetic diversity in C. macrodidymum. The cluster analysis of ISSR data showed 21 different genotypes that were grouped in seven ISSR groups, from which two corresponded to C. liriodendri (G1 and G2) and five to C. macrodidymum (G3-G7). Nineteen isolates selected from the seven ISSR groups were inoculated in grapevine seedlings obtained from cv. ‘Tempranillo’. The pathogenicity tests detected virulence diversity in C. macrodidymum. The isolates belonging to ISSR groups G6 and G7 were significantly more virulent than the other C. macrodidymum and C. liriodendri isolates.     

Genetic Diversity and Population Structure Among Oat Cultivars and Landraces

In this study, genetic diversity among 177 oat (Avena sativa L.) accessions including both white and red oat landraces and 36 commercial cultivars was studied for simple sequence repeat (SSR) loci. Thirty-one genomic and expressed sequence tags (EST)-derived primer pairs were selected according to high polymorphism from an initial 66 SSR batch. Markers revealed a high level of polymorphism, detecting a total of 454 alleles. The average gene diversity for the whole sample was 0.29. Genetic similarity, calculated using the Dice coefficient, was used for cluster analysis, and principal component analysis was also applied. In addition, population structure using a Bayesian clustering approach identified discrete subpopulation based on allele frequency and showed similar clustering of oat genotypes in four groups. Accessions could be classified into four main clusters that clearly separated the commercial cultivars, the red oat landraces and two clusters of white oat landraces. Cultivars showed less diversity than the landraces indicating a reduction of genetic diversity during breeding, whereas white oat landraces showed higher diversity than red ones. The average polymorphic information content of 0.80 for the SSR loci indicated the usefulness of many of the SSR for genotype identification. In particular, two markers, MAMA5 and AM04, with a total of 50 alleles and a high discrimination power (>0.90), were sufficient to discriminate among all commercial cultivars studied highlighting their potential use for variety identification.     

Correspondence of ISSR and RAPD markers for comparative analysis of genetic diversity among different apricot genotypes from cold arid deserts of trans-Himalayas

The phylogenetic relationships of 36 locally grown Prunus armeniaca genotypes which are collected from nine sampling sites from two valleys viz. Nubra (9,600 ft) and Leh (11,500 ft) of trans-Himalayan region were analyzed using 31 PCR markers (20 RAPDs and 11 ISSRs). This is the first report of molecular genetic diversity studies in apricot from this region of the world. RAPD analysis yielded 139 fragments, of which 136 were polymorphic, with an average of 6.8 polymorphic fragments per primer. ISSR analysis produced 58 bands, of which 56 were polymorphic, with an average of 5.09 polymorphic fragments per primer. The primers based on (CT)n produced maximum number of bands (nine) while, (AT)n and many other motifs gave no amplification. RAPD markers were found more efficient with regards to polymorphism detection, as they detected 97.84 % as compared to 96.5 % for ISSR markers. Clustering of genotypes within groups was not similar when RAPD and ISSR derived dendrogram were compared, whereas the pattern of clustering of the genotypes remained more or less the same in RAPD and combined data of RAPD + ISSR. The results of PCA analysis were comparable to the cluster analysis. These analyses, allowed us to identify the groups corresponding to the two apricot collection sites.Key words: Prunus armeniaca, Apricot, Genetic Diversity, RAPD, ISSR, AMOVA     

Estimation of genetic diversity in some Iranian wild Prunus subgenus Cerasus accessions using inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers

As Iran is one of the main origins of Prunus germplasm. In this study, ISSR markers were used for genetic diversity evaluation of 39 accessions of subgenus Cerasus belonging to six species i.e. Prunus avium L., Prunus cerasus L., Prunus mahaleb L., Prunus incana Pall., Prunus microcarpa Boiss., and Prunus brachypetala Boiss.. With 12 ISSR primers, 151 polymorphic bands were detected with polymorphism ratio range of 81.8%–100%. The lowest similarity (0.04) was found between P. avium and P. microcarpa genotypes and the mean of similarity between all genotypes was 0.28. Cluster analysis separated improved cultivars from wild accessions. Improved cherry cultivars and rootstocks were placed closer to the P. avium than the other species. The principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) supported the cluster analysis results. The wild accessions were separated according to their species and collection sites. ISSR markers are useful techniques for genetic diversity evaluation in Prunus subgenus Cerasus.     

Genetic diversity and structure of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Capparis spinosa</Emphasis> L. in Iran as revealed by ISSR markers

Capparis spinosa L. (caper bush) is an economically and ecologically important perennial shrub that grows across different regions of Iran. In this study, the genetic diversity and population structure of Iranian genepool of C. spinosa is evaluated using Inter Simple Sequence Repeat (ISSR) markers. Using 10 ISSR primers, 387 DNA fragments (bands) were amplified from the genomic DNA of 92 individuals belonging to twenty-one populations of C. spinosa, of which 378 (97.7%) were polymorphic. High level of genetic diversity (percentage of polymorphic loci = 98.2%, h = 0.1382, I = 0.243), high genetic differentiation (G_st = 0.5234) and low gene flow (Nm = 0.4553) among populations were observed. Caper bush populations were divided into 4 groups in the dendrogram, PCoA plot and Bayesian clustering results, mostly corresponded to their geographic regions. The results showed that there are value in sampling Iranian caper bush populations to look for valuable alleles for use in plant breeding programs.     

Comparison of RAPD and ISSR markers for genetic diversity analysis among different endangered Mangifera indica genotypes of Indian Gir forest region

The genetic variability and relationships among 20 Mangifera indica genotypes representing 15 endangered and 5 cultivars, obtained from Indian Gir forest region, were analyzed using 10 random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and 21 inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers. RAPD markers were more efficient than the ISSR assay with regards to polymorphism detection. Also, the average numbers of polymorphic loci per primer, average polymorphic information content (PIC) and primer index (PI) values were more for RAPD than for ISSR. But, total number of genotype specific marker loci, Nei’s genetic diversity (h), Shannon’s information index (I), total heterozygosity (Ht), average heterozygosity (Hs) and mean coefficient of gene differentiation (Gst) were more for ISSR as compared to RAPD markers. The regression test between the two Nei’s genetic diversity indexes showed low regression between RAPD and ISSR based similarities but maximum for RAPD and RAPD + ISSR based similarities. The pattern of clustering of genotypes within groups was not similar when RAPD and ISSR derived dendrogram were compared. Thus, both the markers were equally important for genetic diversity analysis in M. indica.     

Genetic characterization of Iranian safflower (Carthamus tinctorius) using inter simple sequence repeats (ISSR) markers

Safflower (Carthamus tinctorious L.) is valued as a source of high quality vegetable oil. 20 ISSR primers were used to assess the genetic diversity of 18 accessions of safflower collected from different geographical regions of Iran. The ISSR primers combinations revealed 57.6 % polymorphism, among 338 genetic loci amplified from the accessions. The sum of effective number of alleles and observed number of alleles were 29.76 and 36.77, respectively. To understand genetic relationships among these cultivars, Jacquards’ similarity coefficient and UPGMA clustering algorithm were applied to the ISSR marker data set. ISSR markers grouped accessions into two main clusters and four sub clusters. Also, the principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) supported the cluster analysis results. The results showed these genotypes have high genetic diversity, and can be used for alternative safflower breeding program.     

Comparative Assessment of ISSR and RAPD Marker Assays for Genetic Diversity Analysis in Jojoba [Simmondsia chinensis (Link) Schneider]

A collection of male and female plants of ten Jojoba [Simmondsia chinensis (Link) Schneider] genotypes was analyzed with 50 RAPID and 55 ISSR markers to compare the efficiency and utility of these techniques for detecting genetic polymorphism. RAPID and ISSR analysis yielded 442 and 566 scorable amplified products, respectively, of which 60.7 and 69.3% were polymorphic. ISSRs revealed efficiency over RAPDs due to high EMR (effective multiplex ratio), DI (diversity index, mean PIC per primer) and MI (marker index) values. Jaccard similarity matrices among male plants, among female plants and between male and female plants of the ten jojoba genotypes varied between 0.705-0.784. Dendrograms generated by cluster analysis (UPGMA, NTSYS-pc) supported by bootstrap values using RAPID and ISSR datasets led to grouping of most of male and females genotypes in separate clusters. While pattern of clustering remained more or less same, the two dendrograms did differ with respect to the grouping of a few male and female genotypes. The value of the Mantel test shows poor correlation (r = 0.41) between ISSR and RAPID marker datasets.     

Genetic diversity and relationship of Fritillaria thunbergii Miq. landraces and related taxa

Genetic diversity and differentiation of four landraces of Fritillaria thunbergii Miq. and two congeners Fritillaria cirrhosa D. Don and Fritillaria anhuiensis S. C. Chen et S. F. Yin were evaluated using ISSR markers. The results showed that the genetic diversity of F. thunbergii was high at the specie level but relatively lower at the landrace level. A high level of genetic differentiation among four F. thunbergii landraces was detected based on the gene differentiation coefficient and the AMOVA, in line with the low inter-landrace gene flow. MS-tree analysis showed that the four F. thunbergii landraces were clustered on adjacent positions of the tree, and that Kuanye (Ft-KY) landrace was relatively distantly related to other landraces. In line with the MS-tree analysis, PCoA revealed that the three species of Fritillaria can be divided into two groups and three subgroups, among which there occurred a remarkable genetic differentiation.