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Genetic diversity and conservation of two endangered eggplant relatives (Solanum vespertilio Aiton and Solanum lidii Sunding) endemic to the Canary Islands

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Abstract

Solanum vespertilio Aiton and Solanum lidii Sunding are endemic, endangered wild species from the Canary Islands. These species are of potential value for eggplant (S. melongena) breeding, given that they are part of the secondary genepool of this crop. We study genetic diversity with amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs) markers from 5 populations of S. vespertilio (47 samples) and 3 of S. lidii (26 samples). Five related African species (S. dasyphyllum Schumach. et Thonn., S. delagoense Dunal, S. campylacanthum Hochst., S. panduriforme E. Mey, S. aff. violaceum Ortega) were also included in the analysis. A total of 235 AFLP markers included 178 and 156 that were polymorphic in S. vespertilio and S. lidii, respectively. Analysis of genetic distance, phenograms, and principal component plots showed that these rare Canarian species are differentiated (GST = 0.412) from the continental materials and that Solanum vespertilio is more distinct to its African congeners than is S. lidii. There is a relatively high level of differentiation between the two species (GST = 0.373), that presumably reflects geographic restrictions (S. lidii to Gran Canaria; S. vespertilio essentially to Tenerife). However, both species have similar levels of total diversity. We speculate that the combination of the many unusual reproductive features (andromonoecy, zygomorphy, heteranthery and weak enantiostyly in S. vespertilio) help explain genetic diversity that is high for self compatible species. The high genetic diversity may also indicate populations were larger in the past. A decrease in population size could contribute to the relatively low genetic differentiation among the populations. The data presented herein provide the foundation for initiation of ex situ and in situ conservation programs for these wild relatives of eggplant.

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Acknowledgements

GJA thanks the American Philosophical Society, the University of Connecticut CLAS Office of the Dean, the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, the Jardín de Aclimatación de La Orotava (ICIA), Tenerife, GB thanks CONICET and SECYT (Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Argentina), DC thanks the University of Kansas, and JP thanks the EU (grant RESGEN PL98-113 “Managenement, conservation and valorisation of genetic resources of eggplants (Solanum species)”) and INIA (grant RF2004-00002-00-00) for support. We appreciate the invaluable help with field work from Paul Neal, and thank Clinton Morse and Chris Martine for help with greenhouse cultures. Mariola Plazas did excellent work in the lab for which we are grateful. We thank Matt Opel for thoughtful help in the lab and in reading versions of the manuscript and A. Marrero and R. Mesa for information of natural populations and loans.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Conservación y Mejora de la Agrodiversidad Valenciana, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, Valencia, Spain

    Jaime Prohens, F. Javier Herraiz & Fernando Nuez

  2. Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, The University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269-3043, USA

    Gregory J. Anderson

  3. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal (CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Córdoba), C.C. 495, 5000, Córdoba, Argentina

    Gabriel Bernardello

  4. Jardín de Aclimatación de La Orotava (ICIA), Retama 2, Puerto de La Cruz, Tenerife, E-38400, Canary Islands, Spain

    Arnoldo Santos-Guerra

  5. Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and the Natural history Museum and Biodiversity Research Center, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 66045-2106, USA

    Daniel Crawford

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  1. Jaime Prohens
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  2. Gregory J. Anderson
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  3. F. Javier Herraiz
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  4. Gabriel Bernardello
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  7. Fernando Nuez
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Correspondence to Jaime Prohens.

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This paper is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Richard N. Lester, who made significant contributions to the taxonomy, biosystematics and conservation of genetic resources of African species of Solanum.

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Prohens, J., Anderson, G.J., Herraiz, F.J. et al. Genetic diversity and conservation of two endangered eggplant relatives (Solanum vespertilio Aiton and Solanum lidii Sunding) endemic to the Canary Islands . Genet Resour Crop Evol 54, 451–464 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10722-006-9174-5

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