Identification of zygotic and nucellar seedlings, originated by the largest embryo in mango seeds cv Ataulfo, using simple-sequence repeat (SSR)

Abstract

Mexico is the fourth largest producer of mango and the leading exporter worldwide, and cv 'Ataulfo' is the largest area sown in the country. New cultivars are required to maintain production, ensure competitiveness, and mitigate problems with pests and diseases. The purpose of the present study was to identify microsatellite (SSR) markers in zygotic and nucellar seedlings originated by the largest embryo in mango seeds, cultured in vitro. DNA was extracted from the foliar tissue of 18 seedlings from four different populations, and its origin was identified with six SSRs: MIAC-4, MIAC-5, mMiCIR003, mMiCIR030, LMMA1, and LMMA9. The number of alleles found varied from two to three, and allele size ranged from 95 to 325 bp. Based on the polymorphism taking place in microsatellites and genetic similarity index (GSI) data, more than 15% of the analyzed seedlings were found to be different from the female parent. Based on Nei's genetic distance and UPGMA cluster analysis, the genetic variability among the four populations was 6.2%.