ABSTRACT. Radix bupleuri (Chaihu), the dried root of the Bupleurum plant, is an important component of traditional Chinese medicine. In this study, we examined the genetic diversity of 11 Bupleurum strains, originating from 7 provinces in China, using amplified fragment length polymorphism analysis. A total of 274 polymorphic bands were obtained using 6 primer combinations, indicating a high level of polymorphism across all strains. An estimation of the relative relationships among strains revealed genetic distances ranging from 0.2183 to 0.7372, with an average of 0.4161. The 2 most closely related varieties were Bupleurum chinense DC. strains collected from Lushi, Henan, and Zhangjiakou, Hebei, with a genetic nearness of 0.2183. Hierarchical clustering divided the strains into 3 main groups, with B. falcatum L. from Hebei and Liaoning Provinces forming a cluster that diverged from

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the exons of the myogenic factor 5 (MYF5) and Kruppel-like factor 15 (KLF15) genes were identified and analysed by using DNA sequencing methods in 60 female domestic pigeons (Columba livia). Five SNPs (T5067A, C5084T, C5101T, T5127A and C5154G) were detected in exon 3 of MYF5 and 6 SNPs (C1398T, C1464T, G1542A, C1929T, G1965A and A2355G) were found in exon 2 of KLF15, respectively. The analysis revealed three genotypes, in which the AA genotype was dominant and the A allele showed a dominant advantage. For the MYF5 gene, the C5084T and T5127A SNP genotypes were significantly associated with carcass traits of pigeons. Within those two SNPs, the BB genotype showed relatively higher trait association values than those of AA or AB genotypes. No significant association was observed between the KLF15 SNP genotypes and carcass traits. These results indicated that the MYF5 gene is a potential major gene affecting carcass traits in domestic pigeons. The BB genotype of the C5084T and T5127A SNPs could be a potential candidate genetic marker for marker-assisted selection in pigeon.