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Molecular Markers for the Classification of Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) Germplasm and to Assess Genetic Diversity in Three Synthetic Switchgrass Populations

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Abstract

Information regarding the amount of genetic diversity is necessary to enhance the effectiveness of breeding programs and germplasm conservation efforts. Genetic variation between 21 switchgrass genotypes randomly selected from two lowland (‘Alamo’ and ‘Kanlow’) and one upland (‘Summer’) synthetic cultivars were estimated using restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) markers. Comparison of 85 RFLP loci revealed 92% polymorphism between at least two genotypes from the upland and lowland ecotypes. Within ecotypes, the upland genotypes showed higher polymorphism than lowland genotypes (64% vs. 56%). ‘Kanlow’ had a lower percent of polymorphic loci than ‘Alamo’ (52% vs. 60%). Jaccard distances revealed higher genetic diversity between upland and lowland ecotypes than between genotypes within each ecotype. Hierarchical cluster analysis using Ward's minimum variance grouped the genotypes into two major clusters, one representing the upland group and the other the lowland group. Phylogenetic analysis of chloroplast non-coding region trnL (UAA) intron sequences from 34 switchgrass accessions (6 upland cultivars, 2 lowland cultivars, and 26 accessions of unknown affiliation) produced a neighbor-joining dendrogram comprised of two major clusters with 99% bootstrap support. All accessions grouped in the same cluster with the lowland cultivars (‘Alamo’ and ‘Kanlow’) had a deletion of 49 nucleotides. Phenotypic identification of greenhouse-grown plants showed that all accessions with the deletion are of the lowland type. The deletion in trnL (UAA) sequences appears to be specific to lowland accessions and should be useful as a DNA marker for the classification of upland and lowland germplasm.

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Abbreviations

RFLP:

restriction fragment length polymorphism

trnL (UAA):

tRNALeucine

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Center for Applied Genetic Technologies, University of Georgia, 111 Riverbend Road, Athens, GA, 30602-6810, USA

    Ali M. Missaoui

  2. The Plant Genome Mapping Laboratory, University of Georgia, 111 Riverbend Road, Athens, GA, 30602, USA

    Andrew H. Paterson

  3. The Noble Foundation, 2510 Sam Noble Pky, Ardmore, OK, 73401, USA

    Joseph H. Bouton

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  1. Ali M. Missaoui
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  2. Andrew H. Paterson
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  3. Joseph H. Bouton
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Correspondence to Ali M. Missaoui.

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Missaoui, A.M., Paterson, A.H. & Bouton, J.H. Molecular Markers for the Classification of Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) Germplasm and to Assess Genetic Diversity in Three Synthetic Switchgrass Populations. Genet Resour Crop Evol 53, 1291–1302 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10722-005-3878-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10722-005-3878-9

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