SSR-Based Genetic Diversity Assessment of Turkish Chickpea Varieties

ABSTRACT

Nine locus-specific primer pairs were used to evaluate the genetic variation and relationships among 21 registered Turkish chickpea varieties (Kabuli) along with one Desi line. Each primer pair amplified a specific microsatellite locus. A total of 97 alleles with an average of 10.7 alleles per locus were detected at nine loci, with the number of alleles per locus ranging from 2 to 18. Within- and among-variety polymorphisms were common, although some varieties were found to be monomorphic at a number of loci. Nei's unbiased genetic distance estimates computed for all pair-wise combinations of varieties varied between 0.156 and 2.981. Cluster analysis carried out with these estimates displayed all varieties as separate units in the UPGMA dendrogram. Two varieties, Küsmenoğlu99 and Iştk05, clustered together and formed an outgroup, while one Desi line clustered with the rest of the varieties formed a nested group in the dendrogram. Overall, the results indicate that allelic variation is relatively high in Turkish chickpea varieties.

Keywords:

• Cicer arietinum
• microsatellite
• DNA variation
• Turkish chickpea variety