Chloroplastic Genetic Diversity and Gene Flow in Pear Species Revealed by the CAPS Marker

The non-coding chloroplast regions are likely provide the greatest number of characters for molecular phylogenetic studies، because they are less functional and highly conserved and so their variation is affected by neutral selection. In order to investigate phylogenetic relationship in 73 Iranian and European pear (Pyrus communis L.) local cultivars and wild genotypes، plus 9 Japanese pear genotypes (Pyrus pyrifolia، syn. P. serotina) and one Chinese pear (P. × bretschneideri)، we recognized three hyper variable regions in intergenic spacers of cpDNA by CAPS (Cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence) method. Using three chloroplast primer pairs and three restriction enzymes (Tru1I، BsuRI and Rsa1) 15 haplotypes were detected. The most-abundant and widely distributed haplotype in European cultivars was H1 and three haplotypes (H10، H7 and H4) were exclusive haplotypes of Iranian population. The CAPS markers were divided Iranian and European pear cultivars into five groups، whereas Japanese pear cultivars were grouped together with Iranian pear genotypes. This evidence supports the hypothesis of a significant genetic contribution in the Iranian wild genotypes from Japanese and European pear.