Genetic Differentiation of Rhododendron aureum Georgi at Nuclear Microsatellite Loci

Resumo

SSR analysis of Rhododendron aureum Georgi in eight populations (63 samples) from Siberia (West and East Sayans) and Kamchatka was performed. Polymorphism of five SSR loci showed a high level of genetic diversity in all the populations (mean values H_o = 0.667, H_e = 0.638). The analysis of molecular variation (AMOVA) revealed that about 16% of the genetic diversity of R. aureum occurs in interpopulation differences (F_st = 0.161, p = 0.001). The Bayesian approach in the STRUCTURE program revealed that the species has a heterogeneous genetic structure—populations from Kamchatka form a separate cluster and show high homogeneity, and populations from Western and Eastern Siberia are of mixed origin. The obtained results indicate the prospects of using this type of markers for population-genetic studies of R. aureum.