Imam Khomeini International University
Abstract: (78 Views)
Wheat is one of the world’s most important staple crops, and the foundation of effective breeding programs lies in identifying and characterizing genetic diversity within wild relatives and landraces. Microsatellite markers offer a reliable and precise approach for assessing genetic relationships and diversity among wheat accessions. This study aimed to evaluate genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships among 69 accessions collected from different regions of Iran, representing Triticum aestivum, T. boeoticum, T. durum, and T. urartu. A total of 23 SSR primers were used, yielding 57 polymorphic alleles with an average of 3.17 alleles per locus. Genetic distances ranged from 0.08 to 0.885, with the lowest observed between T. boeoticum and T. urartu, and the highest between T. aestivum and T. boeoticum. The maximum Nei’s genetic diversity (h = 0.12) and Shannon’s information index (I = 0.188) were recorded in T. urartu accessions. Cluster analysis using the Neighbor-Joining method grouped the accessions into four major clusters, with all T. aestivum accessions grouped together. Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) confirmed the clustering results. Population structure analysis divided the 69 accessions into three subpopulations. Accessions of T. boeoticum and T. urartu, which exhibited the greatest genetic similarity and admixture, were grouped into the same subpopulation. The results demonstrated that SSR markers are effective tools for distinguishing wheat species and for assessing genetic diversity among accessions. This information is vital for the conservation and utilization of wheat genetic resources in breeding programs.
Article number: 3
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