Molecular diversity of chickpea ('Cicer arietinum' L.) genotypes differing in their Raffinose family Oligosaccharides viz., raffinose and stachyose content as revealed through SSR markers

• Published in: Australian Journal of Crop Science Vol. 8; no. 8; pp. 1175 - 1185
• Main Authors: Sarika Konsam, Bharadwaj Chellapilla, Ganesh Ram, Tara Satyavathi Chellapilla, Pradeep Kumar Jain
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lismore, N.S.W Southern Cross Publishers 01.08.2014
• Subjects: Chickpea; Diseases and pests; Effect of galactose on; Legumes; Microsatellites (Genetics); Oligosaccharides; Plants; Seeds; Therapeutic use
• ISSN: 1835-2693

From a nutritional point of view, the a -galactosides are believed to be implicated in the development of flatulence following the ingestion of legume seeds. One important group of these compounds is the soluble a -galactosides, all of which are characterized by the presence of a (1-6) links between the galactose molecules which are responsible for causing flatulence viz., raffinose family oligosaccharides (RFOs) like raffinose and stachyose. There is very little information about the genetic variability and diversity among the cultivated chickpea for RFOs. Diversity among 50 chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) genotypes differing in their RFOs content was studied using SSR markers. Out of 86 primers tested, 36 reported polymorphism amplifying 81 alleles. Dendrogram based on Jaccard's similarity coefficients were generated based on an average linkage algorithm (UPGMA) using marker data. Genotypes were grouped into three clusters based on genetic distances and the UPGMA grouping could clearly discriminate the genotypes effectively as per their pedigree and origin. The grouping pattern also seems to have followed the pattern of RFOs content, seed type, seed size apart from the breeding centre from where they were developed. The present molecular diversity among the genotypes studied can be exploited effectively by crossing the genotypes of Cluster I and III with that of Cluster II as these both clusters are most further apart so as to obtain transgressive segregants for RFOs content and selection can be implemented for selecting lines with lower RFOs content. ICRISAT lines which were desi types had the highest RFOs content i.e. raffinose and stachyose and formed a distinct group (III). Similarly the kabuli breeding lines obtained from ICARDA, Syria also formed a distinct group (I) and had greater RFOs content compared to the breeding lines obtained from IARI. The lowest raffinose and stachyose was recorded in lines obtained from IARI, Chickpea Program lines.