Development of S-SAP Markers and Assessment of Their Potential in Genetic Studies of Representatives of the Genus Prunus L.

Abstract

S-SAP (Sequence-Specific Amplified Polymorphism) markers developed on the basis of Cassandra retrotransposon LTR sequences were first used to study the genetic diversity and phylogeny of 65 representatives of seven species of the genus Prunus L. selected from the collection of the Krymskaya Experimental Breeding Station (KEBS). The use of six S-SAP markers developed within the framework of this study made it possible to identify from 29 to 185 polymorphic fragments per marker, and the mean polymorphism level was 92.75% per marker. This type of markers showed high efficiency for assessing intra- and interspecific genetic diversity in members of the genus Prunus. Cluster analysis of the results of S-SAP marking made it possible to distinguish six main groups corresponding to the investigated Prunus species, with the Prunus domestica genotypes occupying the isolated position. The reasons for the genetic isolation of Prunus domestica are discussed.