Population genetics of Calotropis gigantea, a medicinal and fiber resource plant using microsatellite markers in two native countries

Calotropis gigantea
has aesthetic, medicinal, pharmacological, fodder, fuel and fiber production values,
especially in dry land and coastal regions of the world. Unfortunately, this
potential plant still undomesticated and there is an urgent need to its domestication,
breeding and development of varieties. Microsatellite markers can play a great
role in this case. We sampled 21 natural populations of C. gigantea from its two native countries (Bangladesh and China)
for genotyping using nine microsatellite loci. C. gigantea showed higher genetic diversity in Bangladesh than
China, and overall, a moderate genetic diversity was found (Na = 3.741, HE = 0.443) with greater
genetic variation within populations (64.90%) and high level of genetic
differentiation (FST =
0.351). We found a significant correlation between genetic and geographic
distances (r = 0.4436, P = 0.010). The Bayesian clustering, UPGMA tree and PCoA
analyses yielded three distinct genetic groups. The historical Gene flow based
on FST was higher among Bayesian
structure groups. The sexual and asexual reproduction, long-distance seed
dispersal of seed, colonization capability, and tolerance to diverse
environmental conditions of C. gigantea attributed
to its high gene flow, moderate genetic diversity with some level of genetic
differentiation and strong genetic structure of the species. This investigation
is the first valuable population genetic report of this species, which is
useful for its future domestication, breeding, management, and germplasm
conservation. If you have question, please contact Md. Rabiul Islam: [e-mail]