DNA Fingerprinting and Species Identification Uncovers the Genetic Diversity of Katsouni Pea in the Greek Islands Amorgos and Schinoussa.

Evangelia Stavridou,Lefkothea Karapetsi,Georgios Lagiotis,Panagiotis Madesis,Maslin Osathanunkul

doi:10.3390/plants9040479

Evangelia Stavridou, Lefkothea Karapetsi + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9040479

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Abstract

Pea (P. sativum L.), one of the most important legume crops worldwide, has been traditionally cultivated in Lesser Cyclades since ancient times. The commonly known traditional pea cultivar, ‘Katsouni’, is endemic to the islands of Amorgos and Schinoussa and is of great local economic importance. Despite the widespread cultivation of ‘Katsouni’ in both islands, it is still unknown whether the current Schinoussa and Amorgos pea populations are distinct landraces, and if they have common evolutionary origin. To assist conservation and breeding of the pea crop, the genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships of 39 pea samples from Amorgos and 86 from Schinoussa were studied using DNA barcoding and ISSR marker analyses. The results indicate that both populations are different landraces with distinct geographical distribution and are more closely related to P. sativum subsp. elatius than the P. abyssinicum and P. fulvum species. Further characterization of the ‘Katsouni’ landraces for functional polymorphisms regarding pathogen resistance, revealed susceptibility to the powdery mildew (Erysiphe pisi DC.). This work represents the first investigation on the genetic diversity and population structure of the ‘Katsouni’ cultivar. Exploiting the local genetic diversity of traditional landraces is fundamental for conservation practices and crop improvement through breeding strategies.

Highlights

Species in the economically important Fabaceae family have been a staple human food for millennia and their use is closely related to human evolution [1]
To identify potential inter- and intra-specific variation between the two pea populations of Amorgos and Schinoussa, 24 pea samples were analyzed in the present study using the ITS2, trnL and rpoC, and 21 for the psbA-trnH and matK barcoding regions
The selection of matK and psbA-trnH was based on the unique SNPs observed in the aligned sequences among the three species and especially between P. abyssinicum and P. sativum (Figure S1)

Summary

Introduction

Species in the economically important Fabaceae family have been a staple human food for millennia and their use is closely related to human evolution [1] Legumes, such as Spanish vetchling (Lathyrus clymenum L.), lentils (Lens culinaris M.) and beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) are an important plant-based protein source, rich in mineral nutrients, complex starch and fibers, and contain health-promoting antioxidants, such as carotenoids and phenolic compounds [2,3,4]. The usage of leguminous crops in traditional crop rotation systems, reduces the need for synthetic nitrogen-based fertilizers by forming symbiotic relationships with nitrogen (N)-fixing soil bacteria [5] Such management practices are of great ecological importance and have high potential for conservation agriculture, considering legumes are functional either as growing crop or as crop residue [6]. The Pisum species are of high commercial importance and are cultivated worldwide for dry and fresh consumption

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