Genetic characterisation of traditional chestnut varieties in Italy using microsatellites (simple sequence repeats) markers

• Published in: Annals of applied biology Vol. 157; no. 1; pp. 37 - 44
• Main Authors: Martín, M.A, Mattioni, C, Cherubini, M, Taurchini, D, Villani, F
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Oxford, UK : Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.07.2010; Blackwell Publishing Ltd; Blackwell
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Castanea; Chestnut; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; genetic diversity; genetic variation; Genetics of eukaryotes. Biological and molecular evolution; heirloom varieties; homonymies; SSR markers; synonymies; traditional varieties; Southern Europe; Italy; Europe; Plant production; synonymies; Nuts; Genetic marker; SSR markers; Genetic diversity; Molecular marker; Biodiversity; Temperate zone; Characterization; Applied biology; Microsatellite DNA; Chestnut; traditional varieties; Genetics; homonymies; Variety
• ISSN: 0003-4746; 1744-7348
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1744-7348.2010.00407.x

European chestnut (Castanea sativa) is an important multipurpose tree that has been cultivated for wood and fruit in the Mediterranean basin since ancient times. Cultivation of traditional chestnut varieties has a long tradition in Italy, where cultivars have been selected over centuries as a function of the best nut traits. In this study, 94 grafted chestnuts corresponding to 26 representative cultivars from Italy were evaluated by seven simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers to establish whether they corresponded to varieties in the narrow sense. The results allowed 20 genotypes to be identified that corresponded to the same number of clones. In total, 52 alleles were identified, eight of which were exclusive. Cases of homonymies and synonymies were detected. Moreover, our results highlighted a considerable genetic uniformity among 'Marrone-type' cultivars and, on the contrary, a high genetic diversity among the evaluated cultivars demonstrating that this is a valuable germplasm and an important genetic resource to be preserved.