Usefulness of a Locus LE21085 in the Genetic Differentiation of Tomato Varieties

Abstract

<jats:p>The microsatellites are specific for each individual genome or species. In order to evaluate the genetic diversity and the relationships within the genus Lycopersicon, microsatellites markers were used. The main objective of this study was to determine the usefulness of the locus LE21085 in the genetic differentiation among six morphologically different tomato varieties of Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. (var. grandifolium subsp. cultum; var. cerasiforme - red and yellow, var. pruniforme, var. pyriforme subsp. subspontaneum and var. racemigerum subsp. spontaneum). For the microsatellites locus LE21085 were detected two alleles in all estimated tomato varieties, that differed by one base pair (122 and 123 bp). The biggest allele frequency was found for the allelic variant of 122 bp, and its values were: 0.8462 for L. esculentum subsp. subspontaneum var. cerasiforme (red), 0.6923 for L. esculentum subsp. subspontaneum var. cerasiforme (yellow), 0.5769 for L. esculentum subsp. cultum var. grandifolium, 0.6923 for L. esculentum subsp. subspontaneum var. pruniforme, 0.6154 for L. esculentum subsp. subspontaneum var. pyriforme and 0.8077 for L. esculentum subsp. spontaneum var. racemigerum. The average of observed heterozygosity for the locus LE21085 (Ho = 0.5641) was higher than average expected heterozygosity (He = 0.4158). The average PIC value for the locus LE21085 was 0.3294 and it was classified as a modest informative markers. From the obtained results it can be concluded that locus LE21085 could be used in genetic differentiation of tomato varieties, but in combination with other polymorphic microsatellite loci.</jats:p>