AUTHOR=Liu Jiming , Gao Shilun , Xu Yuanyuan , Wang Mianzhi , Ngiam Jia Jun , Rui Wen Nicholas Cho , Yi Joan Jong Jing , Weng Xuehuang , Jia Liming , Salojärvi Jarkko 

TITLE=Genetic Diversity Analysis of Sapindus in China and Extraction of a Core Germplasm Collection Using EST-SSR Markers

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Plant Science

VOLUME=Volume 13 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2022.857993

DOI=10.3389/fpls.2022.857993

ISSN=1664-462X

ABSTRACT=Sapindus is an important forest tree genus with utilization in biodiesel, biomedicine, and multifunctional economic forest species. For advanced breeding of Sapindus, it is necessary to evaluate the genetic diversity and construct a rationally designed core germplasm collection. In this study, the genetic diversity and population structure of Sapindus were conducted with 18 EST-SSR markers in order to establish a core germplasm collection of 161 Sapindus accessions. The population of Sapindus showed high genetic diversity and significant population structure. Interspecific genetic variation was significantly higher than intraspecific variation in the Sapindus mukorossi, Sapindus delavayi, and combined Sapindus rarak plus Sapindus rarak var. velutinus populations. Sapindus mukorossi had abundant genetic variation and showed a specific pattern of geographical variation, whereas Sapindus delavayi, Sapindus rarak, and Sapindus rarak var. velutinus showed less intraspecific genetic variation. A core germplasm collection was created that contained 40% of genetic variation in the initial population, comprising 53 Sapindus mukorossi and nine Sapindus delavayi lineages, as well as single representatives of Sapindus rarak and Sapindus rarak var. velutinus. These results provide a germplasm basis and theoretical rationale for the efficient management, conservation, and utilization of Sapindus, as well as genetic resources for joint genomics research in the future.