Proceedings of the XLVI Italian Society of Agricultural Genetics - SIGA Annual Congress

Giardini Naxos, Italy - 18/21 September, 2002

ISBN 88-900622-3-1

Poster Abstract - 1.31

ANALYSIS OF GENETIC VARIATION IN NATURAL POPULATIONS OF MYRTUS COMMUNIS L., USING AFLP MARKERS

BIANCHI R.*, BALLERO M.**, STATTI G.***, AGRIMONTI C.*

*) Dipartimento di Scienze Ambientali - Università di Parma

**) Dipartimento di Scienze Botaniche- Università di Cagliari

***) Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche- Università della Calabria

Myrtus communis, genetic variation, AFLP

Myrtus communis L. is a wild shrub widely diffused throughout the coastal areas of the Mediterranean basin. It has been used as an ornamental and aromatic plant since ancient times. An essential oil, used in perfume and food industries, is extracted from young shoots and leaves, while fruits are used in Sardinia for the production of a typical liquor. Harvest is mainly from wild plants, but improved cultivation of this plant shows good perspective. To evaluate the genetic variability in natural populations of myrtle, for use in future breeding programs, a genetic analysis was carried out using amplified length polymorphism markers (AFLPs). A total of 133 individuals from 14 populations sampled in two distinct regions of southern Italy, Sardinia and Calabria, were analysed using four pairs of AFLP primers generating 272 markers, 233 of which were polymorphic (85.66%). Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed that most variation exists among individuals within populations (51.86%) and to a lesser extent among the populations (16.99%), as could be expected for a perennial outcrossing plant. Moreover, AMOVA evidenced a differentiation between two groups including populations from Sardinia and Calabria (31.15%), that was highly significant (P<0.002). This was confirmed by UPGMA cluster analysis performed on pairwise genetic distances between the individuals, resulting in clustering of individuals in two distinct groups in accordance to their provenance, indicating a closer relationship among populations originating from the same geographical area. These findings are in accordance with the predominantly outcrossing breeding system of this open pollinated species, and suggest the existence of a certain level of genetic differentiation between the two groups of populations geographically isolated of Calabria and Sardinia.