Assessment of Worldwide Genetic Diversity of Siberian Wild Rye (Elymus sibiricus L.) Germplasm Based on Gliadin Analysis

Abstract

E. sibiricus L., the type species of the genus Elymus, is a perennial, self-pollinating and allotetraploid grass indigenous to Northern Asia, which in some countries can be cultivated as an important forage grass. In the present study, eighty-six Elymus sibiricus accessions, mostly from different parts of Asia, were assayed by gliadin markers based on Acid Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis to differentiate and explore their genetic relationships. The genetic similarity matrix was calculated by 47 polymorphic bands, which ranged from 0.108 to 0.952 with an average of 0.373. The total Shannon diversity index (Ho) and the Simpson index (He) was 0.460 and 0.302, respectively. Cluster analysis showed a clear demarcation between accessions from Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, China and the others as separate groups. The clustering pattern was probably dependent on geographic origin and ecological adaptability of the accessions. The population structure analysis based on Shannon indices showed that the proportion of variance within and among the five geographic regions of the Northern Hemisphere was 55.9 and 44.1%, respectively, or 63.4 and 36.6% within and among six Chinese provinces. This distinct geographical divergence was perhaps depended on ecogeographical conditions such as climate difference and mountain distribution. The results of gladin analysis in this study are useful for the collection and preservation of E. sibiricus germplasm resources.

Development and cross-species transferability of EST-SSR markers in Siberian wildrye (Elymus sibiricus L.) using Illumina sequencing

“…Moreover, E. sibiricus has the characteristics of good palatability, high yield, rich in nutrients, and high digestibility, which are conducive to the growth and reproduction of domestic animals. It has been widely used as an important forage grass in cultivated pastures and natural grassland, particularly in the Qinghai-Tibet plateau, due to its excellent cold and drought tolerance, high forage quality, good adaptability to the local environment and important role in animal husbandry and environmental sustenance 3 . However, recent research has suggested that climate warming and excessive grazing threaten the productivity and growth of E. sibiricus 4 .…”

Transcriptome profiling of Elymus sibiricus, an important forage grass in Qinghai-Tibet plateau, reveals novel insights into candidate genes that potentially connected to seed shattering

“…In Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, it is widely used in natural grasslands and cultivated pastures due to its stress tolerance, good forage quality, and adaptability to local environments with low temperature and high altitude [17]. Because of seed shattering, however, E. sibiricus is difficult to grow for commercial seed production.…”

Genetic diversity and relationships among accessions of five crested wheatgrass species (Poaceae: Agropyron) based on gliadin analysis

“…Che and Li (2007) stated that a total of 81 gliadin bands were detected from 40 populations of A. mongolicum that was indigenous to Northern China, which showed that populations from similar eco-geographical situations could be clustered together. Furthermore, gliadin was widely applied in two other important wheatgrass species, Elymus nutans and E. sibiricus, which revealed considerable genetic variation and distinct geographical divergence among the accessions (Miao et al, 2011;Ma et al, 2012). Therefore, they also indicated that gliadin was a rapid, simple, and efficient marker system for genetic research of Triticeae species.…”

“…The great variability of these proteins, which is a consequence of their neutral nature at the evolutionary level, can substantially contribute to the analysis of evolutionary forces that cause genetic variation and differentiation (Alvarez et al, 2006). Despite having fewer detectable loci than DNA molecular markers, gliadin markers still have great application potential in the identification of genotypes and characterization of genetic relationships between plant germplasms because of their simplicity, speed, and high repeatability (Ma et al, 2012). Hitherto, gliadin has been used as a powerful tool in Apropyron and other Triticeae species to reveal genetic diversity and population differentiation and to elucidate phylogenetic relationships and taxonomic problems (Che and Li, 2007;Özbek et al, 2011).…”