Evaluation of genetic diversity by molecular markers in Indian gooseberry (Phyllanthus emblica)

Abstract

The genetic diversity and relationships among 16 cultivars of Indian gooseberry (Phyllanthus emblica) using Sequence-Related Amplified Polymorphism (SRAP) and Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers were investigated. The cultivars were collected from the Phrae Horticultural Research Center, Thailand. For SRAP analysis, 30 primer combinations were initially tested, comprising five forward and six reverse primers. Seven primer combinations consistently generated well-defined bands and were selected for genetic profiling. These SRAP primers amplified 172 fragments, with 145 (84.30%) polymorphic. For RAPD analysis, 50 primers were evaluated, and eight primers consistently produced clear bands of genetic profiling. These RAPD primers amplified 215 fragments, with 188 (87.44%) polymorphic. The genetic relationships among the cultivars were assessed using a dendrogram constructed with NTSYS-pc (version 2.1X) based on the Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic Mean (UPGMA). The genetic similarity coefficients ranged from 0.66 to 0.90 for SRAP and from 0.58 to 0.89 for RAPD markers, indicating a high level of genetic diversity among the cultivars.