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- Title
Diversity and relationships of Crocus sativus and its relatives analysed by inter-retroelement amplified polymorphism (IRAP).
- Authors
Fakieh Alsayied, Nouf; Fernández, José Antonio; Schwarzacher, Trude; Heslop-Harrison, J. S.
- Abstract
*Background and Aims: Saffron (Crocus sativus) is a sterile triploid (2N = 3x = 24) cultivated species, of un known origin from other diploid and polyploid species in the genus Crocus (Iridaceae). Species in the genus have high morphological diversity, with no clear phylogenetic patterns below the level of section Crocus series Crocus. Using DNA markers, this study aimed to examine the diversity and relationships within and between species of Crocus series Crocus. *Methods: Eleven inter-retroelement amplified polymorphism (IRAP) primers were used in 63 different combina tions with 35 single-plant accessions of C. sativus and related Crocus species in order to determine genetic variabil ity and to conduct phylogenetic analysis. *Key Results: A total of 4521 distinct polymorphic bands from 100 bp to approx. 4 kb were amplified; no fragment specific to all accessions of a single species was amplified. The polymorphic information content (PIC) values var ied from approx. 0-37 to approx. 0-05 (mean 0-17 ± 0-1) and the major allele frequency had a mean of 0-87. High levels of polymorphism were identified between accessions of the six species of Crocus series Crocus related to C. sativus, with further variation between the species. In contrast, no polymorphisms were seen among 17 C. sativus accessions obtained in the region from Kashmir through Iran to Spain. *Conclusions In contrast to the intraspecific variability seen in other Crocus species, C. sativus has minimal ge netic variation, and it is concluded that the triploid hybrid species has most probably arisen only once. The data show that saffron is an allotriploid species, with the IRAP analysis indicating that the most likely ancestors are C. cartwrightianus and C. pallasii subsp. pallasii (or close relatives). The results may facilitate resynthesizing saf fron with improved characteristics, and show the need for conservation and collection of wild Crocus.
- Subjects
SAFFRON crocus; GENETIC polymorphisms in plants; RETROTRANSPOSONS; POLYPLOIDY in plant chromosomes; PLANT phylogeny
- Publication
Annals of Botany, 2015, Vol 116, Issue 3, p359
- ISSN
0305-7364
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1093/aob/mcv103