Biodiversity of Diploid D-Genome Aegilops Tauschii Coss. in Iran Measured Using Microsatellites

Abstract

Microsatellite markers were used to analyse the biodiversity of 57 accessions of different subspecies and varieties of wild Aegilops tauschii (2n = 2x = 14; D genome) collected across the major areas where it grows in Iran. Levels of diversity were high, with numbers of alleles averaging 7.3 (ranging up to 12) and polymorphism information contents averaging 0.6591. One accession was notably more similar to two of the D genome in hexaploid wheats (Triticum aestivum) used as outgroups. Within the Ae. tauschii accessions, no markers were characteristic for taxa or geographical origin, suggesting high gene flow between the subspecies and varieties, although some groupings, which could be related to geographical origin, were evident. This survey demonstrates the high diversity present in wild goatgrass in Iran, and indicates that there is value in sampling for useful genes for wheat breeding.

Natural variation of morphological traits in wild wheat progenitor Aegilops tauschii Coss.

“…squarrosa L. subspecies strangulata Eig) based on spikelet morphology, whereas the typical forms of subspecies tauschii and strangulata are connected by a continuous range of intermediate forms (Dudnikov 1998). Some recent reports have also shown difficulty in distinguishing the two subspecies based on molecular markers and suggested a high level of gene flow between them (Dvorak et al 1998, Dudnikov and Kawahara 2006, Saeidi et al 2006. Two characteristics that distinguish the subspecies have been described: one is glume width to rachis segment width ratio, another is allozyme variation at the Acph1 locus (Dudnikov 2000).…”

Genetic diversity and geographic distribution of variation of Hordeum murinum as revealed by retroelement insertional polymorphisms in Iran

“…It has been shown that IRAPs can reveal levels of diversity that could not be revealed by using powerful co-dominant markers such as SSRs (see Saeidi et al 2006Saeidi et al , 2008. The results of this study showed that they are reliable molecular markers for study genetic diversity of species such as H. murinum, in particular, for which limited specific SSR markers are available and show low SSR transferability from congener species.…”

Durum wheat cultivation associated with Aegilops tauschii in northern Iran

“…This region is the center of Ae. tauschii distribution (Van Slageren 1994) where the species shows phenotypic, genetic, and ecological diversity (Kihara et al 1965;Dvorak et al 1998;Dudnikov and Kawahara 2006;Saeidi et al 2006). Kihara et al (1965) observed that in Ghoznavi, a village near Kosh-Yeylagh, Ae.…”