Assessing Genetic Diversity and Population Structure of Rice Genotypes using ISSR Markers

Abstract

Background: The realm of genetic diversity within rice is immense and undermining it provides the opportunity to utilize them in rice improvement programs. Hence in our study, we aimed to undermine the genetic composition and structure of the selected rice accessions utilizing ISSR marker systems. Methods: ISSR analysis encompassed a set of thirty genotypes, comprising 16 cultivated varieties and 14 landraces. The screening was performed with a total of 49 ISSR primers. The consensus tree constructed from banding patterns generated by ISSR-PCR clustered 30 genotypes according to their respective genomes. The Sequential Agglomerative Hierarchical Non-overlapping (SAHN) clustering was employed with the Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic Averages (UPGMA) method. The grouping of the 30 accessions was carried out through data analysis using NTSYSpc 2.02. Result: Utilizing 49 ISSR markers, the cluster analysis produced three clusters. These clusters displayed pronounced separation and exhibited evident patterns. The Cluster I encompassed Bharathi, BG367-2, PTB33, ASD9, ASD16, ASD20, Rathu Heenati and Columbia-2. Notably, the largest cluster was Cluster II comprising 20 accessions, while Cluster III contained only Jeeraga Samba and Basmati 370. The study validates the efficacy of ISSR markers in detecting polymorphism within and among rice populations and/or species. The resulting DNA profiles hold potential for serving as diagnostic fingerprints of both cultivated and wild rice germplasm, aiding in comprehending evolutionary relationships.