Abstract
Jatropha curcas L. (jatropha) is an undomesticated plant that has recently received great attention for its utilization in biofuel production, rehabilitation of wasteland, and rural development. Knowledge of genetic diversity and marker-trait associations is urgently needed for the design of breeding strategies. The main goal of this study was to assess the genetic structure and diversity in jatropha germplasm with co-dominant markers (Simple Sequence Repeats (SSR) and Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) in a diverse, worldwide, germplasm panel of 70 accessions. We found a high level of homozygosis in the germplasm that does not correspond to the purely outcrossing mating system assumed to be present in jatropha. We hypothesize that the prevalent mating system of jatropha comprise a high level of self-fertilization and that the outcrossing rate is low. Genetic diversity in accessions from Central America and Mexico was higher than in accession from Africa, Asia, and South America. We identified makers associated with the presence of phorbol esters. We think that the utilization of molecular markers in breeding of jatropha will significantly accelerate the development of improved cultivars.
Highlights
Jatropha is an important undomesticated plant, which has received great attention in recent years for its utilization in biodiesel production, rehabilitation of wasteland, and rural development [1]
The genetic diversity within individuals has been investigated with co-dominant markers [8,9] and the high level of homozygosity in the germplasm investigated differed significantly from the homozygosity level expected in outcrossing plants [10]
We found a high level of homozygosis in a worldwide panel of accessions and this result is not in accordance to the purely outcrossing mating system assumed to be present in jatropha
Summary
Jatropha is an important undomesticated plant, which has received great attention in recent years for its utilization in biodiesel production, rehabilitation of wasteland, and rural development [1]. The genetic diversity within individuals has been investigated with co-dominant markers [8,9] and the high level of homozygosity in the germplasm investigated differed significantly from the homozygosity level expected in outcrossing plants [10]. These results trigger questions about the mating system of jatropha
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
