Analysis of the genetic diversity of Dragon fruit based on ISSR markers in Colombia

Abstract

Selenicereus megalanthus H. is a tropical fruit belonging to the family Cactaceae, is rich in essential nutrients, antioxidants and bioactive components. It presents wide variability in different characteristics and a great demand in the market; however, genetic studies in Colombia are scarce. The main of this study was to characterize the genetic diversity of 76 yellow pitahaya genotypes with eight ISSR markers. Genetic parameters expected average heterozygosity (He), percentage of polymorphic loci, genetic distances and Fst were estimated with TFPGA. The analysis of the population genetic structure was carried out with the STRUCTURE 2.3.4. As a result, 225 alleles were generated and the number of polymorphic loci ranged 85 (CT, AG) to 90 (GT). High genetic diversity was found, with an average value of heterozygosity was 0.34 with a genetic differentiation coefficient (Fst) of 0.26, indicating that there was a great genetic diversity, similar values than those reported in other studies of pitahaya genetic diversity in Colombia. The 76 genotypes were grouped into K=3 according to geographic location, however, in some groups a mixture of individuals from different origins was observed. The analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) showed higher variation (75%) within groups than among groups (25%). These results provide information that can be used to develop conservation strategies for dragon fruit and breeding programs to obtain more productive pitahaya genotypes with superior quality, high yield and with resistance to biotic and abiotic factors.

Characterization of yellow pitahaya (Selenicereus megalanthus Haw.) genotypes under two productive systems in Colombia

“…Morphological and molecular characterization studies carried out on the germplasm at the Department of Boyacá have shown that there is genetic diversity in the province of Lengupá, which is the basis for the establishment of any selection process that would identify elite materials that respond to the needs of the farmer, producers, and consumers. Selenicereus megalanthus, or yellow pitahaya, a native fruit tree, constitutes a key product for the fruit and vegetable sector, with significant demand for its flavor, appearance, quality, and nutraceutical properties (Morillo et al, 2021(Morillo et al, , 2022a. In addition, it has market potential, both domestically and internationally.…”

Morphoagronomic Evaluation of Yellow Pitahaya (Selenicereus megalanthus Haw.) in Miraflores, Colombia

“…This fruit has attracted considerable attention from consumers because of the particular shape of the fruit and its richness in polyphenols, vitamins, sugar, amino acids, and betalains [20]. In addition, it presents great adaptation to extreme environmental conditions [12], mainly because of its broad phenotypic and genetic variations in its fruits and cladodes [3,6,21].…”

Pitaya Nutrition, Biology, and Biotechnology: A Review

“…Morillo et al [ 216 ] recently tested 76 H. megalanthus Columbian genotypes with eight ISSR markers and observed 225 alleles with 85–90 polymorphic loci. A heterozygosity rate of 0.34 and a genetic differentiation coefficient of 0.26 are attributed to high genetic diversity.…”