Diversity and genetic structure of Ornithogalum L. (Hyacinthaceae) populations as revealed by RAPD-PCR markers

Abstract

Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) PCR method was used to assess the level of diversity and genetic structure in Ornithogalum L. populations from Serbia and Hungary with the main goal of improving the knowledge of this genus in the given region. The material was collected from 19 populations and identified as two morphologically similar and phylogenetically close taxa: O. umbellatum L. 1753 and O. divergens Boreau 1887. All ten RAPD primers used for the analysis gave PCR products, with length between 3000bp and 300bp. There were 101 amplified fragments in total; number of polymorphic bands per primer varied between seven and 13. Percentage of polymorphic loci was 96% in total and 12% in average in each population. Genetic variation statistics for all loci also showed that genetic diversity for all populations was 0.29 and Shannon index 0.45, while mean values for these parameters calculated for each population were 0.04 and 0.06, respectively. Analysis of molecular variance demonstrated high population genetic differentiation; however Mantel test showed no significant correlation between geographic distances of populations and genetic distances expressed through population pairwise F<inf>ST</inf>. UPGMA dendrogram based on Jaccard genetic similarity coefficients showed subclustering and principal coordinate analysis based on Nei and Li coefficients of genetic distances indicated grouping. Analysis of populations genetic structure was in accordance with these results and clearly separated populations of O. umbellatum from O. divergens. RAPDs proved to be a reliable and rapid method suitable for distinguishing genetic differentiation in Ornithogalum, thus could be applied as a useful additional tool in resolving taxonomic problems.