Using genetic diversity information to establish core collections of Stylosanthes capitata and Stylosanthes macrocephala

• Published in: Genetics and molecular biology Vol. 35; no. 4; pp. 847 - 861
• Main Authors: Santos-Garcia, Melissa Oliveira, de Toledo-Silva, Guilherme, Sassaki, Rodrigo Possidonio, Ferreira, Thais Helena, Resende, Rosângela Maria Simeão, Chiari, Lucimara, Karia, Cláudio Takao, Carvalho, Marcelo Ayres, Faleiro, Fábio Gelape, Zucchi, Maria Imaculada, de Souza, Anete Pereira
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Brazil Sociedade Brasileira de Genética 2012
• Subjects: BIOCHEMISTRY & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY; core collection; genetic diversity; GENETICS & HEREDITY; microsatellites; Plant Genetics; Stylosanthes; tropical forage; core collection; microsatellites; genetic diversity; tropical forage; Stylosanthes
• ISSN: 1415-4757; 1678-4685; 1678-4685
• DOI: 10.1590/S1415-47572012005000076

Stylosanthes species are important forage legumes in tropical and subtropical areas. S. macrocephala and S. capitata germplasm collections that consist of 134 and 192 accessions, respectively, are maintained at the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation Cerrados (Embrapa-Cerrados). Polymorphic microsatellite markers were used to assess genetic diversity and population structure with the aim to assemble a core collection. The mean values of H(O) and H(E) for S. macrocephala were 0.08 and 0.36, respectively, whereas the means for S. capitata were 0.48 and 0.50, respectively. Roger's genetic distance varied from 0 to 0.83 for S. macrocephala and from 0 to 0.85 for S. capitata. Analysis with STRUCTURE software distinguished five groups among the S. macrocephala accessions and four groups among those of S. capitata. Nei's genetic diversity was 27% in S. macrocephala and 11% in S. capitata. Core collections were assembled for both species. For S. macrocephala, all of the allelic diversity was represented by 23 accessions, whereas only 13 accessions were necessary to represent all allelic diversity for S. capitata. The data presented herein evidence the population structure present in the Embrapa-Cerrados germplasm collections of S. macrocephala and S. capitata, which may be useful for breeding programs and germplasm conservation.