Molecular characterization of wild carob (Ceratonia siliqua L.) genotypes by sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) techniques in turkey

Abstract

Carob (Ceratonia siliqua L.) with limited widespread in Turkey is considered as secondary forest tree. In this study, molecular characterizations were made for 508 genotypes of seven different carob populations colelcted from Eagean, Western and Eastern Mediterranean regions of Turkey with the aid of sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) technique. Identification of wild carob genotypes, relativity levels and genetic variations among them were performed. Genetic similarities among 508 wild carob genotypes collected from Eagean, Western and Eastern Mediterranean regions of Turkey varied between 0.20-1.00 and there was a large variation among the genotypes. The genetic similarities among 250 wild carob genotypes collected from Aegean region varied between 0.36-1.00. The genetic similarities among 154 wild carob genotypes collected from Western Mediterranean region varied between 0.23-1.00. The genetic similarities among 102 wild carob genotypes collected from Eastern Mediterranean region varied between 0.21-1.00. Through the molecular analyses conducted with SRAP primers, besides the large variations among the entire genotypes, large variations were also observed between the genotypes of different regions. With this study, genetic variations were put forth among the wild carob genotypes naturally growing in different regions of Turkey. It was concluded based on present findings that marker system could reliably be used to put forth genetic variations among wild carob genotypes.