Morphometric analysis and genetic diversity in Glaucium (Papaveraceae) Using Sequence related amplified polymorphism

Abstract

Glaucium is a member of the Papaveraceae family. The genus Glaucium consists of annual, biennial, and perennial herbaceous plants and grows mostly in saline soils and by the sea. Glaucium is represented by a total of 10 taxa in Iran. The genetic diversity was assessed through Sequence-related amplified polymorphism. To uncover genetic diversity and species characteristics in Glaucium species, were studied through a combination of morphological and molecular data. Sixty-five individuals related to 5 Glaucium were collected in 8 provinces. A total of 144 (Number of total loci) (NTL) DNA bands were produced through polymerase chain reaction amplifications (PCR) amplification of five Glaucium species. These bands were produced with the combinations of 10 selective primers. The total number of amplified fragments ranged from 7 to 26. The predicted unbiased heterozygosity (H) varied between 0.19 (G. grandiflorum subsp. grandiflorum var. grandiflorum) and 0.33 (G. oxylobum var. oxylobum). The genetic similarities between five species are estimated from 0.63 to 0.88. Clustering results showed two major clusters. According to the SRAP (Sequence-related amplified polymorphism) markers analysis, G. grandiflorum and G. oxylobum var. oxylobum had the lowest similarity. This study also detected a significant signature of isolation by distance (Mantel test results). Present results showed that sequence-related amplified polymorphism have the potential to identify and decipher genetic affinity in Glaucium species. Current results have implications in biodiversity and conservation programs. Besides this, present results could pave the way for selecting suitable ecotypes for forage and pasture purposes in Iran.