Work

Development of novel microsatellite markers for Alkanna tinctoria by comparative transcriptomics

Year: 2019

Type: article

Abstract: Premise Alkanna tinctoria (Boraginaceae) is an important medicinal herb with its main distribution across the Mediterranean region. To reveal its genetic variation and population structure, microsatellite markers were developed and validated in four Greek populations. Methods and Results RNA‐Seq data of the related species Arnebia euchroma and Echium plantagineum were assembled and mined to identify conserved ortholog sets containing simple sequence repeat motifs. Fifty potential loci were identified and then tested on A. tinctoria, of which 17 loci were polymorphic. The number of alleles ranged from one to nine, and the levels of observed and expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.000 to 1.000 and 0.000 to 0.820, respectively. Most of these loci could be successfully amplified in eight other species of Boraginaceae (Alkanna graeca, A. hellenica, A. sfikasiana, Echium vulgare, E. plantagineum, Lithospermum officinale, Borago officinalis, and Anchusa officinalis). Conclusions This study provides the first set of microsatellite loci for studying the genetic variation and population structure of A. tinctoria and shows their potential usefulness in other Boraginaceae species.

Source: Applications in Plant Sciences

DOI: 10.1002/aps3.11296

Authors: Muhammad Ahmad, Desanka Lazic, Karin Hansel‐Hohl, Christian Lexer, Eva Maria Sehr

Institutions: University of Vienna, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH

Language: English

Topic: Genetic diversity and population structure

Subfield: Genetics

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,400

Funder: European Commission