تنوع ژنتیکی

Suaeda aegyptiaca (Hasselq.) Zohary is a halophyte plant with many nutritional and medicinal uses. There is no information on study and estimation of the genetic diversity of S. aegyptiaca plants in Khuzestan province. So, this study was designed and implemented with the aim of investigating the genetic diversity and genetic relationships among S. aegyptiaca genotypes in Khuzestan province.

In order to study of genetic diversity and genetic relationships among S. aegyptiaca genotypes, 26 genotypes from two regions of Khuzestan were selected as group one and two based on their DNA quantity and quality from the 71 collected samples. 12 SCoT primers were used to investigate the diversity and genetic relationships among and within populations. Genomic DNA was extracted from leaf tissue of genotypes and DNA amplification was done using 12 SCoT primers, the obtained bands were scored as zero (band absence) and 1 (band presence). Total number of bands, number of polymorphic bands, and percentage of polymorphic bands, band information index, resolution power, polymorphic information content, marker index and Shannon index were calculated.

A total of 103 fragments were amplified, which showed a high percentage of polymorphism. SCoT14 had the highest polymorphic information (0.43) and marker index (4.36). The highest resolution power (Rp) belongs to SCoT13 (13.38). Cluster analysis using UPGMA method classified the genotypes into five groups. Karoun (KAR2) and Gheyzaniyeh (GH1) genotypes, with the highest genetic distance, were suitable for usage in breeding programs. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) showed that genetic diversity within groups was higher than between groups.

Some of the studied markers showed a high ability to distinguish genotypes, also the results indicated a high genetic diversity among the genotypes in terms of the studied SCoT markers. These results can be used in the breeding programs of S. aegyptiaca and related species.

Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.), one of the oldest cultivated fruits, is renowned for its high nutritional value and medicinal properties. Originating from Central Asia, particularly regions of Iran, Afghanistan, and India, the pomegranate has spread globally, with its high genetic diversity enabling adaptation to varied climatic conditions. This study aimed to evaluate the genetic diversity and relationships among 50 pomegranate genotypes from eight countries—Iran, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Syria, Lebanon, India, Yemen, and the United States—spanning three continents (Asia, Europe, and North America) using simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. Six microsatellite markers were employed, yielding 24 polymorphic loci. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 3 to 5, with an average of 4 alleles per primer pair. The polymorphic information content (PIC) values of the SSR markers varied from 0.28 to 0.46, with an average of 0.38 per locus. Analyses, including Nei's gene diversity index, Principal Coordinate Analysis (PCoA), and Analysis of Molecular Variance (AMOVA), confirmed the presence of substantial genetic diversity within the genotypes of each population. These findings demonstrate the effectiveness of SSR markers in assessing genetic diversity, genotype identification, and DNA fingerprinting of pomegranate genotypes from diverse geographic origins. This study provides valuable insights for pomegranate breeding programs and conservation strategies.

Pomegranate is a valuable fruit tree that exhibits favorable genetic diversity in Iran. The investigation of genetic diversity is the basis of plant breeding and is of particular importance. For this purpose, 38 morphological and pomological traits of 30 pomegranate genotypes were evaluated over two consecutive years. The results indicated that the genotypes displayed a high diversity in the studied traits, with the exception of the presence of anthocyanin in the branch of this year, aril color, fruit size, fruitful flower size, and intermediate cut of the leaf. The physiological disorder of fruit skin sensitivity to bursting had a positive correlation with fruit skin sensitivity to sunburn, but it showed a negative relationship with fruit skin thickness and tree mean yield. A positive correlation was observed between fruit size and fruitful flower size, and between fruitful flower percentage and flower position. The results of the principle component analysis revealed that the characteristics of fruit skin sensitivity to bursting, tree mean yield, fruit skin thickness, flower position, and fruit shape were the most key traits in determining the diversity between the studied genotypes. Based on the results of cluster analysis, the genotypes were divided into three groups, and the first group included genotypes with the lowest fruit skin sensitivity to bursting and sunburn. Among the cultivars studied, Rabab Malas Fars, Garch-shahvar, Shahvar-ghasrdasht, and Malas-Yazdi could be considered superior and desirable cultivars due to their low sensitivity to bursting and sunburn, as well as their high fruit number and tree yield

The most valuable products obtained from the (Peganum harmala L.) are phenolic compounds and other biochemical contents, which widely is used in treating of many diseases. This study has been done with the goal of evaluating the effect of different habitats on some biochemical and physiological parameters in pecan plant. First, the samples were identified and collected simultaneously in the four studied habitats. A factorial experiment with a completely randomized design with three replications was conducted in the central laboratory of Razi University in 2023. Results of the analysis of the variance of the studied traits has been showed, that there is a significant difference between the ecotypes and also the two leaf and seed samples in the characteristics of total chlorophyll content, soluble sugar, flavonoid and anthocyanin. The results showed that, there is a significant difference between the ecotype and the sample in chlorophyll b index. The difference between the samples is due to the type of ecotype and the effect of the environment. There is a significant positive correlation between chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and total chlorophyll. Phenol and flavonoid content showed significant negative correlation with total chlorophyll and positive and significant correlation with anthocyanin. Considering the content of biochemical compounds and the high content of phenols and flavonoids as antioxidant compounds in the studied samples, it can be stated that Ecotype No. 2 can be introduced to researchers as a suitable sample for further studies in the pharmaceutical field. The authors are grateful for the cooperation of the director of the Faculty of Engineering Sciences and Natural Resources, Razi University.

Aegilops species possessing the U genome are the most widely distributed species in the world. Considering the limitation in the genetic diversity in cultivated wheat, the use of wild relatives and other species of Aegilops can be provided a rich and diverse gene pool of new and ideal alleles for breeders. Therefore, the main goals of the present study were investigation of genetic diversity and population structure in Aegilops accessions collected from different regions of Iran using the CBDP markers.

In this study, the genetic diversity among 77 Aegilops accessions collected from 18 provinces in Iran and belonging to five species including Ae. biuncialis (UUMM genome), Ae. columnaris (UUMM genome) Ae. Neglecta (UUMM genome), Ae. triuncialis (UUCC genome), Ae. umbellulata (UU genome) , was evaluated using 15 CBDP primers. The obtained molecular data were subjected to statistical analyses using GenAlEx ver. 6.502, DARwin ver. 6, and Structure ver. 2.3.4 softwares.

A total of 189 polymorphic fragments were amplified using 15 used CBDP primers (95.27%). The PIC index ranged from 0.28 (CBDP15) to 0.42 (CBDP-2 CBDP-4) with an average of 0.35. The results of analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed that the highest proportion of genetic variance referred to within species (76%). Among all species, Ae. triuncialis showed the highest values of genetic parameters. The highest level of genetic similarity was found between Ae. biuncialis with Ae. columnaris (0.905) and Ae.biuncialis with Ae. neglecta (0.879). Although cluster analysis based on CBDP data classified all accessions into three main groups the grouping pattern was exactly in accordance with the genomic constitution of species. Moreover, the clustering pattern was confirmed by a principal coordinate’s analysis (PCoA). The population structure analysis further confirmed the results obtained from the cluster analysis and PCoA, so all studied accessions were grouped based on their genomic structure, degree of genetic similarity, and geographic similarities.

Results of the present study showed a high usefulness of CBDP markers in evaluating the genetic diversity in the Aegilops germplasm. Therefore, it seems that this marker technique can be used in programs related to the preparation of genetic maps and molecular phylogenetic studies. Also, the existence of high genetic diversity among some Iranian Aegilops species can provides a significant prospect for breeders to use them in pre-breeding programs in wheat.

Agilops is one of the most important genetic ancestors of wheat, which is a valuable genetic resource for wheat breeders due to its tolerance to various biotic and abiotic stresses. The main goal of this research was to evaluate the genetic diversity in 89 Aegilops tauschii accessions collected from different regions of Iran and the countries of Turkey, Afghanistan, Armenia, Sweden and Azerbaijan using 32 microsatellite primer pairs. The averages of polymorphic information content (PIC), Marker index (MI), Resolution (RP) indices were equal to 0.81, 1.82 and 1.88, respectively, which indicated that the primers used are suitable with high efficiency for investigating relationships among the accessions of this species. The results of principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) showed that the first three components explained 41.88% of the total genetic variance changes. Cluster analysis classified the evaluated accessions into four main groups, which was confirmed by the results of principal coordinate analysis (PCoA). According to the cluster grouping pattern, in some cases the accessions with the same geographical origin were placed in separate groups and also the presence of non-Iranian accessions in the group of Iranian accessions was observed. The results of population structure analysis confirmed the populations genetic exchanges and showed that the classification of the studied accessions is independent of their geographical origin. In general, the results showed high genetic diversity among the studied accessions of Ae. tauschii, therefore, the high genetic diversity leads to finding new allelic sources and introducing desirable alleles, which will be of great value to wheat breeders for use in breeding programs.

Genetic diversity of coriander is very important for future breeding programs and genetic resource conservation. To evaluate genetic diversity and population structures, 20 populations of coriander collected from different regions of Iran were assessed using 10 ISSR markers. The markers generated a total of 111 bands in the studied populations of which 80 bands were polymorphic. The average polymorphism ranged from 0.2 to 0.35 per primer. To determine the efficiency of ISSR markers, their polymorphic information content (PIC) and polymorphic percentage were calculated. The average polymorphism was 72.2 percent among the assessed population. Primers P2 showed the best marker parameters and were identified as the most effective primers for assessing genetic diversity in Iranian coriander populations. Cluster analysis based on the Jaccard coefficient by UPGMA classified populations into three groups. According to the results, there is a high genetic diversity among Iranian coriander and ISSR can effectively differentiate the populations. This genetic diversity could be employed by the plant breeders in further breeding programs to introduce new varieties and improve conservation strategies as well.

The Chalghoza pine (Pinus gerardiana) is grown in the eastern and southeastern regions of Afghanistan and has an important role in the socio-economic progress of rural communities. It serves various purposes, such as providing pine nuts, fuel wood, medicinal plants, grazing areas, and shelter for livestock. In this research, the genetic diversity and structure of different Chalghoza pine populations were examined using molecular markers known as start codon targeted (SCoT) and inter primer binding site (iPBS) markers. Due to the excessive harvesting of its nuts and a decline in its population, the IUCN categorizes the Chilgoza pine as a nearing threat.

39 Chalghozeh pine genotypes were collected from various regions across five provinces in Afghanistan, namely Khost, Paktia, Laghman, Kunar, and Nuristan. To extract genomic DNA, a modified CTAB procedure was employed, utilizing megagametophyte tissue from 4-5 seeds per genotype. For this research, six primers each for SCoT and iPBS markers were utilized. To analyze the data and determine genetic relationships, cluster analysis was conducted using the unweighted pair-group method arithmetic averages.

In this study, 12 SCoT and iPBS primers were utilized, resulting in the generation of 48 and 55 bands for SCoT and iPBS markers, respectively. The percentage of polymorphism was estimated at 20.8% for SCoT markers and 29.1% for iPBS markers. The average values of PIC (polymorphic information content) were determined as 0.026 for SCoT markers and 0.045 for iPBS markers, indicating a higher differentiation power of iPBS markers compared to SCoT markers. The genetic similarity coefficient revealed a relatively low genetic diversity among the populations examined. The UPGMA dendrogram, based on the similarity coefficient, demonstrated that the genotypes did not cluster according to their collection sites. This outcome can be attributed to the species' highly cross-pollinating nature and limited distribution range in the studied area. The observed number of alleles (NA) was 1.08 and 1.09, while the effective number of alleles (NE) was determined as 1.075 for both SCoT and iPBS markers. The Shannon's information index (I) was calculated as 0.055 and 0.060 for SCoT and iPBS markers, respectively. The expected heterozygosity (HE) values were estimated as 0.039 for SCoT markers and 0.042 for iPBS markers. The analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) indicated that the genetic diversity within populations was higher than among populations. Through a Bayesian model-based STRUCTURE analysis, two groups (K=2) were identified among the five populations of Pinus gerardiana, and admixture was observed within individuals. 

The minimal variations observed in total diversities and levels of population differentiation among the five Chalghoza pine populations suggest that the genetic structure of these populations aligns with the species' long-lived perennial nature and regional distribution. These findings have implications for the conservation and cultivation of this economically significant tree, providing valuable insights for its management and preservation.

Kelussia odoratissima Mozaff, is one of the most important medicinal plants in Iran and is facing the risk of extinction. Keluss is not only used as a valuable herb in its raw form but also possesses numerous therapeutic properties in traditional medicine and modern herbal drug combinations from a pharmacological perspective. However, the lack of information on its genetic diversity and the mechanisms of important metabolite production in this plant pose challenges for genetic research on this species. In the present study, with the aim of developing high-throughput EST-SSR markers, the assembly process of short reads obtained through next generation sequencing technology was employed. A total of 7575 microsatellite loci were identified in 6388 unigenes. Among these markers, dinucleotide motifs followed by trinucleotide and mononucleotide motifs exhibited the highest abundance. Blast analysis of the sequences containing microsatellites revealed that 79.74% of the transcripts had at least one record in the non-redundant protein database. Further investigations involving transcription factors and functional annotations indicated that most of the microsatellite-containing unigenes are involved in metabolic pathways and the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites. The results showed that these markers assist in the analysis of genetic diversity and metabolic pathways of this plant, information that can be crucially important for the conservation and sustainable utilization of this valuable plant.

Species belonging to the Aegilops genus are one of the most important genetic resources of wheat. This germplasm due to its breeding potential usually is served in wheat breeding programs. In the present study, genetic diversity among 60 accessions belonging to Ae. crassa and Ae. cylindrica were investigated using start codon targeted polymorphism (SCoT) markers. The obtained banding pattern showed that in total 171 fragments were amplified across all investigated accessions, out of which 156 were polymorphic. The average values for polymorphism information content (PIC), resolving power (Rp), and marker index (MI) indices were estimated as 0.30, 16.27, and 3.18, respectively. The results of molecular analysis of variance (AMOVA) indicated that the most portion of genetic variation was belonged to within species than between them (79% vs. 21%). Based on the genetic variation parameters, Ae. crassa species showed greater levels of genetic variation compared with Ae. cylindrica species. The results of cluster analysis based on Jaccard’s similarity matrix grouped all investigated accessions into two main groups, so that the grouping pattern was in accordance with their genomic constitution. Moreover, the results of principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) confirmed the grouping pattern obtained by cluster analysis. In conclusion, our results revealed considerable efficiency of SCoT markers in grouping the studied germplasm; hence the use of this marker system could be recommended in other genetic studies.

Eggplant is a highly nutritious vegetable that is widely consumed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the genetic diversity between eggplant accessions from the National Plant Gene-Bank of Iran. In the first year, a preliminary evaluation was conducted using 168 accessions. Based on preliminary evaluation results, 40 accessions were selected for complementary evaluation in the second year. The evaluation was based on 23 quantitative and qualitative traits. The results of the preliminary evaluation showed statistically significant (P<0.01) differences between accessions for all traits. Fruit shape frequencies were rounded (35.89 percent), elongated (32.18 percent), oval (13.67 percent), Semi-elongated (13.15 percent), and mace-shaped (5.11 percent). In the complementary evaluation, there were significant differences between accessions for all traits. Qualitative traits such as flower color (1.56) and fruit shape (1.53) exhibited the highest genetic variation, while fruit color (0.5) showed the lowest. Cluster analysis analysis results revealed four groups for accessions and the highest (22.34) and least (0.12) genetic distances between 1 and 2 and between 7 and 21accessions, respectively. Factor analysis showed that the first three factors explained 68.06 percent of total variation in data. The first and second factors were related to yield and yield components, respectively. Also, fruit yield traits showed high heritability and there was significant genetic correlation between these traits. Therefore, high heritable and high-scoring traits in these factors should be considered when selecting progenies in segregating populations for improvement in terms of fruit yield and shape.

Wheat is the most important cereal crops; it is a stable diet for more than one third of the world population. DNA markers play the most important role in diversity due to the relative ease in their generation and elimination of the influence of environment. The objective of this research were study of genetic diversity of bread wheat cultivars using RAPD markers and efficiency of these markers in grouping and distinguishing wheat cultivars based DNA fingerprint. 

In this study 42 wheat cultivar was evaluated with using 20 RAPD markers. The amplified fragment profiles were visually scored for presence (1) and absence (0) of bands and entered in a binary matrix. 

The results showed that, RAPD primers detected 132 fragments and 88 of them (66/67%) were polymorphic. The amplified DNA fragments varied in size from <100bp to 3000bp. The number of polymorphic fragments primer ranged from 2-7 with an average of 4/4. RAPD68 and RAPD28 each whit 7 polymorphic bands showed the highest amount of polymorphism. Primer RAPD68 were able to distinguish the cultivars omid and azadi, primer OPB08 cultivars Chenab. Sepahan, Salyasonez and primers TIBMBD17 and TIBMBB09 cultivar Atrac from other cultivars. Cluster analysis using Jaccard matrix and UPGMA method was performed, wheat genotype clustered in seven distinct groups, and the genetic similarity values ranged from 0.74 to 0.94. sistan and gasparo showed the most genetic similarity (94%). Atrac, Azadi and vrinac were clustered as outliers. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) determined 1% inter group diversity and 99% intra group diversity for studied genotypes. 

The results of this research showed that there was not genetic variation among bread wheat cultivars, that can be due to the low number of primers and cultivars under investigation. Suggested to use other primers such as SSR, which shows more diversity.

This study was aimed to assess genetic variation and characterize 50 selected genotypes of Agropyron desertorum Fisch. ex Link. using agro-morphological traits and forage yield. Each genotype was clonally propagated into four clones and they were space planted in a randomized complete block design with four replications on the research farm of the Agricultural Biotechnology Research Institute of the Northwest and West regions, Tabriz, Iran. Data collected from March 2017 for two years. The results of the variance analysis showed significant differences among the genotypes for most of the traits (P<0.01), which indicated high variation among the studied genotypes for all the traits. Based on the mean comparison of annual forage dry matter yield over two years, the 14 genotypes with higher annual forage production (more than 350 g/plant equal to 9.8 t.h-1) and also higher seed yield (more than 40 g/plant equal to 1.12 t.h-1) were selected as the superior genotypes. Based on the cluster analysis, the 50 genotypes were divided into four clusters. The results indicated that there were significant variation and considerable distance for forage, seed yield and other traits among the studied genotypes. Thus, these genotypes could be suitable genetic sources for selecting superior parental genotypes to improve breeding composite varieties.

Objective:

Pulicaria gnaphalodes (Vent.) Boiss, known as Kak-Kosh, is a desert-adapted species that has been widely distributed throughout Iran. This plant is a source of flavonoids and terpenes that are used in traditional medicine. Considering the medicinal importance of this plant, the aim of this research was to investigate the effectiveness of molecular and morphological markers to separate the populations.

Materials and methods:

In this research, 20 populations of this species were collected from Kerman, Fars, Yazd and Hormozgan provinces and their genetic diversity was analyzed using 10 morphological traits and 25 ISSR primers. Sampling for genetic and morphological studies were carried out in spring and late summer, respectively.

Results:

A total of 150 ISSR marker fragments were scored and 139 bands were found to be polymorphic [the percentage of polymorphic bands (PPB): 92.67%]. The average number of effective alleles (Ne) and expected Heterozygosity (uHe) for the amplification products were 1.470 and 0.288 respectively. Both Principal Coordinates Analysis (PCoA) and UPGMA cluster analysis supported the clustering of all the populations into two groups. Small cluster contained populations 15, 18 and 19 and other populations were placed in a large Cluster. A weak relationship was observed between genetic diversity and GIS data. The Factor Analysis (FA) results for morphological traits detected three principal components with Eigen value greater than one (reproductive, leaf area, and vegetative components), which explained 69.24% of the total variability. These three components explained 28.77, 21.05 and 19.42 percentage of variability respectively. The FA analysis separated a group from the other populations.

Conclusions:

In the present study, high levels of genetic and morphologic diversity were found between P. gnaphalodes populations. So that geographical separations have a weak effect on genetic diversity of populations. It seems that some probable factors such as perianality, self-incompatibility, pollination system, seed dispersal by wind, and gene flow could support achieving the population in a high level of genetic diversity.