Genetic diversity and population structure of Robinia pseudoacacia from six improved variety bases in China as revealed by simple sequence repeat markers

Abstract

AbstractRobinia pseudoacacia is an important afforestation tree introduced to China in 1878. In the present study, we examined the genetic diversity among 687 strains representing four improved varieties and two secondary provenances, comprising 641 clones and 46 seedlings. Ninety-one simple sequence repeats (SSRs) were selected through segregation analysis and polymorphism characterization, and all sampled individuals were genotyped using well-characterized SSR markers. After excluding loci with non-neutral equilibrium, missing locus data and null alleles, we used 36 primer pairs to assess the genetic diversity of these germplasm resources, revealing vast genetic differentiation among the samples, with an average of 8.352 alleles per locus and a mean Shannon′s index of 1.302. At the population level, the partitioning of variability was assessed using analysis of molecular variance, which revealed 93% and 7% variation within and among collection sites, respectively. Four clusters were detected using structure analysis, indicating a degree of genetic differentiation among the six populations. Insights into the genetic diversity and structure of R. pseudoacacia provide a theoretical basis for the conservation, breeding and sustainable development in China.