Survey on genetic diversity among Tecomella undulata (Roxb.) Seem. genotypes using SSR markers

Tecomella undulata (Roxb.) Seem. is an important evergreen plant species from different points of view. This species has important characteristics including resistance to high drought and temperature, sand fixation, medicinal properties, and durable wood. The objective of this study was to investigate the genetic diversity among 30 genotypes of the species collected from Bushehr, Kerman and Hormozgan provinces using molecular data obtained from SSR primers. DNA samples were extracted and used in PCR tests by applying microsatellite primers. After agarose gel electrophoresis of DNA Fragments, a totally 29 alleles were distinguished. In831 primer generated most locus. Results of cluster analysis using the UPGMA algorithm based on the Jaccard similarity coefficient categorized the genotypes into eight groups, indicating a high level of genetic diversity among the genotypes. Furthermore, observed and expected heterozygosity were estimated to be 0.4 and 0.29, respectively. Furthermore, the effective number of alleles ranged between 1.2 in the In831 gene to 1.81 in the Tau16 gene with average values of 1.51. These results showed that SSR markers are highly effective in determining the amount of genetic diversity in the population of T. undulata. The observed high diversity among the genotypes of the species showed a rich source of germplasm which can be used in breeding programs.