ARS | Publication request: Applying Molecular Markers in Coriander Populations with Diverse Geographical Origins

Submitted to: National Congress of Mexican Horticultural Society
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: June 9, 2009
Publication Date: August 17, 2009
Citation: Lopez, P.A., Widrlechner, M.P., Simon, P.W., Rai, S., Bailey, T.B., Gardner, C.A. 2009. Applying Molecular Markers in Coriander Populations with Diverse Geographical Origins. In: Proceedings of the XIII National Congress of Mexican Society of Horticultural Sciences, August 17-21, 2009, Torreon, Coahuila, Mexico. p. 2.

Technical Abstract: Relationships between patterns of genetic diversity and geographical origins were studied in coriander by using amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLP) to survey coriander accessions. In 2005, 60 coriander accessions from 28 countries, from the USDA-ARS North Central Regional Plant Introduction Station, in Ames, IA, USA, were characterized with AFLP. From 264 potential markers generated by 4 primer pairs, 137 were repeatable, and 80 with the highest information content used for Analysis of Molecular Variance (AMOVA) and cluster analysis. Ecotype variation has been reported in coriander; but no clear evidence had been collected to test relationships between geography and genetic variation. Our goal was to determine if AFLPs were suitable to screen the genome of coriander populations from diverse origins and develop a geographical classification. Nine geographical groups were obtained and tested with AMOVA, but variation was much higher within populations than among groups. Variation within populations was very high, as has been found in other allogamous species. Possible explanations for the weak relationship between molecular variation and geographical origin in coriander include its breeding system, a relatively short history as a crop, and a shared genetic base through the world spice trade. Multiplexed AFLP reactions can be used to characterize coriander, but bulking DNA is not a good option, and AFLP weakly supported geographical classification, because variation within populations predominated.