Polysaccharide Elicitor from the Endophyte <i>Bionectria</i> sp. Fat6 Improves Growth of Tartary Buckwheat under Drought Stress

Drought can limit the growth and reduce the yield of crops, but the safe and effective bio-approach to improve the drought resistance of crops is very little. We conducted an experiment in which we monitored the effects of polysaccharide from the endophyte Bionectria sp. Fat6 on the growth of Tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum (L.) Gaertn) seedlings under control and drought-stressed conditions by determining gas exchange, photosynthesis parameters, photosynthetic pigment contents, and metabolite accumulation. Results indicated that the polysaccharide from endophyte stimulated plant growth and increased the aboveground biomass, root mass, and root/shoot ratio of Tartary buckwheat. Application of the polysaccharide to drought-stressed plants resulted in a significant increase in the net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, and transpiration rate of Tartary buckwheat and decreased the intercellular CO₂ concentration. The contents of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, chlorophyll a + b, and carotenoids in leaves were higher in polysaccharide-treated seedlings than that in control. Polysaccharide notably increased the soluble protein and proline content and decreased the malondialdehyde content in Tartary buckwheat leaves. The endophytic polysaccharide may protect Tartary buckwheat against drought by improving leaf gas exchange and photosynthetic capacity, and altering concentrations of protective metabolites. Together, these changes may compensate for the negative impacts of drought stress on the growth of Tartary buckwheat. Thus, the polysaccharide from the endophyte Bionectria sp. Fat6 may be an effective biotic elicitor and a promising bio-approach to improve Tartary buckwheat production worldwide.     

Growth,ROS Markers,Antioxidant Enzymes,Osmotic Regulators and Metabolic Changes in Tartary Buckwheat Subjected to Short Drought

Tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum) is an important pseudocereal feed crop with medicinal and nutritional value. Drought is one of the main causes of reduced growth and yield in these plants. We investigated the growth, physiological, and metabolic responses of the widely promoted Tartary buckwheat variety Chuan Qiao No. 1 to polyethylene glycol (PEG)-mediated drought stress. Drought significantly decreased shoot length, shoot biomass and relative water content. Root length, malondialdehyde content, electrolyte leakage, activities of superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, catalase and amylase, and contents of soluble sugar, soluble protein and proline were increased by PEG-mediated drought. Untargeted metabolomics analysis identified 32 core metabolites in seedlings subjected to PEG-mediated drought, 16 of which increased—including quercetin, isovitexin, cyanidin 3-O-beta-D-glucoside, L-arginine, and glycerophosphocholine, while the other 16 decreased—including 3-methoxytyramine, 2, 6-diaminopimelic acid, citric acid, UDP-alpha-D-glucose, adenosine, keto-D-fructose. The 32 core metabolites were enriched in 29 metabolic pathways, including lysine biosynthesis, citrate (TCA) cycle, anthocyanin biosynthesis, and aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis. Among them, taurine and hypotaurine metabolism, flavor and flavor biosynthesis, indole alkaline biosynthesis, and alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism were the four main metabolic pathways affected by drought. Our findings provide new insights into the physiological and metabolic response mechanisms of Tartary buckwheat to drought stress.     

High-quality Fagopyrum esculentum genome provides insights into the flavonoid accumulation among different tissues and self-incompatibility

Common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) and Tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum), the two most widely cultivated buckwheat species, differ greatly in flavonoid content and reproductive mode. Here, we report the first high-quality and chromosome-level genome assembly of common buckwheat with 1.2 Gb. Comparative genomic analysis revealed that common buckwheat underwent a burst of long terminal repeat retrotransposons insertion accompanied by numerous large chromosome rearrangements after divergence from Tartary buckwheat. Moreover, multiple gene families involved in stress tolerance and flavonoid biosynthesis such as multidrug and toxic compound extrusion (MATE) and chalcone synthase (CHS) underwent significant expansion in buckwheat, especially in common buckwheat. Integrated multi-omics analysis identified high expression of catechin biosynthesis-related genes in flower and seed in common buckwheat and high expression of rutin biosynthesis-related genes in seed in Tartary buckwheat as being important for the differences in flavonoid type and content between these buckwheat species. We also identified a candidate key rutin-degrading enzyme gene (Ft8.2377) that was highly expressed in Tartary buckwheat seed. In addition, we identified a haplotype-resolved candidate locus containing many genes reportedly associated with the development of flower and pollen, which was potentially related to self-incompatibility in common buckwheat. Our study provides important resources facilitating future functional genomics-related research of flavonoid biosynthesis and self-incompatibility in buckwheat.     

光周期对苦荞芽菜生长与品质的影响

苦荞(Fagopyrum tataricum)芽菜是一种新兴健康食品,该研究通过不同光周期(0、4、8、12、16和20 h·d~(-1))处理苦荞芽菜,测定其生物量、叶绿素和主要营养成分的含量以及黄酮合成相关基因的表达水平,以明确不同光周期对苦荞芽菜品质的影响机理。结果表明:(1)随着苦荞芽菜生长时间的增加,芽菜生物量总体呈上升趋势,16 h·d~(-1)光周期时芽菜生长状态最好,鲜重最大。(2)不同光周期对苦荞芽菜各营养成分含量的影响有所差异,可溶性糖含量在芽菜萌发第2天开始逐渐下降,10 d后含量仅为第2天的13.5%～14.5%;花青素含量在芽菜萌发第2天光周期为12 h·d~(-1)时最高(2.16 mg/g),不同光周期处理4～10 d后均显示出降低趋势;芦丁是苦荞芽菜中主要的黄酮类化合物,芦丁含量在不同光周期处理后有所变化且适当的光照有利于其合成和积累,并在处理第4天光周期为16 h·d~(-1)时含量最高(59.60 mg/g)。(3)qRT-PCR分析表明,不同光周期处理的苦荞芽菜中各黄酮合成相关基因的表达量在第2天最高,随生长周期其表达量均不同程度降低,但黄酮醇合成支路关键酶基因FtFLS1和花青素支路基因FtDFR2表达量上升、且显示出强烈的光诱导特征。研究发现,光周期对苦荞芽菜的生物量影响较大,黑暗有利于胚轴伸长,长光周期(16 h·d~(-1))有利于鲜重的增加;在苦荞萌发过程中,苦荞芽菜可溶性糖、花青素和芦丁含量整体呈减少趋势,可溶性糖和花青素含量均在光周期16 h·d~(-1)处理第2天时最高,芦丁含量在光周期为16 h·d~(-1)处理第4天时最高,建议苦荞芽菜在光周期为16 h·d~(-1)生长4 d时采食。     

Physiological and Biochemical Mechanisms of Exogenous Calcium Chloride on Alleviating Salt Stress in Two Tartary Buckwheat (<i>Fagopyrum tataricum</i>) Varieties Differing in Salinity Tolerance

Salt stress is one of the most serious abiotic stresses limiting plant growth and development. Calcium as an essential nutrient element and important signaling molecule plays an important role in ameliorating the adverse effect of salinity on plants. This study aimed to investigate the impact of exogenous calcium on improving salt tolerance in Tartary buckwheat cultivars, cv. Xinong9920 (salt-tolerant) and cv. Xinong9909 (salt-sensitive). Four-week-old Tartary buckwheat seedlings under 100 mM NaCl stress were treated with and without exogenous calcium chloride (CaCl₂), Ca²⁺ chelator ethylene glycol tetraacetic acid (EGTA) and Ca²⁺-channel blocker lanthanum chloride (LaCl₃) for 10 days. Then, some important physiological and biochemical indexes were determined. The results showed that salt stress significantly reduced seedling growth, decreased photosynthetic pigments, inhibited antioxidants and antioxidant enzyme activities. However, it increased the reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in the two Tartary buckwheat cultivars. Exogenous 10 mM CaCl₂ application on salt-stressed Tartary buckwheat seedlings obviously mitigated the negative effects of NaCl stress and partially restored seedlings growth. Ca²⁺-treated salt-stressed seedlings diplayed a suppressed accumulation of ROS, increased the contents of total chlorophyll, soluble protein, proline and antioxidants, and elevated the activities of antioxidant enzymes compared with salt stress alone. On the contrary, the addition of 0.5 mM LaCl₃ and 5 mM EGTA on salt-stressed Tartary buckwheat seedlings exhibited the opposite effects to those with CaCl₂ treatment. These results indicate that exogenous Ca²⁺ can enhance salt stress tolerance and Ca²⁺ supplementation may be an effective practice to cultivate Tartary buckwheat in saline soils.     

Seed Setting and Its Spatial Characteristics in Tartary Buckwheat (<i>Fagopyrum tataricum</i>)

A low seed-setting rate is the main limiting factor influencing Tartary buckwheat production under high-yield cultivation conditions. To investigate the seed setting and its spatial characteristics, two Tartary buckwheat cultivars (high seed-setting rate cultivar Qianku 3; low seed-setting rate cultivar Liuku 3) were compared by a two-year field trial in 2017 and 2018. The results showed that the Tartary buckwheat underwent simultaneous flowering and fruiting. Flowers, generated from branch, were still blooming during the mature stage of grains on stem, which resulting in a greater number of flowers and grains on the branch than those on the stem at the low part of plant. The seed-setting characteristics significantly differed between two cultivars. The high seed-setting rate of Qianku 3 was 26.6% and 33.2% higher than Liuku 3 in 2017 and 2018, respectively. Meanwhile, Qianku 3 showed a higher filled grain number (157.8%) and seed-setting rate (66.4%) on branch than Liuku 3. A network analysis showed that the whole-plant seed-setting rate was positively correlated with grain number, which was closely correlated with flower number at the same position of plant. The path-coefficient analysis revealed that grains number on branches was the most dominant component (Path coefficient (P) = 2.19) of the seed-setting rate, followed by grains number on stem (P = 0.60). The grains number on branches showed the greatest positive direct effect with significant correlation (r = 0.76 and P < 0.01) on the seed-setting rate. Overall, the present study indicated that the grain number of branches may play a vital role in improving the seed-setting rate in Tartary buckwheat.     

Divergence of defensive cucurbitacins in independent Cucurbita pepo domestication events leads to differences in specialist herbivore preference

Crop domestication and improvement often concurrently affect plant resistance to pests and production of secondary metabolites, creating challenges for isolating the ecological implications of selection for specific metabolites. Cucurbitacins are bitter triterpenoids with extreme phenotypic differences between Cucurbitaceae lineages, yet we lack integrated models of herbivore preference, cucurbitacin accumulation, and underlying genetic mechanisms. In Cucurbita pepo, we dissected the effect of cotyledon cucurbitacins on preference of a specialist insect pest (Acalymma vittatum) for multiple tissues, assessed genetic loci underlying cucurbitacin accumulation in diverse germplasm and a biparental F₂ population (from a cross between two independent domesticates), and characterized quantitative associations between gene expression and metabolites during seedling development. Acalymma vittatum affinity for cotyledons is mediated by cucurbitacins, but other traits contribute to whole-plant resistance. Cotyledon cucurbitacin accumulation was associated with population structure, and our genetic mapping identified a single locus, Bi-4, containing genes relevant to transport and regulation – not biosynthesis – that diverged between lineages. These candidate genes were expressed during seedling development, most prominently a putative secondary metabolite transporter. Taken together, these findings support the testable hypothesis that breeding for plant resistance to insects involves targeting genes for regulation and transport of defensive metabolites, in addition to core biosynthesis genes.     

Progress in medicinal plant <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rehmannia glutinosa</Emphasis>: Metabolite profiling,tissue culture,growth and its regulation,and functional genomics

As an important medicinal plant, Rehmannia glutinosa Libosch. is widely spread in East Asian countries, and its root, possessing multiple pharmacological values, is used as traditional Chinese medicine in clinics. Recently, much progress in R. glutinosa has been made. Tissue culture and micropropagation have been applied to generate virus-free germs or homogeneous plants. In vitro culture and generation of transgenic R. glutinosa plants has been recently setup, which is helpful to develop more genetically-modified germplasms. Multiple environmental factors (e.g. CO₂ concentration, humidity, transpiration, drought, and viral diseases) play an important role in growth and development of R. glutinosa plants. Gene cloning, genetic transformation and metabolite profiling are becoming attractive. The review aims to summarize advances on metabolomics, tissue culture and regeneration, growth and its regulation, and functional genomics of R. glutinosa, which is in favor of the cultivation, processing, in addition to the study of metabolic engineering and metabolite profiling in R. glutinosa.     

Whole-genome assembly and resequencing reveal genomic imprint and key genes of rapid domestication in narrow-leafed lupin

Shifting from a livestock-based protein diet to a plant-based protein diet has been proposed as an essential requirement to maintain global food sustainability, which requires the increased production of protein-rich crops for direct human consumption. Meanwhile, the lack of sufficient genetic diversity in crop varieties is an increasing concern for sustainable food supplies. Countering this concern requires a clear understanding of the domestication process and dynamics. Narrow-leafed lupin (Lupinus angustifolius L.) has experienced rapid domestication and has become a new legume crop over the past century, with the potential to provide protein-rich seeds. Here, using long-read whole-genome sequencing, we assembled the third-generation reference genome for the narrow-leafed lupin cultivar Tanjil, comprising 20 chromosomes with a total genome size of 615.8 Mb and contig N50 = 5.65 Mb. We characterized the original mutation and putative biological pathway resulting in low seed alkaloid level that initiated the recent domestication of narrow-leafed lupin. We identified a 1133-bp insertion in the cis-regulatory region of a putative gene that may be associated with reduced pod shattering (lentus). A comparative analysis of genomic diversity in cultivars and wild types identified an apparent domestication bottleneck, as precisely predicted by the original model of the bottleneck effect on genetic variability in populations. Our results identify the key domestication genetic loci and provide direct genomic evidence for a domestication bottleneck, and open up the possibility of knowledge-driven de novo domestication of wild plants as an avenue to broaden crop plant diversity to enhance food security and sustainable low-carbon emission agriculture.     

Genetic Diversity of Buckwheat Cultivars (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Fagopyrum tartaricum</Emphasis> Gaertn.) Assessed with SSR Markers Developed from Genome Survey Sequences

Tartary buckwheat is an important edible crop as well as medicinal plant in China. More and more research is being focused on this minor grain crop because of its medicinal functions, but there is a paucity of molecular markers for tartary buckwheat due to the lack of genomics. In this study, a genome survey was carried out in tartary buckwheat, from which SSR markers were developed for analysis of genetic diversity. The survey generated 21.9 Gb raw sequence reads which were assembled into 348.34 Mb genome sequences included 204,340 contigs. The genome size was estimated to be about 497 Mb based on K-mer analysis. In total, 24,505 SSR motifs were identified and characterised from this genomic survey sequence. Most of the SSR motifs were di-nucleotide (67.14 %) and tri-nucleotide (26.05 %) repeats. AT/AT repeat motifs were the most abundant, accounting for 78.60 % of di-nucleotide repeat motifs. SSR fingerprinting of 64 accessions yielded 49.71 effective allele loci from a total of 63 with the 23 polymorphic SSR primer combinations. Analyses of the population genetic structure using SSR data strongly suggested that the 64 accessions of tartary buckwheat clustered into two separate subgroups. One group was mainly distributed in Nepal, Bhutan and the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau regions of China; the other group was mainly derived from the Loess Plateau regions, Hunan and Hubei of China and USA. The cluster analysis of these accession’s genetic similarity coefficient by UPMGA methods strongly supported the two subgroup interpretation. However accessions from Qinghai of China could be grouped into either of the two subgroups depending on which classification method was used. This region is at the intersection of the two geographical regions associated with the two subgroups. These results and information could be used to identify and utilize germplasm resources for improving tartary buckwheat breeding.     

Domestication and the storage starch biosynthesis pathway: signatures of selection from a whole sorghum genome sequencing strategy

Next‐generation sequencing of complete genomes has given researchers unprecedented levels of information to study the multifaceted evolutionary changes that have shaped elite plant germplasm. In conjunction with population genetic analytical techniques and detailed online databases, we can more accurately capture the effects of domestication on entire biological pathways of agronomic importance. In this study, we explore the genetic diversity and signatures of selection in all predicted gene models of the storage starch synthesis pathway of Sorghum bicolor, utilizing a diversity panel containing lines categorized as either ‘Landraces’ or ‘Wild and Weedy’ genotypes. Amongst a total of 114 genes involved in starch synthesis, 71 had at least a single signal of purifying selection and 62 a signal of balancing selection and others a mix of both. This included key genes such as STARCH PHOSPHORYLASE 2 (SbPHO2, under balancing selection), PULLULANASE (SbPUL, under balancing selection) and ADP‐glucose pyrophosphorylases (SHRUNKEN2, SbSH2 under purifying selection). Effectively, many genes within the primary starch synthesis pathway had a clear reduction in nucleotide diversity between the Landraces and wild and weedy lines indicating that the ancestral effects of domestication are still clearly identifiable. There was evidence of the positional rate variation within the well‐characterized primary starch synthesis pathway of sorghum, particularly in the Landraces, whereby low evolutionary rates upstream and high rates downstream in the metabolic pathway were expected. This observation did not extend to the wild and weedy lines or the minor starch synthesis pathways.     

The role of Bh4 in parallel evolution of hull colour in domesticated and weedy rice

The two independent domestication events in the genus Oryza that led to African and Asian rice offer an extremely useful system for studying the genetic basis of parallel evolution. This system is also characterized by parallel de‐domestication events, with two genetically distinct weedy rice biotypes in the US derived from the Asian domesticate. One important trait that has been altered by rice domestication and de‐domestication is hull colour. The wild progenitors of the two cultivated rice species have predominantly black‐coloured hulls, as does one of the two U.S. weed biotypes; both cultivated species and one of the US weedy biotypes are characterized by straw‐coloured hulls. Using Black hull 4 (Bh4) as a hull colour candidate gene, we examined DNA sequence variation at this locus to study the parallel evolution of hull colour variation in the domesticated and weedy rice system. We find that independent Bh4‐coding mutations have arisen in African and Asian rice that are correlated with the straw hull phenotype, suggesting that the same gene is responsible for parallel trait evolution. For the U.S. weeds, Bh4 haplotype sequences support current hypotheses on the phylogenetic relationship between the two biotypes and domesticated Asian rice; straw hull weeds are most similar to indica crops, and black hull weeds are most similar to aus crops. Tests for selection indicate that Asian crops and straw hull weeds deviate from neutrality at this gene, suggesting possible selection on Bh4 during both rice domestication and de‐domestication.     

An efficient protocol for genetic transformation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Platycodon grandiflorum</Emphasis> with <Emphasis Type="Italic">Agrobacterium rhizogenes</Emphasis>

The balloon flower (Platycodon grandiflorum) is a popular traditional medicinal plant used in Korea to treat conditions such as bronchitis, asthma, tuberculosis, diabetes, and inflammatory diseases. Recently, immunopharmacological research identified triterpenoid and saponin as important active compounds in P. grandiflorum. To study and extract these compounds and other metabolites from P. grandiflorum, a technique was developed for producing hairy root cultures, which are a reliable source of plant compounds. To achieve this, the activity of Agrobacterium rhizogenes was exploited, which can transfer DNA segments into plant genomes after infecting them. In this study, the A. rhizogenes strain R1000 was determined that had the highest infection frequency (87.5%) and induced the most hairy roots per plant, and the concentration of antibiotics (75 mg/l kanamycin) was elucidated for selection after transformation. Wild-type and transgenic hairy roots contained various phenolic compounds, although both of them had similar concentrations of phenolic compounds. In the future, the protocols described here should be useful for studying and extracting valuable metabolites such as phenolic compounds from P. grandiflorum hairy root cultures.     

PAY1 improves plant architecture and enhances grain yield in rice

Plant architecture, a complex of the important agronomic traits that determine grain yield, is a primary target of artificial selection of rice domestication and improvement. Some important genes affecting plant architecture and grain yield have been isolated and characterized in recent decades; however, their underlying mechanism remains to be elucidated. Here, we report genetic identification and functional analysis of the PLANT ARCHITECTURE AND YIELD 1 (PAY1) gene in rice, which affects plant architecture and grain yield in rice. Transgenic plants over‐expressing PAY1 had twice the number of grains per panicle and consequently produced nearly 38% more grain yield per plant than control plants. Mechanistically, PAY1 could improve plant architecture via affecting polar auxin transport activity and altering endogenous indole‐3‐acetic acid distribution. Furthermore, introgression of PAY1 into elite rice cultivars, using marker‐assisted background selection, dramatically increased grain yield compared with the recipient parents. Overall, these results demonstrated that PAY1 could be a new beneficial genetic resource for shaping ideal plant architecture and breeding high‐yielding rice varieties.     

Conservation strategies for threatened medicinal plant – Barleria prionitis L. – using in vitro and ex vitro propagation techniques

Over-utilisation and continuous depletion of medicinal plants have affected their supply and loss of genetic diversity. Hence the current study is based on conservation strategies for threatened medicinal plants with special reference to Barleria prionitis L. using in vitro and ex vitro propagation techniques. We have developed here a protocol for plant regeneration of Barleria prionitis L. We have also developed an efficient system of vegetative propagation of Barleria prionitis L. through stem cuttings using revive rooting hormones. These studies can be useful for conservation strategies of this important medicinal plant.     

Global investigation of the co‐evolution of MIRNA genes and microRNA targets during soybean domestication

Although the selection of coding genes during plant domestication has been well studied, the evolution of MIRNA genes (MIRs) and the interaction between microRNAs (miRNAs) and their targets in this process are poorly understood. Here, we present a genome‐wide survey of the selection of MIRs and miRNA targets during soybean domestication and improvement. Our results suggest that, overall, MIRs have higher evolutionary rates than miRNA targets. Nonetheless, they do demonstrate certain similar evolutionary patterns during soybean domestication: MIRs and miRNA targets with high expression and duplication status, and with greater numbers of partners, exhibit lower nucleotide divergence than their counterparts without these characteristics, suggesting that expression level, duplication status, and miRNA–target interaction are essential for evolution of MIRs and miRNA targets. Further investigation revealed that miRNA–target pairs that are subjected to strong purifying selection have greater similarities than those that exhibited genetic diversity. Moreover, mediated by domestication and improvement, the similarities of a large number of miRNA–target pairs in cultivated soybean populations were increased compared to those in wild soybeans, whereas a small number of miRNA–target pairs exhibited decreased similarity, which may be associated with the adoption of particular domestication traits. Taken together, our results shed light on the co‐evolution of MIRs and miRNA targets during soybean domestication.     

Differential expression of farnesyl diphosphate synthase gene from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Withania somnifera</Emphasis> in different chemotypes and in response to elicitors

Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal (Family, Solanaceae), commonly known as Ashwagandha is one of the most valuable medicinal plants synthesizing large number of pharmacologically active secondary metabolites known as withanolides. Though the plant has been well characterized in terms of phytochemical profiles as well as pharmaceutical activities, not much is known about the genes responsible for biosynthesis of these compounds. In this study, we have characterized a gene encoding farnesyl diphosphate synthase (FPPS; EC 2.5.1.10), a key enzyme in the pathway of biosynthesis of isoprenoids, from W. somnifera. The full-length cDNA of Withania somnifera FPPS (WsFPPS) of 1,253 bps encodes a polypeptide of 343 amino acids. The amino acid sequence homology and phylogenetic analysis suggest that WsFPPS has close similarity to its counterparts from tomato (SlFPPS) and capsicum (CaaFPPS). Using semi quantitative RT–PCR, the expression pattern of the WsFPPS gene was analyzed in different tissues of Withania chemotypes (NMITLI-101, NMITLI-108, NMITLI-118 and NMITLI-135) as well as in response to elicitors (salicylic acid and methyl jasmonate) and mechanical wounding. The expression analysis suggests that WsFPPS expression varies in different tissues (with maximal expression in flower and young leaf) and chemotypes (with highest level in NMITLI-101) and was significantly elevated in response to salicylic acid, methyl jasmonate and mechanical injury. This is the first report on characterization of an isoprenoid pathway gene involved in withanolide biosynthesis.     

The genetic structure of red raspberry (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Rubus idaeus</Emphasis> L.) populations in Lithuania

The red raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) is widely distributed in Lithuania and occupies a range of habitats. The presence of coadapted gene pools in local populations of R. idaeus is a question of interest not only to plant scientists, but also to plant breeders. In this study, we investigated the genetic structure of R. idaeus and the influence of local habitats on the genetic diversity within and among populations. Nineteen populations of R. idaeus were sampled from different habitats in various agroclimatic subregions of Lithuania, and analyzed using RAPD markers. 113 RAPD bands were identified among 315 individuals; 84.31% of these were polymorphic. The mean values of Shannon’s information index for different populations ranged from 0.341 to 0.455. Nei’s gene diversity established within populations averaged 0.266. An AMOVA revealed 74% of genetic variation among individuals within populations of R. idaeus, and 23% among populations. The remaining genetic variation was distributed among populations from different agroclimatic subregions (3%). The results of this study suggest that the genetic structure of R. idaeus populations in Lithuania may be influenced partially by isolation by distance as well as by local environmental conditions.