Genetic Variation Among Crocus L. Species from Western Turkey as Revealed by RAPD and ISSR Markers

Abstract

Crocus L. is of interest to the horticultural, culinary and pharmacological fields. Our aims herein are to obtain information based on genetic diversity and to investigate existing levels of genetic variation within and among the Crocus species sampled. Since the classification of this species has not been clarified to date, this research may shed some more light on methods for classification of Crocus L. RAPD and ISSR markers systems were used to estimate genetic diversity of 56 individuals representing 19 Crocus taxa from Western Turkey. RAPD and ISSR banding matrix were calculated to construct a dendrogram (Ward) by a cluster analysis performed by JMP software.
High level of genetic variation detected among sampled Crocus species. Genetic distance (GD) values ranged between 0.06 and 0.52 GD. DNA markers based clustering of Crocus L. did not coincide with morphological classifications. This taxon should be reconsidered in terms of classification at the DNA-based level using nuclear, mitochondrial, and chloroplast DNA, as well as more types of robust DNA markers such as AFLP and SSR. The existing high level of genetic variation shows that Turkey could be one of the centers of origin for Crocus L.