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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Corvallis, Oregon » National Clonal Germplasm Repository » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #177518
Title: MICROSATELLITE MARKERS DEVELOPED FROM 'BLUECROP' REVEAL POLYMORPHISMS IN THE GENUS VACCINIUM AND ARE SUITABLE FOR CULTIVAR FINGERPRINTING

Author
item BOCHES, PETER - OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
item Rowland, Lisa
item Hummer, Kim
item Bassil, Nahla

Submitted to: HortScience
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/20/2005
Publication Date: 7/20/2005
Citation: Boches, P., Rowland, L.J., Hummer, K.E., Bassil, N.V. 2005. Microsatellite markers developed from 'bluecrop' reveal polymorphisms in the genus vaccinium and are suitable for cultivar fingerprinting [abstract]. Hortscience. 40(4):1122.

Interpretive Summary: The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) - Agricultural Research Service (ARS) - National Clonal Germplasm Repository (NCGR) a genebank in Corvallis, Oregon, preserves more than 1500 types of blueberries, representing 68 species originating from 34 countries. This study is part of an ongoing effort by the NCGR to develop DNA marker tools to identify blueberries and to study the history of these species. Of 94 potential markers, 45 were classified according to their usefulness to distinguish 12 species. Thirty of these markers can distinguish between 72 commercial kinds of blueberry. These tools can verify the identity of blueberries in the NCGR collection and develop characteristic 'fingerprints' for each type.

Technical Abstract: Microsatellite markers for blueberry (Vaccinium L.) were created from a pre-existing blueberry expressed sequence tag (EST) library of 1,305 sequences and a microsatellite-enriched genomic library of 136 clones. Microsatellite primers for 65 EST-containing simple sequence repeats (SSRs) and 29 genomic SSR were initially tested for amplification and polymorphism on agarose gels. Potential usefulness of these SSRs for estimating species relationships in the genus was assessed through cross-species transference of 45 SSR loci and cluster analysis using genetic distance values from 5 highly polymorphic EST-SSR loci. Cross-species amplification for 45 SSR loci ranged from 17 to 100% and was 83% on average in nine sections. Cluster analysis of 59 Vaccinium species based on genetic distance measures obtained from 5 EST-SSR loci supported the concept of V. elliotii Chapm. as a genetically distinct diploid highbush species and indicated that V. ashei Reade is of hybrid origin. Twenty EST-SSR and 10 genomic microsatellite loci were used to determine genetic diversity in 72 tetraploid V. corymbosum L. accessions consisting mostly of common cultivars. Unique fingerprints were obtained for all accessions analyzed. Genetic relationships based on microsatellites corresponded well with known pedigree information. Most modern cultivars clustered closely together, but southern highbush and northern highbush cultivars were sufficiently differentiated to form distinct clusters. Future use of microsatellites in Vaccinium will help resolve species relationships in the genus, estimate genetic diversity in the National Clonal Germplasm Repository (NCGR) collection, and confirm the identity of clonal germplasm accessions.