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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Mayaguez, Puerto Rico » Tropical Crops and Germplasm Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #314231

Title: Transferability of Cucurbita SSR markers for genetic diversity assessment of Turkish bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria) genetic resources

Author
item YILDIZ, MEHTAP - Yuzuncu Yil Centennial University
item Cuevas, Hugo
item SENSOY, SUAT - Yuzuncu Yil Centennial University
item ERDINC, CEKNAS - Yuzuncu Yil Centennial University
item BALOCH, FAHEEM - Yuzuncu Yil Centennial University

Submitted to: Biochemical Systematics and Ecology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/2/2015
Publication Date: 7/1/2015
Citation: Yildiz, M., Cuevas, H.E., Sensoy, S., Erdinc, C., Baloch, F.S. 2015. Transferability of cucurbita SSR markers for genetic diversity assessment of Turkish bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria) genetic resources. Biochemical Systematics and Ecology. 59:45-53.

Interpretive Summary: Bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria) is an edible, medicinal and utilitarian plant species in the Mediterranean region. In Turkey, the genetic diversity of bottle gourd has not been studied although high morphological diversity exists among landraces. Therefore, 30 bottle gourd landraces, together with 31 other cucurbit species were subject to a genetic diversity analysis using 40 SSRs markers from Cucurbita and 16 SRAP primer combinations. The genetic diversity analysis classified the bottle gourd in two populations defined by fruit shape rather than by geographical origin. The study indicates that these markers are useful to study and preserve the genetic diversity of bottle gourd in Turkey.

Technical Abstract: The genetic diversity present in crop landraces represents a valuable genetic resource for breeding and genetic studies. Bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria) landraces in Turkey are highly genetically diverse. However, the limited genomic resources available for this crop hinder the molecular characterization of Turkish bottle gourd germplasm for its adequate conservation and management. Therefore, we evaluated the efficacy of 40 SSR markers from major cucurbit crops (Cucurbita pepo L. and Cucurbita moschata L.) in 30 bottle gourd landraces, together with 16 SRAP primer combinations. In addition, we compared the genetic relationship between bottle gourd and 31 other cucurbit accessions (11 Cucurbita maxima, 3 C. moschata, 5 C. pepo subsp. ovifera, 10 C. pepo and 2 Luffa cylindrica). Twenty seven Cucurbita SSR markers showed transferability to bottle gourd. SSR markers amplified 59 alleles, in bottle gourd genome with an average of 1.64 alleles per locus. Together, SSR and SRAP markers amplified 453 fragments across the 61 accessions, and clearly discriminated L. siceraria and L. cylindrica from the other cucurbit species. Genetic diversity analysis separated edible cucurbit from ornamentals, while population structure analysis classified L. siceraria in two subpopulations defined by fruit shape, rather than geographical origin. The results indicated that the genomic resources available for Cucurbita species are valuable to study and preserve the genetic diversity of bottle gourd in Turkey.