Analysis of genetic diversity and population structure of oilseed crop noug (Guizotia abyssinica) accessions collected from Ethiopia

• Published in: Molecular biology reports 2023, Vol.50 (1), p.43-55
• Main Authors: Terefe, Motbaynor, Birmeta, Genet, Girma, Dejene, Geleta, Mulatu, Tesfaye, Kassahun
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agricultural Science; Alleles; Animal Anatomy; Animal Biochemistry; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Breeding; Conservation; Economic importance; Ethiopia; Genetic analysis; Genetic diversity; Genetic markers; Genetic Variation - genetics; Genotype; Genotypes; Heterozygosity; Histology; Jordbruksvetenskap; Life Sciences; Microsatellite Repeats - genetics; Microsatellites; Morphology; Oilseeds; Original Article; Plant Breeding; Population genetics; Population structure
• ISSN: 0301-4851; 1573-4978; 1573-4978
• DOI: 10.1007/s11033-022-08005-9

Background Noug is an Ethiopian indigenous oilseed crop cultivated primarily for its oil and various economic importance. Evaluating the extent of genetic diversity within and among populations is one of the most important steps in breeding and conservation measures. Thus, this study aimed to uncover the extent of genetic diversity and population structure of noug accessions collected from different regions of Ethiopia using microsatellite markers. Methods and results A total of 161 accessions from fourteen regions of Ethiopia, including some from Eritrea using 13 microsatellite markers were analyzed. All the 13 microsatellite markers were polymorphic and highly informative with a mean PIC value of 0.82. The analysis generated a total of 158 alleles with a mean of 12.15 per locus. The overall mean of Shannon information index and heterozygosity/gene diversity were 1.57 and 0.74, respectively suggesting the presence of higher genetic diversity across the collection regions. AMOVA revealed that 96.06% of the total genetic variation was attributed to within populations while only 3.94% was attributed to among populations. Likewise, the dendrogram clustering, PCoA, and the model-based population structure analysis didn’t exactly corresponded the grouping of the genotypes according to their regions of origin. Conclusion The microsatellites used in the present study are highly informative and could be targeted for developing markers for future marker-assisted breeding. Genotypes collected from Shewa, Wollo, Gojjam, Tigray, and B/G showed a higher genetic diversity and private alleles as compared to other populations. Hence, these areas can be considered as hotspots which could help for the identification of genotypes that can be used in breeding programs as well as for the implementation of further conservation programs.