Microsatellite markers reveal common East Alpine–Carpathian gene pool for the arctic–alpine Rhodiola rosea (Crassulaceae)

Abstract

Rhodiola rosea L. is an arctic–alpine perennial species. Genetic structure and relationships of 16 populations from the high mountains of Europe have been characterized by the use of microsatellite markers. Mean expected heterozygosity (He) was 0.73, ranging from 0.51 to 0.74 in the populations studied. The genetic relationships among the populations revealed by both UPGMA and STRUCTURE analysis showed a clear clustering of the five Swiss Alps populations being well separated from all other populations. Next to these—also forming a distinct cluster—the populations from the Pyrenees were located. Another cluster contained the admixed group of individuals from Alpine and Carpathian populations including the Tatras. Norwegian samples were sister to the Alpine–Carpathian group and interestingly, the population from the Italian Dolomites showed a clearly distinct position. AMOVA revealed that the vast majority of the molecular variance was attributed to within-population variability (85 %) while only 11 % was among population variation, and 4 % among region variation. The weak genetic differentiation observed between the Eastern Alpine and Carpathian populations supports the existence of a former common glacial refugium and a shared history between the two regions.