Assessment of the genetic diversity among Nain-e Havandi medicinal plant accessions based on protein and SRAP markers

In this study, the genetic diversity of 10 different accessions of Andrographis paniculata was investigated using protein and SRAP markers. In the vegetative stage, protein and DNA were extracted from the leaves. The results of protein profile indicated a total of 20 bands with 64.15% polymorphism. To evaluate genetic diversity at the DNA level, 6 SRAP primers were used and a total of 583 scalable bands were observed.  A total of 549 bands had polymorphism with an average of 91.5 for the studied primers. The highest polymorphism (99.12%) and the lowest polymorphism (84.21%) were observed in E1/M1 E2/M2 primers, respectively. Cluster analysis produced four main clusters. Genetic diversity indices were calculated for all gene loci, including the average genetic diversity of Nei’s (0.27) and the mean of Shannon’s index with a value of 0.41. High level of population differentiation (Gst = 0.79) and good level of gene flow (Nm = 1.3) were estimated between the grouped populations. Molecular analysis of variance showed that intra-population variance (58%) was higher than inter-population variance (42%). Overall, the results of study showed a high genetic diversity in both protein electrophoresis pattern and in polymorphic bands separated using SRAP markers with emphasis on the greater efficiency of SRAP markers than protein markers, which can be selected in parents with genetic distance. It is widely used to produce dispersing and mapping populations in hybridization programs and to breed or improve desirable traits, as well as to protect and manage the germplasm of this plant.