Abstract
BackgroundPatterns of genetic diversity between and within natural plant populations and their driving forces are of great interest in evolutionary biology. However, few studies have been performed on the genetic structure and population divergence in wild emmer wheat using a large number of EST-related single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers.ResultsIn the present study, twenty-five natural wild emmer wheat populations representing a wide range of ecological conditions in Israel and Turkey were used. Genetic diversity and genetic structure were investigated using over 1,000 SNP markers. A moderate level of genetic diversity was detected due to the biallelic property of SNP markers. Clustering based on Bayesian model showed that grouping pattern is related to the geographical distribution of the wild emmer wheat. However, genetic differentiation between populations was not necessarily dependent on the geographical distances. A total of 33 outlier loci under positive selection were identified using a FST-outlier method. Significant correlations between loci and ecogeographical factors were observed.ConclusionsNatural selection appears to play a major role in generating adaptive structures in wild emmer wheat. SNP markers are appropriate for detecting selectively-channeled adaptive genetic diversity in natural populations of wild emmer wheat. This adaptive genetic diversity is significantly associated with ecological factors.
Highlights
Patterns of genetic diversity between and within natural plant populations and their driving forces are of great interest in evolutionary biology
single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers are appropriate for detecting selectively-channeled adaptive genetic diversity in natural populations of wild emmer wheat
This adaptive genetic diversity is significantly associated with ecological factors
Summary
Patterns of genetic diversity between and within natural plant populations and their driving forces are of great interest in evolutionary biology. Patterns of genetic diversity between and within natural plant populations and their driving forces are of great interest in evolutionary biology, as well as in studies of ecological and population genetics (Nevo list of wild cereals at http://evolution.haifa.ac.il) [1,2]. The analyses of genetic diversity and structure are helpful for management, research and utilization of plant germplasm. It is critical for studies of crop evolution and genetic improvement to identify and correctly interpret the associations between functional variation and molecular genetic diversity [2,3]. Wheat serves as a good model of polyploidy, one of the most common forms of plant evolution [4,5]
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