Genetic flow among olive populations within the Mediterranean basin

PeerJ

Marion Zammit-Mangion¹  Cinzia Montemurro²  Valentina Fanelli²  Antonella Pasqualone²  Francesca Taranto²  Valentina di Rienzo²  Monica Marilena Miazzi²  Sara Sion²  Abderezak Tamendjari³  Saliha Boucheffa³  Nunzio D’Agostino⁴  Wilma Sabetta⁵ 

[1] Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, University of Malta, Msida, Malta;Department of Soil, Plant and Food Sciences (DISSPA), University of Bari, Bari, Italy;Laboratoire de Biochimie Appliquée, Faculté des Sciences de la Nature et de la Vie, Université de Bejaia, Bejaia, Algérie;Research Centre for Vegetable and Ornamental Crops, CREA, Pontecagnano Faiano (SA), Italy;Sinagri s.r.l. Spin-off, Università degli Studi di Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy;

关键词: Genetic relationships;    Microsatellites;    Genetic structure;    Wild and cultivated olive trees;    Olive;    Olive genetic flow;   

DOI  :  10.7717/peerj.5260

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Background The olive tree is a typical crop of the Mediterranean basin where it shows a wide diversity, accounting for more than 2,600 cultivars. The ability to discriminate olive cultivars and determine their genetic variability is pivotal for an optimal exploitation of olive genetic resources. Methods We investigated the genetic diversity within 128 olive accessions belonging to four countries in the Mediterranean Basin (Italy, Algeria, Syria, and Malta), with the purpose of better understanding the origin and spread of the olive genotypes across Mediterranean Basin countries. Eleven highly polymorphic simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers were used and proved to be very informative, producing a total of 179 alleles. Results Cluster analysis distinguished three main groups according to their geographical origin, with the current sample of Maltese accessions included in the Italian group. Phylogenetic analysis further differentiated Italian and Maltese olive accessions, clarifying the intermediate position of Maltese accessions along the x/y-axes of principal coordinate analysis (PCoA). Model-based and neighbor clustering, PCoA, and migration analysis suggested the existence of two different gene pools (Algerian and Syrian) and that the genetic exchange occurred between the Syrian, Italian and Maltese populations. Discussion The close relationship between Syrian and Italian and Maltese olives was consistent with the historical domestication and migration of olive tree from the North Levant to eastern Mediterranean basin. This study lays the foundations for a better understanding of olive genetic diversity in the Mediterranean basin and represents a step toward an optimal conservation and exploitation of olive genetic resources.

【 授权许可】

Unknown