Abstract
Estimation of genetic parameters at SSR loci can be applied for assessing the differences between cultivars or populations, either for variety distinction or the management of genetic resources. In this study, 13 Opuntia ficus-indica cultivars were analyzed using 10 SSR markers selected for studying the genetic diversity among these chosen cultivars. Over the 10 SSR markers, a total of 45 reproducible bands were scored with an average of 4.5 alleles/locus, while the observed heterozygosity (Ho) values of amplified loci ranged from 0.15 (SSR1) to 0.92 (SSR2 and SSR 11). Genetic distance analysis of the 13 cultivars showed a large genetic differentiation (GST = 0.47) and high number of different groups. Most of the accessions were not found to be clustered according to their eco-geographical origin. In addition, each cultivar was characterized by its own multiallelic combination between loci. The results revealed the usefulness of SSR in understanding of genetic diversity in Moroccans Barbary fig cultivars, thus being helpful to set up rational decisions concerning the establishment of a national reference collection.
Highlights
Cactus pear, or prickly pear, is a member of the Cactaceae family, and includes approximately 130 genera and 2,000 species (Reyes-Agüero et al, 2005)
The following parameters were calculated for every locus, using software FSTAT (Version 2.9.3.2) (Goudet, 2001) and Genepop (Version 4) (Raymond and Rousset, 1995): the distribution of allele frequencies, the number of alleles, the observed heterozygosity (Ho), the expected population heterozygosity (Hs), the expected total heterozygosity (Ht) and the proportion among cultivars differentiation (GST) (Nei, 1978)
For each polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) and each primer, bands were coded in terms of their alleles with corresponding molecular weight
Summary
Prickly pear, is a member of the Cactaceae family, and includes approximately 130 genera and 2,000 species (Reyes-Agüero et al, 2005). This plant species originated from arid and semi-arid regions of Mexico and was introduced into North Africa in the 16th century (Griffith, 2004). Within the genus Opuntia, O. ficus-indica is the most important for its production of edible fruits and cladodes, which are used as a vegetable and as animal forage This particular cactus is a valuable resource especially during periods of drought when there is a shortage of other herbaceous plants for forage (Juárez and Passera, 2002). Cacti have been exploited as a cheap, alternate source of food suitable for humans and feed for animals (Estrada-Luna et al, 2008)
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