Assessment of Population Genetic Diversity of Medicinal <i>Meconopsis integrifolia</i> (Maxim.) Franch. Using Newly Developed SSR Markers
Jiahao Wu,
Quanyin Yang,
Wanyue Zhao,
Xue Miao,
Yuan Qin,
Yan Qu,
Ping Zheng
Affiliations
Jiahao Wu
Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Haixia Institute of Science and Technology, College of Forestry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
Quanyin Yang
Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Haixia Institute of Science and Technology, College of Forestry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
Wanyue Zhao
Southwest Research Center for Engineering Technology of Landscape Architecture (State Forestry and Grassland Administration), Yunnan Engineering Research Center for Functional Flower Resources and Industrialization, College of Landscape Architecture and Horticulture Science, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China
Xue Miao
Southwest Research Center for Engineering Technology of Landscape Architecture (State Forestry and Grassland Administration), Yunnan Engineering Research Center for Functional Flower Resources and Industrialization, College of Landscape Architecture and Horticulture Science, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China
Yuan Qin
Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Haixia Institute of Science and Technology, College of Forestry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
Yan Qu
Southwest Research Center for Engineering Technology of Landscape Architecture (State Forestry and Grassland Administration), Yunnan Engineering Research Center for Functional Flower Resources and Industrialization, College of Landscape Architecture and Horticulture Science, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China
Ping Zheng
Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Haixia Institute of Science and Technology, College of Forestry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
Meconopsis integrifolia is an endangered Tibetan medicinal plant with significant medicinal and ornamental value. Understanding its genetic diversity and structure is crucial for its sustainable utilization and effective conservation. Here, we develop a set of SSR markers based on transcriptome data to analyze the genetic diversity and structure of 185 individuals from 16 populations of M. integrifolia. The results indicate that M. integrifolia exhibits relatively high genetic diversity at the species level (the percentage of polymorphic bands PPB = 91.67%, Nei’s genetic diversity index He = 0.2989, Shannon’s information index I = 0.4514) but limited genetic variation within populations (PPB = 12.08%, He = 0.0399, I = 0.0610). The genetic differentiation among populations is relatively high (the coefficient of gene differentiation GST = 0.6902), and AMOVA analysis indicates that 63.39% of the total variation occurs among populations. This suggests that maintaining a limited number of populations is insufficient to preserve the overall diversity of M. integrifolia. Different populations are categorized into four representative subclusters, but they do not cluster strictly according to geographical distribution. Limited gene flow (Nm = 0.2244) is likely the main reason for the high differentiation among these populations. Limited seed and pollen dispersal abilities, along with habitat fragmentation, may explain the restricted gene flow among populations, highlighting the necessity of conserving as many populations in the wild as possible.
