AFLP and microsatellite fingerprinting to estimate genetic diversity in Ethiopian tetraploid wheat (<i>Triticum Turgidum</i> L.) landraces

Abstract

Genetic variation of 150 OTUs representing 26 Ethiopian tetraploid wheat (Triticum turgidum L.) landraces and 4 tetraploid wheat cultivars were investigated using the AFLP and microsatellite methods. Nine primer combinations (PCs) for AFLP and twelve wheat microsatellite (WMS) located on different A- and B-genome chromosome arms were used to amplify DNA segments from the genomic DNA. For AFLP, a total of 84 polymorphic bands were scored, with an average of 9.3 polymorphic bands per primer combination. For microsatellite, a total of 96 alleles were scored, with an average of 7.9 alleles per locus. AFLP genetic diversity revealed that coefficient of gene differentiation for the within accession component is high (0.66), indicating that the high accession variation is due to the within component rather than the between accessions component. UPGMA dendrograms that were constructed on the basis of AFLP band similarities demonstrated that the accessions in the dendrograms do not show a clear pattern of geographical clustering. Regarding microsatellite, the relative coefficient of gene differentiation for the within accessions component accounted for 45% while 55% of the total diversity was due to the interaccessional component. According to microsatellite analysis, genetic diversity was much higher for the within than for the between class component of the sub-regions and altitude classes. Based on UPGMA denderogram, most of the accessions were loosely grouped according to altitude and to a lesser extent to region of collection.

Keywords/phrases: AFLP, Ethiopian tetraploid wheat landraces, Genetic diversity, Microsatellite

Ethiop. J. Biol. Sci., 7(2): 95-110, 2008