Assessment of biodiversity among Palestinian landraces of Cucumis melo L. groups based on morphological descriptors and molecular markers (RAPD and ISSR)
Wed, 2015-08-05 13:36 — Sami Yaish
Abstract:
Abstract
Background:
Economically; melons (snake cucumber and cantaloupes) are important
crops cultivated in Palestine. Traditional melons are rain-fed crops.
Although melons are differ in morphological traits such as shape, fruit
color, taste, and flavor, low genetic variations between these crops is
present.
Objectives:
The aims of this study are to study the genetic variations between and
within melon groups in Palestine using genetic markers (RAPD &
ISSR), and to determine the relationships between molecular and
morphological characterization, also to evaluate the efficiency of RAPD
and ISSR genetic markers in discriminating between and within landraces
of melon groups.
Methods:
Biodiversity among 44 Palestinian landraces of melon was studied using
RAPD and ISSR genetic primers, and morphological descriptors. Similarity
matrixes and dendrograms were generated using SPSS (version 16)
software. Resolving Power (Rp) was calculated for each primer.
Results:
Morphological descriptors separated melons into two ‘groups’, Fakus
(flexuosus) with two phenotypic subgroups (white and green), and
cantalupensis.
From
14 RAPD primers used 132 bands were amplified, 75 bands were
polymorphic (57%) and 57 were monomorphic (43%). Cluster analysis by
RAPD results divided Palestinian melons into two clusters: Cluster I
(contain all flexuosus accessions) and cluster II (contain all
cantalupensis accessions). The highest similarity between flexuosus and
cantalupensis accessions by RAPD primers was 0.86.
Nine
ISSR primers produced 71 bands; all bands were monomorphic, so that
there are no genetic variations revealed between melon accessions by
ISSR primers. This indicated the highly genetic similarity between these
groups.
Conclusions:
RAPD primers proved efficient in discriminating between Palestinian
melon groups, and gave an indications or marks about genetic variations
within Flexuosus accessions. No genetic variations between Palestinian
melon groups were observed when ISSR primers were used.
Results strongly indicated the importance of study the origin and diversity of Palestinian landraces of melons.
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