Diversity and genetic structure of European plum in mountainous areas of Northeastern Spain

摘要

Prunus domestica L. is one of the less studied species within the genus Prunus, mainly due to its polyploidy and lower economic importance in comparison with other species in this genus. As a consequence, there have been few studies on genetic diversity and structure in P. domestica germplasm. Knowing the extent and structure of genetic variation in germplasm collections is an essential step for the conservation and utilization of the biodiversity. We used codominant DNA markers (SSR) to elucidate the patterns of genetic diversity and structure of P. domestica germplasm from Northeastern Spain. One hundred and twenty accessions from this area were analyzed together with 41 reference cultivars that represent a wide range of diversity in this species.The SSR data revealed a duplication degree of 27%. A Bayesian model-based clustering method identified four groups to which a high percentage of genotypes (71.6%) were strongly assigned (^/>0.80). The highly differentiated genetic structure with an important fraction (=60%) of unique local accessions suggests that this material has potential interest for conservation purposes and for plum breeding programs. All in all, these results provide valuable information that will allow undertaking a more rational management of the European plum material preserved in this geographical area.