Development of genomic simple sequence repeat markers for yam

Yam (
Dioscorea
spp.) is a major staple crop
widely cultivated for its starchy tubers. To date,
very few marker resources are publicly avail
–
able as tools for genetic and genomic studies of
this economically important crop. In this study,
90 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers were
developed from an enriched genomic library of
yellow Guinea yam (
D. cayenensis
Lam.). Cross-
amplification revealed that 85 (94.4%) and 51
(56.7%) of these SSRs could be successfully
transferred to the two major cultivated species
of
D. rotundata
Poir. and
D. alata
L., respec
–
tively. Polymorphisms in 30 markers selected
on the basis of reliability and reproducibility of
DNA bands were evaluated using a panel of 12
D. cayenensis
, 48
D. rotundata
, and 48
D. alata
accessions. Accordingly, number of alleles
per locus ranged from 2 to 8 in
D. cayenensis
(mean = 3.9), 3 to 30 in
D. rotundata
(mean =
13.9), and 2 to 22 in
D. alata
(mean = 12.1). The
average observed and expected heterozygosi
–
ties were 0.156 and 0.634 (
D. cayenensis
), 0.326
and 0.853 (
D. rotundata
), and 0.247 and 0.836
(
D. alata
), respectively. Clustering based on six
SSRs that were polymorphic in at least four of
the five cultivated
Dioscorea
species studied,
including
D. cayenensis
,
D. rotundata
,
D. alata
,
D. dumetorum
(Kunth) Pax., and
D. bulbifera
L.,
detected groups consistent with the phyloge
–
netic relationships of the species except for
D.
dumetorum
. These new SSR markers are invalu
–
able resources for applications such as genetic
diversity analysis and marker-assisted breedingYam (
Dioscorea
spp.) is a major staple crop
widely cultivated for its starchy tubers. To date,
very few marker resources are publicly avail
–
able as tools for genetic and genomic studies of
this economically important crop. In this study,
90 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers were
developed from an enriched genomic library of
yellow Guinea yam (
D. cayenensis
Lam.). Cross-
amplification revealed that 85 (94.4%) and 51
(56.7%) of these SSRs could be successfully
transferred to the two major cultivated species
of
D. rotundata
Poir. and
D. alata
L., respec
–
tively. Polymorphisms in 30 markers selected
on the basis of reliability and reproducibility of
DNA bands were evaluated using a panel of 12
D. cayenensis
, 48
D. rotundata
, and 48
D. alata
accessions. Accordingly, number of alleles
per locus ranged from 2 to 8 in
D. cayenensis
(mean = 3.9), 3 to 30 in
D. rotundata
(mean =
13.9), and 2 to 22 in
D. alata
(mean = 12.1). The
average observed and expected heterozygosi
–
ties were 0.156 and 0.634 (
D. cayenensis
), 0.326
and 0.853 (
D. rotundata
), and 0.247 and 0.836
(
D. alata
), respectively. Clustering based on six
SSRs that were polymorphic in at least four of
the five cultivated
Dioscorea
species studied,
including
D. cayenensis
,
D. rotundata
,
D. alata
,
D. dumetorum
(Kunth) Pax., and
D. bulbifera
L.,
detected groups consistent with the phyloge
–
netic relationships of the species except for
D.
dumetorum
. These new SSR markers are invalu
–
able resources for applications such as genetic
diversity analysis and marker-assisted breeding