The study of chromosomal diversity in some species of Satureja

The genus Satureja is one of the main plants in food, pharmaceutical and healthcare industries by having important secondary metabolites. In this study, three Satureja species including S.sahendics, S.hortensis, S. atropatana were cytogenetically investigated. According to the results, the average chromosome lengths of the Satureja species ranged from 1.39 µm in S.sahendica to 4.82 µm in S.atropatana. The largest chromosome was observed in S.atropatana (5.940 µm) and the smallest in S.hortensis (1.022 µm). Between the studied species there were significant differences in long arm length (TL), arm ratio (AR), centromeric index (CI), total form percentage (TF%), difference of range relative length (DRL%), intra-chromosomal symmetry index (A1) and inter-chromosomal asymmetry index (A2). The chromosome types were determined “metacentric” and “submetacentric”. The Karyotype formula in S.sahendica, S.hortensis and S.hortensis species were respectively 14m, 20m+4sm and 4m+2sm. The S.sahendica species had the smallest values of Romero-Zarco index (A1 and A2), which is probably linked to its high capability with hard environmental conditions. In compared to the other species, S.sahendica showed the smallest DRL% and the largest TF%. It can be concluded that S.sahendica has more symmetrical karyotype and is more primitive species than two others. Because of the obvious genomic differences, it is expected that the direct crossing between S. atropatana and shandica with cultivated savory would be impossible and use of these species in savory breeding may need the ploidy manipulation and bridge species.