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Altering soybean fatty acid profiles to improve soybean oil quality has long been time goal of soybean researchers. Soybean oil with elevated oleic acid is desirable because this monounsaturated fatty acid improves the nutrition and oxidative stability of soybean oil compared with other oils. The objective of this study was to select soybean accessions with high oleic acid from genetic germplasm and to identify novel sources of the genetic variation for high oleic acid in soybeans. Ten candidate soybean accessions with high oleic acid were identified in the Genebank Management System at the National Agro-Biodiversity Center, NAS, Rural Development Administration, Republic of Korea. Three accessions with high oleic acid were selected: IT104821, IT143166, and IT162509. Comparisons of the FAD2-1A and FAD2-1B sequences in the three soybeans with those in a gene with normal oleic acid (IT162718) and with the NCBI database showed that the differences in these genes affected a highly conserved group of three histidine residues that are necessary for enzymatic activity. FAD2-1A in IT162509 contained a single nucleotide polymorphism (A944G) that changed histidine (H315, the third histidine motif) to arginine. FAD2-1B in IT104821 and IT143166 were the T insertion, creating a stop codon that prematurely terminated translation. These results suggest that gene analysis based on DNA sequencing could be useful for identifying FAD2-1 in soybean germplasm. Additionally, the soybean accessions selected in this study could be used to develop soybean cultivars with high oleic acid.

We designed 170 new simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers based on the whole-genome sequence data of button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus), and selected 121 polymorphic markers. A total of 121 polymorphic markers, the average major allele frequency (MAF) and the average number of alleles (NA) were 0.50 and 5.47, respectively. The average number of genotypes (NG), observed heterozygosity (HO), expected heterozygosity (HE), and polymorphic information content (PIC) were 6.177, 0.227, 0.619, and 0.569, respectively. Pearson’s correlation coefficient showed that MAF was negatively correlated with NG (−0.683), NA (−0.600), HO (−0.584), and PIC (−0.941). NG, NA, HO, and PIC were positively correlated with other polymorphic parameters except for MAF. UPGMA clustering showed that 26 A. bisporus accessions were classified into 3 groups, and each accession was differentiated. The 121 SSR markers should facilitate the use of molecular markers in button mushroom breeding and genetic studies.

Wild oat, Avena sterilis L. is a stout broad-leaved annual grass resembling cultivated oats in general appearance. In this study, we sequenced the complete chloroplast (cp) genome sequence of A. sterilis for the first time to investigate their phylogenetic relationship in the family Poaceae. The complete cp genome sequence is 135,887 bp in length with 38.5% overall GC content and exhibits a typical quadripartite structure comprising one pair of inverted repeats (21,603 bp) separated by a small single-copy region (12,575 bp) and a large single-copy region (80,106). The cp genome encodes 111 unique genes, 76 of which are protein-coding genes, four rRNA genes, 30 tRNA genes, and 18 duplicated genes in the inverted repeat region. The phylogenetic analysis indicated A. sterilis closely clustered with the cultivated oat, A. sativa L.

Panax ginseng C. A. Mey., a perennial herb belonging to the family Araliaceae, is a valuable medicinal plant with distinctive biological characteristics. However, comprehensive analyses of the mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) are lacking. In this study, we sequenced the complete mitogenome of ginseng based on long-read data from the Nanopore sequencing platform. The mitogenome was assembled into a &ldquo, master circle&rdquo, form of 464,705 bp and contained 72 unique genes. The genome had three large repeat regions, and 10.42% of the sequences were mitogenome sequences of plastid origin (MTPTs). In total, 278 variants (213 SNPs and 65 InDels) were discovered, most of which were identified in intergenic regions. The MTPT regions were mutational hotspots, harboring 74.5% of the variants. The ginseng mitogenome showed a higher mutation rate than that of the chloroplast genome, and this pattern is uncommon in plants. In addition, 10 Kompetitive allele-specific PCR (KASP) markers were developed from 10 SNPs, excluding those in MTPT regions. These markers accurately identified the genotypes of 59 Korean ginseng accessions and elucidated mitogenome diversity. These results provide insight into organellar genomes and genetic diversity in ginseng. Moreover, the complete mitogenome sequence and 10 KASP markers will be useful for ginseng research and breeding.

Black soybean (Glycine max L.) has been used as a traditional medicine because its seed coat contains various natural phenolic compounds such as anthocyanins. The objective of this study was to reveal the genetic variation in the agricultural traits, phytochemicals, and antioxidant activity of 172 Korean black soybean landraces (KBSLs) and establish a relationship among them. The evaluation of three agricultural traits (days to 50% flowering, maturity, and 100-seed weight), six phytochemicals (delphinidin-3-glucoside, cyaniding-3-glucoside, petunidin-3-glucoside, daidzin, glycitin, and genestin), and four antioxidant activities (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2&prime, azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)(ABTS), ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and the total polyphenol content (TPC) of 172 KBSLs were analyzed in 2012 and 2015. The agricultural traits, phytochemicals, and antioxidant activities of the 172 KBSLs showed wide variation among the accessions and years. In correlation analysis, the agricultural traits and phytochemicals showed positive and negative correlations with phytochemicals and antioxidant activity, respectively. The principal component analyses result indicated that phytochemicals accounted for most of the variability in the KBSLs. In clustering analysis, the 172 KBSLs were classified into four clusters. These results could lead to expanding the knowledge of the agricultural traits, phytochemicals, and antioxidant activity of the KBSLs, which are valuable materials for the development of new soybean varieties.

The Korean common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) has been receiving increased attention as a functional food. The objective of this study was to reveal the phytochemicals genetic variation and antioxidant activity of 209 Korean common bean landraces. Antioxidant activity was evaluated with the DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate), ABTS (2,2’-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) assay. Antioxidant activities among common bean accessions showed wide variation. Four flavonoids (kaempferol, myricetin, quercetin, and naringenin) of the 209 Korean common bean landraces were measured using HPLC. Among them, kaempferol had the highest phytochemicals compared to the other three flavonoids. Using the relative antioxidant capacity index (RACI), it was found out that the IT104587 had the highest antioxidant activity. Meanwhile, in clustering analysis, the Korean common bean landraces were classified into three clusters. Among them, cluster II contained 64 landraces with higher antioxidant activities and phytochemicals than the other clusters, except DPPH. The results could provide information on the valuable Korean common bean landraces for the development of new common bean varieties.

The white button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) is one of the most widely cultivated species of edible mushroom. Despite its economic importance, relatively little is known about the genetic diversity of this species. Illumina paired-end sequencing produced 43,871,558 clean reads and 69,174 contigs were generated from five offspring. These contigs were subsequently assembled into 57,594 unigenes. The unigenes were annotated with reference genome in which 6,559 unigenes were associated with clusters, indicating orthologous genes. Gene ontology classification assigned many unigenes. Based on genome data of the five offspring, 44 polymorphic simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers were developed. The major allele frequency ranged from 0.42 to 0.92. The number of genotypes and the number of alleles ranged from 1 to 4, and from 2 to 4, respectively. The observed heterozygosity and the expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.00 to 1.00, and from 0.15 to 0.64, respectively. The polymorphic information content value ranged from 0.14 to 0.57. The genetic distances and UPGMA clustering discriminated offspring strains. The SSR markers developed in this study can be applied in polymorphism analyses of button mushroom and for cultivar discrimination.

Capsicum chinense is one of the five domesticated pepper species belonging to the Solanaceae family. Capsicum sp. have been used as model systems in comparative and evolutionary genomics because their superior availability of chloroplast genome in the solanaceae family. Similarly, molecular markers derived from the complete chloroplast genome can provide effective tools for species identification and phylogenetic resolution. So far however, only partial taxonomic and phylogenetic analyses have been carried out for the genus. Thus, the complete chloroplast genome sequence of a cultivated pepper (C. chinense) has been reported here. The total length of the chloroplast genome is 156,936 bp, with 37.7% overall GC content. A pair of inverted repeats (IRs) of 25,847 bp was separated by a small single copy (SSC) region of 17,912 bp and a large single copy (LSC) region of 87,330 bp. The chloroplast genome harbors 113 known genes, including 79 protein-coding genes, four ribosomal RNA genes, and 30 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes. In all, 21 of these genes are duplicated in the inverted repeat regions, 15 genes and six tRNA genes contain a single intron, while two genes have two introns. Analysis revealed 117 simple sequence repeat (SSR) loci, which are mostly located in the intergenic regions. The complete chloroplast genome reported here enriches our knowledge of the genetic complement of C. chinense, and contributes to our understanding of the genetic relationships within the genus Capsicum.

Photosynthesis, enzyme activities and metabolite pools associated with primary carbon metabolism in leaves were studied in O. grandiglumis and O. alta (wild relatives of rice which produce high biomass) versus O. sativa (a japonica cultivar and a indica-japonica hybrid) to assess their potential for identifying traits which might be utilized to enhance rice productivity. The wild relatives had higher rates of photosynthesis on a fresh weight basis, and higher water use efficiency than the O. sativa lines. There were no striking differences in activities of a number of key enzymes in carbon and nitrogen metabolism between the wild relatives and cultivated rice lines. Along with higher rates of photosynthesis on a fresh weight basis, the leaves of the two wild species had higher nitrate content, higher levels of starch, glucose and fructose, and higher levels of organic acids (malate, succinate and acetate), compared to the O. sativa lines. The results suggested that O. grandiglumis and O. alta have differences in physiology and primary metabolism which might be exploited to improve growth and productivity of cultivated rice.

Sixteen genomic DNA simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers of Lentinula edodes were developed from 205 SSR motifs present in 46.1-Mb long L. edodes genome sequences. The number of alleles ranged from 3-14 and the major allele frequency was distributed from 0.17-0.96. The values of observed and expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.00-0.76 and 0.07-0.90, respectively. The polymorphic information content value ranged from 0.07-0.89. A dendrogram, based on 16 SSR markers clustered by the paired hierarchical clustering' method, showed that 33 shiitake cultivars could be divided into three major groups and successfully identified. These SSR markers will contribute to the efficient breeding of this species by providing diversity in shiitake varieties. Furthermore, the genomic information covered by the markers can provide a valuable resource for genetic linkage map construction, molecular mapping, and marker-assisted selection in the shiitake mushroom.

In this study, the genetic diversity and the population structure of 77 wild strains and 23 cultivars of Lentinula edodes from Korea were analyzed using 20 genomic SSRs, and their genetic relationship was investigated. The tested strains of L. edodes were divided into three sub-groups consisting of only wild strains, mainly wild strains and several cultivars, and mainly cultivars and several wild strains by distance-based analysis. Using model-based analysis, L. edodes strains were divided into two subpopulations; the first one consisting of only wild strains and the second one with mainly cultivars and several wild strains. Moreover, AMOVA analysis revealed that the genetic variation in the cultivars was higher than that in the wild strains. The expected and observed heterozygosity and values indicating the polymorphic information content of L. edodes cultivars from Korea were also higher than that of the wild strains. Based on these results, we presume that the cultivars in Korea have developed by using numerous strains from other countries. In conclusion, the usage of wild strains for the development of new cultivars could improve the adaptability of L. edodes to biotic and abiotic stress.

Background Licorice (Glycyrrhiza spp. L.) is used as a natural sweetener and medicinal herb in European and Asian countries. Molecular studies have been conducted to find differences between wild and cultivated species because most wild species are highly resistant to abiotic and biotic stresses compared with their cultivated species. However, few molecular markers have been developed for studying the genetic diversity and population structure of licorice species and to identify differences between cultivars. Thus, the present study aimed to develop a set of genomic simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers for molecular studies of these species. Methods In the present study, we developed polymorphic SSR markers based on whole-genomesequence data of Glycyrrhiza lepidota. Then, based on the sequence information, the polymorphic SSR markers were developed. The SSR markers were applied to 23 Glycyrrhiza individual plants. We also evaluated the phylogenetic relationships and interspecies transferability among samples. Results The genetic diversity analysis using these markers identified 2–23 alleles, and the major allele frequency, observed heterozygosity, genetic diversity, and polymorphism information content were 0.11–0.91, 0–0.90, 0.17–0.94, and 0.15–0.93, respectively. Interspecies transferability values were 93.5%, 91.6%, and 91.1% for G. echinata, G. glabra, and G. uralensis, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis clustered cultivated (group 1) and wild (group 2) species into three and two subgroups, respectively. The reported markers represent a valuable resource for the genetic characteri z ation of Glycyrrhiza spp. for theanalysis of its genetic variability, and as a tool for licorice transferability. This is the first intraspecific study in a collection of Glycyrrhiza spp. germplasm using SSR markers.

Background Licorice (Glycyrrhiza spp. L.) is used as a natural sweetener and medicinal herb in European and Asian countries. Molecular studies have been conducted to find differences between wild and cultivated species because most wild species are highly resistant to abiotic and biotic stresses compared with their cultivated species. However, few molecular markers have been developed for studying the genetic diversity and population structure of licorice species and to identify differences between cultivars. Thus, the present study aimed to develop a set of genomic simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers for molecular studies of these species. Methods In the present study, we developed polymorphic SSR markers based on whole-genomesequence data of Glycyrrhiza lepidota. Then, based on the sequence information, the polymorphic SSR markers were developed. The SSR markers were applied to 23 Glycyrrhiza individual plants. We also evaluated the phylogenetic relationships and interspecies transferability among samples. Results The genetic diversity analysis using these markers identified 2–23 alleles, and the major allele frequency, observed heterozygosity, genetic diversity, and polymorphism information content were 0.11–0.91, 0–0.90, 0.17–0.94, and 0.15–0.93, respectively. Interspecies transferability values were 93.5%, 91.6%, and 91.1% for G. echinata, G. glabra, and G. uralensis, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis clustered cultivated (group 1) and wild (group 2) species into three and two subgroups, respectively. The reported markers represent a valuable resource for the genetic characteri z ation of Glycyrrhiza spp. for theanalysis of its genetic variability, and as a tool for licorice transferability. This is the first intraspecific study in a collection of Glycyrrhiza spp. germplasm using SSR markers.

Improving eating quality and nutrition is one of the most important objectives in rice breeding program. Palatability factors and seed protein patterns of 69 Korean rice landraces were compared in this study. Of seven palatability factors, setback viscosity (SBV) had the largest variance, ranging from -144 to 45. Water content (WC) had the lowest variance, ranging from 11.0 to 13.0. In correlation analysis, eating quality was positively correlated with all palatability factors except gelatinization temperature (GT). In principal component analyses (PCA), the first PC with Eigen value of 5.06 explained 42.2% of the total variance. Cool paste viscosity (CPV) was the variable that had the largest positive loading. The second PC with Eigen value of 2.09 explained an additional 17.4% of the total variance. SBV was a variable that had the highest negative loading. Peak viscosity (PKV) had positive variance between PC1 and PC2. The 69 Korean rice landraces were clustered into four groups based on physicochemical properties and palatability factors, with groups I and II showing higher EQ than other groups. SDS-PAGE analyses revealed five seed storage patterns in the 69 Korean rice landraces. Among them, 84% (58 landraces) had pattern I. These results indicate that it is possible to develop high palatability cultivars using Korean rice landraces. In addition, screening of landraces based on variation in seed storage protein profile using SDS-PAGE could be highly effective for the identification of valuable rice genetic resources.

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is one of the most economically important plants in the family Solanaceae. Understanding its genetic diversity of accessions is vital for additional collection of tomato germplasms. The objective of this study was to determine the genetic diversity and population structure of 355 tomato accessions from Asia using 18 simple-sequence repeats (SSRs). A total of 176 alleles were detected at an average of ten alleles per SSR locus. The average major allele frequency and polymorphic information content were 0.69 and 0.39, respectively. Model-based structure analysis revealed two subpopulations (88%), including admixtures (11%) in the 355 Asian tomato accessions, consistent with clustering results based on genetic distance. The overall FST value was 0.135, indicating a moderate differentiation between the inferred subpopulations. Analysis of molecular variance showed that the genetic variance among geographical groups was less than 6%, in contrast to 86% of genetic variance among individuals. The results from this study will provide important information for future germplasm conservation and improvement programs for tomato.

We micropropagated pear (Pyrus species) using shoot tips and nodal explants from three pear genotypes. The ability to establish shoot tip cultures, proliferate shoots, induce rooting, and acclimatize the resulting plantlets are all elements of in vitro micropropagation. Shoots were induced from shoot tips on Murashige and Skoog medium (MS) with five different plant growth regulator combinations. The highest shoot formation rates were achieved for the three genotypes using MS supplemented with 1.0 ㎎/L N 6 -benzyladenine (BA) and 0.1 ㎎/L gibberellic acid (GA₃). The maximum shoot number and shoot length for the three cultivars were recorded with 2.0 ㎎/L BA and 0.2 ㎎/L indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) in multiplication medium using nodal explants produced from microshoots. Nodal explants with one or two axillary buds cultured for three weeks initiated roots on medium supplemented with various concentrations of 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) or/and IBA in half-strength MS medium for adventitious rooting. The highest rooting response was with the combination of 0.2 ㎎/L NAA and 0.2 ㎎/L IBA. A combination of NAA and IBA resulted in a significant increase in the rooting ratio over NAA or IBA alone. In this medium, the root formation rate according to ranged from 68.9% for the BaeYun No. 3 genotype to 51.8% for the Hwanggeum genotype. We also investigated the influence of the concentration the polyamine phloroglucinol in rooting medium. For all three genotypes, the highest rooting ratio, longest root length, and greatest root number were observed in the treatments with 75-150 ㎎/L phloroglucinol. Most rooted plants were acclimatized successfully.

Twenty apple germplasm accessions from the Korean Genebank were successfully cryopreserved using two-step freezing to back up genetic resources maintained by field collections. This study examined the morphological and genetic stability of cryopreserved dormant apple buds that were stored in liquid nitrogen, and then rewarmed and regrown. Whole plants were regenerated directly from dormant buds through budding without an intermediary callus phase. The cryopreserved buds produced high levels of shoot formation (76.2-100%), similar to those of noncryopreserved buds (91.3-100%), with no observed differences between cryopreserved and noncryopreserved materials. Three of the twenty cryopreserved apple germplasm accessions were used to assess morphological and genetic stability. No differences in morphological characteristics including shoot length, leaf shape, leaf width/length ratio, and root length were observed between controls (fresh control and noncryopreserved) and cryopreserved plantlets. The genetic stability of regenerants (before and after cryopreservation) was investigated using inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers. The ISSR markers produced 253 bands using four primers, ISSR 810, SSR 835, ISSR 864, and ISSR 899. These markers showed monomorphic banding patterns and revealed no polymorphism between the mother plant and regenerants before and after cryopreservation, suggesting that cryopreservation using two-step freezing does not affect the genetic stability of apple germplasm. These results show that two-step freezing cryopreservation is a practical method for long-term storage of apple germplasms.

Chloroplast (cp) genome sequences provide a valuable source for DNA barcoding. Molecular phylogenetic studies have concentrated on DNA sequencing of conserved gene loci. However, this approach is time consuming and more difficult to implement when gene organization differs among species. Here we report the complete re-sequencing of the cp genome of Capsicum pepper (Capsicum annuum var. glabriusculum) using the Illumina platform. The total length of the cp genome is 156,817 bp with a 37.7% overall GC content. A pair of inverted repeats (IRs) of 50,284 bp were separated by a small single copy (SSC; 18,948 bp) and a large single copy (LSC; 87,446 bp). The number of cp genes in C. annuum var. glabriusculum is the same as that in other Capsicum species. Variations in the lengths of LSC; SSC and IR regions were the main contributors to the size variation in the cp genome of this species. A total of 125 simple sequence repeat (SSR) and 48 insertions or deletions variants were found by sequence alignment of Capsicum cp genome. These findings provide a foundation for further investigation of cp genome evolution in Capsicum and other higher plants.

DNA barcoding is the use of short DNA sequences of the genome for large scale species identification. The Consortium for the Barcode of Life (CBOL) plant-working group recommended a 2-locus combination as the standard plant barcode. The evolutions of the chloroplast regions combined with nuclear gens are sufficiently rapid to allow discrimination between closely related species. We evaluated the efficacy of the proposed plant barcoding loci, matK, along with ITS2 for barcoding the Vigna species. To assess the discriminatory ability of barcoding loci for identifying the Vigna species, we sampled 52 of the taxonomically best known groups in the genus. Topologies of the phylogenetic trees based on ITS2 and matK analyses were similar but a few accessions were placed into distant phylogenetic groups. Neither ITS2 nor matK analyses were able to discriminate some closely related Vigna species. Thus, we used concatenated data to increase the resolving power of ITS2 and used matK as an additional tool for phylogenetic analysis in Vigna because characterization of the nucleotide sequences of the matK region was easier and more cost-effective than that of the ITS region.

We investigated the species discriminatory efficiency of the proposed plant barcoding loci ITS2 and matK in Vicia species. In 2011, China Plant BOL Group proposed the addition of nuclear ITS2 to matK be accepted as a 2-locus DNA barcode to classify plant species. The matK region was chosen as a DNA barcode because of its effective species discriminating power, high quality sequence recovery, and easy experimental analysis. Integration of matK sequences into Vicia phylogeny could improve phylogenetic reconstruction of this species. To assess the ability of barcoding loci to resolve Vicia species, we sampled 36 of the taxonomically best known groups in the genus. Topologies of the phylogenetic trees based on ITS2 and matK analyses were similar but a few accessions were placed into distant phylogenetic groups. Neither ITS2 nor matK analyses alone could discriminate some closely related Vicia species. Thus, we have proposed a concatenated data approach to increase the resolving power of ITS2 and used matK as an additional tool for phylogenetic analysis in Vicia because characterization of the nucleotide sequences of the matK region was easier to recover and more cost-effective than those of the ITS region.

The temperate and herbaceous genus Vicia L. is a member of the legume tribe Fabeae of the subfamily Papilionoideae. The genus Vicia comprises 166 annual or perennial species distributed mainly in Europe, Asia, and North America, but also extending to the temperate regions of South America and tropical Africa. The use of simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers for Vicia species has not been investigated as extensively as for other crop species. In this study, we assessed the potential for cross-species amplification of cDNA microsatellite markers developed from common vetch (Vicia sativa subsp. sativa). For cross-species amplification of the SSRs, amplification was carried out with genomic DNA isolated from two to eight accessions of 22 different Vicia species. For individual species or subspecies, the transferability rates ranged from 33% for V. ervilia to 82% for V. sativa subsp. nigra with an average rate of 52.0%. Because the rate of successful SSR marker amplification generally correlates with genetic distance, these SSR markers are potentially useful for analyzing genetic relationships between or within Vicia species.

Angelica gigas Nakai is an important medicinal herb, widely utilized in Asian countries especially in Korea, Japan, and China. Although it is a vital medicinal herb, the lack of sequencing data and efficient molecular markers has limited the application of a genetic approach for horticultural improvements. Simple sequence repeats (SSRs) are universally accepted molecular markers for population structure study. In this study, we found over 130,000 SSRs, ranging from di- to deca-nucleotide motifs, using the genome sequence of Manchu variety (MV) of A. gigas, derived from next generation sequencing (NGS). From the putative SSR regions identified, a total of 16,496 primer sets were successfully designed. Among them, we selected 848 SSR markers that showed polymorphism from in silico analysis and contained tri- to hexa-nucleotide motifs. We tested 36 SSR primer sets for polymorphism in 16 A. gigas accessions. The average polymorphism information content (PIC) was 0.69; the average observed heterozygosity (HO) values, and the expected heterozygosity (HE) values were 0.53 and 0.73, respectively. These newly developed SSR markers would be useful tools for molecular genetics, genotype identification, genetic mapping, molecular breeding, and studying species relationships of the Angelica genus.

Japanese Millet, Echinochloa esculenta is a weed-suppressing cover crop that was grown once as a staple food crop in Japanese regions when rice cultivation failed. Here, we report the complete chlo...

Soybean (Glycine max L.) is crucial legume crop as source of high quality vegetable protein and oil, and Korea is regarded as a part of center of soybean origin. To expand the information of conserved genetic diversity, we analyzed the genetic variability of soybean collection mainly introduced Korean accessions using 75 microsatellite markers. A total of 1,503 alleles with an average value of 20.0 alleles were detected among 644 accessions. Korean collection revealed average allele number of 13.4 while Chinese, Japanese and Southeast Asian accessions showed 9.0, 5.4 and 6.5 mean alleles, respectively. Especially, Korean accessions showed more number of private allele per locus as 3.4 contrary to other geographical groups. The mean expected heterozygosity and polymorphic information content was 0.654 and 0.616, respectively, and expected heterozygosity values were not significantly distinguished according to the geographical groups. The phylogenetic dendrogram and deduced population structure based on DNA profiles of 75 SSR loci showed Korean accessions formed distinct gene pool against Chinese accessions, and could be divided into five subpopulations. Korean soybean accessions have specific genetic diversity and might be serve the valuable alleles for bio-industry as a part of the center of soybean origin.

We performed de novo transcriptome sequencing for Panax ginseng and Panax quinquefolius accessions using the 454 GS FLX Titanium System and discovered annotation-based genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) using next-generation ginseng transcriptome data without reference genome sequence. The comprehensive transcriptome characterization with the mature roots of four ginseng accessions generated 297,170 reads for 'Cheonryang' cultivar, 305,673 reads for 'Yunpoong' cultivar, 311,861 reads for the G03080 breeding line, and 308,313 reads for P. quinquefolius. In transcriptome assembly, the lengths of the sample read were 156.42 Mb for 'Cheonryang', 161.95 Mb for 'Yunpoong', 165.07 Mb for G03080 breeding line, and 166.48 Mb for P. quinquefolius. A total of 97 primer pairs were designed with the homozygous SNP presented in all four accessions. SNP genotyping using high-resolution melting (HRM) analysis was performed to validate the putative SNP markers of 97 primer pairs. Out of the 73 primer pairs, 73 primer pairs amplified the target sequence and 34 primer pairs showed polymorphic melting curves in samples from 11 P. ginseng cultivars and one P. quinquefolius accession. Among the 34 polymorphic HRM-SNP primers, four primers were useful to distinguish ginseng cultivars. In the present study, we demonstrated that de novo transcriptome assembly and mapping analyses are useful in providing four HRM-SNP primer pairs that reliably show a high degree of polymorphism among ginseng cultivars.

Vicia amurensis is a perennial plant found in Northern China, Japan, and Korea that plays an important role in sustainable agricultural practices due to its ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen in a symbiotic association with rhizobia. 454 sequencing technology was used to sequence the V. amurensis transcriptome which yielded 26.41 Mb from 71,197 reads as a result of 24,959 valid singletons. In addition, 1743 contigs, with the largest contig size being 3534, and 26,702 unigenes were detected. The contig distributions in three non-mutually exclusive Gene Ontology classifications and clusters of orthologous gene classes showed that differentially expressed genes were generally overrepresented in general function and prediction alone (176, 14.47%), and posttranslational modifications, protein turnover, chaperones (162, 13.32%). In total, 12,656 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) types were detected; these variants contained 10,585 SNPs, 1513 indels and 558 variants involving more than one nucleotide. The 2383 SNP types with high confidence differences were identified. The present study provides invaluable information on the functional genomic resources and future biological research on V. amurensis. The SNPs identified in this study will provide a material basis for future mapping and marker-assisted breeding analyses.

The purpose of this study was to develop the cost-effective and efficiency seed longevity prediction method of rice ( Oryza sativa L.) germplasm for viability monitoring. To find an optimum predicting method for rice seed longevity at genebank, an accelerated ageing (AA) test, a controlled deterioration (CD) test and a dry-heat treatment (DHT) were conducted to the four groups of rice germplasm based on ecotype, such as Indica, Japonica, Javanica and Tongil type. Among the three artificial aging treatments, the dry-heat treatment of 36 hours at 90℃ is suggested as a routine predictive test method of rice germplasm longevity at a genebank. The distribution of germination rate on 3,066 accessions which conserved 26.5 years at 4℃ showed similar trend with the result of distribution by dry-heat treatment at 90℃ on 36 hours using 106 accessions of rice selected samples which composed four ecotype groups. The results show that the dry-heat treatment affect not only predicting the rice seed longevity but also determining effective interval for monitoring germination of rice germplasm in genebanks.

Sunflower is one of the most widely cultivated oil crops. It produces seeds which have abundant health benefits. The objective of this research was to determine the effects of two growing years and five planting dates on agronomic traits and chemical compositions in sunflower accessions. In this study, genotype by year interaction was significant for days to flowering, weight of seeds per plant, oil, palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, all tocopherol and phytosterol components. The major source of variation in most agronomic traits and chemical compositions in sunflower was attributed by variation among genotypes. Days to flowering, head length, and weight of seeds per plant decreased when planting date was delayed. Oil content, stearic acid, oleic acid, α -tocopherol, total tocopherol, β-sitosterol, and total sterol contents decreased but linoleic acid increased when planting date was delayed. From this study, valuable information will be provided for sunflower breeders and growers in developing and producing functional food resources and products.

*Department of Herbal Crop Research, NIHHS, RDA, Eumseong 369-873, Korea.**National Agrobiodiversity Center, NAAS, RDA, Suwon 441-707, Korea.***Experiment Research Institute of National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service, MIFAFF, Seoul 150-043, Korea.****Department of Food Science and Technology, Seoul Women’s University, Seoul 139-774, Korea.*****Department of Crop Science and Biotechnology, Dankook University, Cheonan 330-714, Korea.ABSTRACT : The development of random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and expressed sequence tag-derivedsimple sequence repeats (EST-SSRs) provided a useful tool for investigating Korean ginseng genetic diversity. In this study,18 polymorphic markers (7 RAPD and 11 EST-SSR) selected to assess the genetic diversity in 31 ginseng accessions (11Korean ginseng cultivars and 20 breeding lines). In RAPD analysis, a total of 53 unique polymorphic bands were obtainedfrom ginseng accessions and number of amplicons ranged from 4 to 11 with a mean of 7.5 bands. Pair-wise genetic similaritycoefficient (Nei) among all pairs of ginseng accessions varied from 0.01 to 0.32, with a mean of 0.11. On the basis of theresulting data, the 31 ginseng accessions were grouped into six clusters. As a result of EST-SSR analysis, 11 EST-SSR mark-ers detected polymorphisms among the 31 ginseng accessions and revealed 49 alleles with a mean of 4.45 alleles per primer.The polymorphism information content (PIC) value ranged from 0.06 to 0.31, with an average of 0.198. The 31 ginsengaccessions were classified into five groups by cluster analysis based on Nei’s genetic distances. Consequently, the results ofginseng-specific RAPD and EST-SSR markers may prove useful for the evaluation of genetic diversity and discrimination ofKorean ginseng cultivars and breeding lines.Key Words : Korean Ginseng, Cultivar, Breeding Line, Genetic Characteristics, DNA Marker, RAPD, EST-SSR

Transcriptomes from high-throughput sequencing technology provide a good resource for molecular markers. Here, we report the development of polymorphic simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers from transcript sequences via 454 pyrosequencing for Vicia sativa subsp. nigra (narrow-leaved vetch). In contrast to V. sativa subsp. sativa, the most commonly grown vetch species, the narrow-leaved vetch survives in diverse soil and climate conditions, serving as a valuable breeding resource of environmental tolerance. We found 2,429 SSR loci from 17,971 individual sequence reads, and 100 primer pairs were designed and synthesized. In total, 49 primer pairs were polymorphic when screened in 32 accessions. The number of alleles was 2–19, the frequency of major alleles per locus varied from 0.19 to 0.87, the genotype numbers ranged from 2 to 19, and observed and expected heterozygosity values ranged from 0.00 to 0.78 and from 0.23 to 0.92, respectively. Polymorphism index content values ranged from 0.20 to 0.86. Considering the relatively high polymorphism in the selected cDNA-SSR marker sets, these markers can be applied to assess genetic diversity, population structure, and positional cloning for the narrow-leaved vetch to facilitate vetch breeding programs.

Faba bean (Vicia faba L.) is a major food source and fodder legume, popularly known for its high content of seed-protein. Its role is critical in crop rotation, and for fixing nitrogen effectively. Polymorphic simple sequence repeat markers from transcript sequences (cDNA, simple sequence repeat [SSR]) were developed for faba bean (Vicia faba). We found that 1,729 SSR loci from 81,333 individual sequence reads and 240 primer pairs were designed and synthesized. In total, 55 primer pairs were found to be polymorphic and scorable consistently when screened in 32 accessions. The number of alleles ranged from 2 to 15, frequency of major alleles per locus varied from 0.17 to 0.91, the genotypes number ranged from 2 to 17, observed and expected heterozycosity values ranged from 0.00 to 0.44 and 0.17 to 0.89 and overall PIC values ranged from 0.16 to 0.88 respectively. These markers will be a useful tool for assessing the genetic diversity, understanding the population structure, and breeding patterns of faba bean.

Molecular markers derived from the complete chloroplast genome can provide effective tools for species identification and phylogenetic resolution. Complete chloroplast (cp) genome sequences of Capsicum species have been reported. We herein report the complete chloroplast genome sequence of Capsicum baccatum var. baccatum, a wild Capsicum species. The total length of the chloroplast genome is 157,145 bp with 37.7 % overall GC content. One pair of inverted repeats, 25,910 bp in length, was separated by a small single-copy region (17,974 bp) and large single-copy region (87,351 bp). This region contains 86 protein-coding genes, 30 tRNA genes, 4 rRNA genes, and 11 genes contain one or two introns. Pair-wise alignments of chloroplast genome were performed for genome-wide comparison. Analysis revealed a total of 134 simple sequence repeat (SSR) motifs and 282 insertions or deletions variants in the C. baccatum var. baccatum cp genome. The types and abundances of repeat units in Capsicum species were relatively conserved, and these loci could be used in future studies to investigate and conserve the genetic diversity of the Capsicum species.

Wild oat, Avena sterilis L. is a stout broad-leaved annual grass resembling cultivated oats in general appearance. In this study, we sequenced the complete chloroplast (cp) genome sequence of A. st...

Improvement of rice eating quality is an important objective in current breeding programs. In this study, 130 rice accessions of diverse origin were genotyped using 170 SSR markers to identify marker–trait associations with physicochemical traits on eating quality. Analysis of population structure revealed four subgroups in the population. Linkage disequilibrium (LD) patterns and distributions are of fundamental importance for genome-wide mapping associations. The mean r 2 value for all intrachromosomal loci pairs was 0.0940. LD between linked markers decreased with distance. Marker–trait associations were investigated using the unified mixed-model approach, considering both population structure (Q) and kinship (K). In total, 101 marker–trait associations (p

Transcriptome analysis is becoming a powerful tool for the identification and characterization of molecular markers, splicing-specific mRNA mutants, and differentially expressed genes. In this study, we present the first comprehensive characterization of the transcriptomes of the mature fruits of two red pepper (Capsicum annuum) accessions, YCM334 and Taean, using the 454 Genome Sequencer (GS)-FLX Titanium System. For YCM334, sequencing runs yielded 121,152 reads (average length = 409 nucleotides), which were assembled into 11,770 contiguous sequences (contigs) and 13,827 singletons. Sequencing runs for Taean yielded 154,088 reads (average length = 395 nucleotides) assembled into 14,200 contigs and 15,135 singletons. Using a BLAST search against the NCBI non-redundant (NR) and UniProt databases with an arbitrary expectation value of E-5, over 10,000 unigenes were functionally annotated and classified using the FunCat functional annotation scheme, and were found to distribute in 18 FunCat categories for YCM334 and 17 for Taean. Expression pattern analysis identified 540 Tentative Consensus (TC) sequences that were specifically detected in YCM334. Most of these differential TCs assigned with specific annotations covered 16 FunCat categories, of which 4 were annotated with resistance terms. Polymorphic marker discovery revealed a total of 1265 and 1436 simple sequence repeat (SSR) motifs for YCM334 and Taean, respectively, and a total of 3218 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with high confidence. The information generated in this study provides valuable resources for characterization of some important agronomic traits and identification of molecular mechanism such as phytopathogen resistance.

Cymbidium spp. are important potted flowers with extremely high ornamental and economic value. The present study reports the development of 14 new simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers through the construction of an enriched Cymbidium goeringii library and cross-amplification in Cymbidium sinensis and Cymbidium hybridium. Of 525, 322 (61.33%) clones had SSR motifs and among motifs di-nucleotides were predominant and followed by tri-nucleotide and tetra-nucleotide type. In polymorphic analysis using 14 newly developed SSRs, a total of 201 alleles across 96 Cymbidium accessions were detected with an average of 14.4 per locus. The average heterozygosity was 0.394. The average gene diversity and polymorphism information content values were 0.394 and 0.639, respectively. The mean genetic similarity coefficient was 0.4297, indicating a wide genetic variation among the Cymbidium accessions. These newly developed SSRs will be useful tools for genotype identification, germplasm conservation, molecular breeding, and assessments of genetic diversity and population structure in Cymbidium.

Millets such as proso millet have excellent nutritional properties and could become a basic resource for crop breeding programs and food diversification. In this study, 25 polymorphic microsatellite markers were developed and characterized through construction of an SSR-enriched library from genomic DNA of proso millet (Panicum miliaceum L.). In total, 110 alleles were detected, with an average of 4.4 alleles per locus. Values of major allele frequency (MAF) and expected heterozygosity (HE) ranged from 0.36 to 0.98 (mean = 0.73) and from 0.04 to 0.74 (mean = 0.37), respectively. The mean genetic similarity coefficient was 0.3711, indicating that among 50 accessions of proso millet there was wide genetic variation. The newly developed microsatellite markers should be useful tools for assessing genetic diversity, understanding population structure, and breeding of proso millet.

The allelic diversity of a collection of 4046 rice accessions was assessed using 15 neutral SSR markers distributed throughout the genome. A total of 482 alleles were detected; the average allelic richness was 32.1 alleles per locus. Using a heuristic approach, an allele-mining set was successfully developed on the basis of SSR marker data. 162 accessions of the allele-mining set, accounting for about 4.0% of the entire collection, captured all of the alleles (482) retained in the entire collection, which showed 100% coverage of alleles with minimum redundancy. As a result of validation of this heuristic approach using another 14 SSR markers associated with starch, 70% of the total alleles and 83% of the restricted alleles (allele frequency > 0.05%) were captured in this allele-mining set. The results showed that the heuristic approach meets the condition as an allele-mining set even when applied to another specific set of markers related to starch synthesis in the same entire and allele-mining set. The newly developed methodology for developing allele-mining sets can be used in other crop species. By retaining all alleles of the entire collection, this allele-mining set will be useful for future studies on introducing unused useful alleles into elite rice varieties by breeders in the post-genomic era.

A total of 29 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers were used to analyze the genetic diversity of 150 accessions of cultivated rice (Oryza sativa L.) from Korea, China, and Japan. A total of 375 alleles were detected with an average of 12.9 per locus. The averaged values of gene diversity and polymorphism information content (PIC) for each SSR locus were 0.7001 and 0.6683, respectively. Alleles per locus in Korean rice were 8.8, whereas 8.1 and 7.2 alleles per locus were found in Chinese and Japanese rice, respectively. The mean gene diversity in Korean, Chinese, and Japanese rice was 0.6058, 0.6457, and 0.5174, respectively, whereas the mean PIC values for each SSR locus were 0.5759, 0.6138, and 0.4881, respectively. The genetic diversity of the Korean and Chinese cultivars was higher than that of the Japanese cultivars, and the genetic diversity ofjaponica was higher than that ofindica. The model-based structure analysis revealed the presence of three subpopulations, which was basically consistent with clustering based on genetic distance. An AMOVA analysis showed that the between-population component of genetic variance was less than 22% in contrast to 78% for the within-population component. The overallFST value was 0.2180, indicating a moderate differentiation among groups. The results could be used for designing effective breeding programs aimed at broadening the genetic bases of commercially grown varieties.

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), which are inexhaustible, highly stable, and simply detectable sequence polymorphisms, can lead to phenotypic variations by affecting protein composition changes. Here, we report development of 25 new cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence or derived cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence markers that have discrete band sizes in relation to the SNP genotypes in eight putative gene regions. The average frequency of DNA polymorphisms was 1 per 175 bp (SNPs, 1 per 217 bp; In/dels, 1 per 906 bp). In primary statistical analysis of each marker on 55 diverse rice accessions, including different ecotypes, the mean value of the major allele frequency was 0.658 (0.509-0.927). The average polymorphism informa- tion content was 0.326 (0.126-0.375). The mean value of the inbreeding coefficient (f) was 0.950 and was positive (heterozygote deficiency) at all loci, corre- sponding to the inbreeding system in rice. In cluster analysis, all rice accessions clustered mainly into three groups according to the ecotypes. The association analysis showed that the SNP of Granule-bound starch synthase I and ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase small subunit (ADPase-S) genes were highly associated with apparent amylose content variation than the others. These new SNP markers may be useful in genotyping rice germplasm, in marker-assisted selection for improving starch quality and content, and in linkage as well as association studies.

In the present work, genomic DNA libraries for 18 underutilized crop species (including 11 dicot and 7 monocot species) were enriched for several di- and tri- nucleotide microsatellites by using an optimized procedure. About 500–960 clones from each library were sequenced and all the sequences were characterized to have a comparative look on relative abundance, composition and length variations of perfect microsatellites among different crops. Sequence analysis revealed contrasting differences in the abundance of di- and tri-nucleotide microsatellites with the predominance of tri-nucleotide microsatellites in 11 crops and that of di-nucleotides in other 8 crops. Among di-nucleotide microsatellites, AG/GA class was the most abundant in all the crops except for four crops in which AC/CA class was predominant. Among tri-nucleotide repeats, AGC/GCA/CAG class was the most abundant in eight crops followed by AGG/GGA/GAG class in four crops, whereas in the remaining six crops, the most abundant class was highly variable. The longest di- and tri-nucleotide repeats were observed in Chinese cabbage and mungbean with the average lengths of 70 and 57 base pairs, respectively. These observations revealed species-specific in the distributions of microsatellite repeat motifs. The present study provides highly valuable information that can be useful in targeted development of specific microsatellites markers for genetic analysis of these underutilized crops.

Distribution of GBS SNPs along the twelve chromosomes of rice. (PDF 119Â kb)

Premise of the study: We report the complete sequence of the chloroplast genome of Capsicum frutescens (Solanaceae), a species of chili pepper. Methods and Results: Using an Illumina platform, we sequenced the chloroplast genome of C. frutescens. The total length of the genome is 156,817 bp, and the overall GC content is 37.7%. A pair of 25,792-bp inverted repeats is separated by small (17,853 bp) and large (87,380 bp) single-copy regions. The C. frutescens chloroplast genome encodes 132 unique genes, including 87 protein-coding genes, 37 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, and eight ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes. Of these, seven genes are duplicated in the inverted repeats and 12 genes contain one or two introns. Comparative analysis with the reference chloroplast genome revealed 125 simple sequence repeat motifs and 34 variants, mostly located in the noncoding regions. Conclusions: The complete chloroplast genome sequence of C. frutescens reported here is a valuable genetic resource for Capsicum species.

Genetic polymorphism and molecular authentication were investigated with the commercial medicinal herb, Peony (Paeonia spp.), using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers. To identify the polymorphism of the RAPD patterns among plant origins, 20 different random primers were applied to the genomic DNA extracted from Paeonia spp. plants such as Paeonia (P.) lactiflora, P. officinale and P. japonica. Ten primers out of 20 primers could be used to discriminate the plant species in the same genus and 72 out of 81 scored DNA fragments (88.9%) generated with these primers were polymorphic. Especially, four primers, such as OPA1, OPA3, OP9, and OPA13, were useful to discriminate the plant origins among the species of Peony. In the results of cluster analysis using RAPD data obtained from the 10 primers, Peony (Paeonia spp.) plants used in this study were grouped into the two distinctive clusters, genetically. Herb medicine, especially P. lactiflora, were easily identified, when species-specific primers were applied to the investigation for discriminating herb medicine currently traded in domestic herb market, Kyungdongmart. Consequently, RAPD analysis was useful method to discriminate plant origins and the commercial medicinal herbs, Paeonia spp..

We used 454 sequencing technology for faba bean transcriptome, which yielded 29.61 Mb sequence data. A total of 81,333 raw sequence reads were obtained and assembled by de novo sequence assembly. The contig distributions in three nonmutually exclusive gene ontology classifications and clusters of orthologous gene classes were assigned, which were also used to identify genes related to nitrogen fixation. Furthermore, a set of 1729 reads with simple sequence repeat (SSR) motifs were identified. Subsets of 55 SSR primer pairs were selected to validate SSR marker assay. Fifty-five primer pairs were used to amplify from one or more of the template genotypes, the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) types manifested high confidence differences, and 1946 SNPs, 145 insertion-deletions, and 110 variants were observed with more than one nucleotide among the detected SNPs. This study provides large-scale identification of the faba bean transcriptome resources for functional genomics studies and the development of molecular markers, which will certainly lead to crop improvement.

The shiitake mushroom (Lentinula edodes) is one of the most popular edible mushrooms in the world and has attracted attention for its value in medicinal and pharmacological uses. With recent advanced research and techniques, the agricultural cultivation of the shiitake mushroom has been greatly increased, especially in East Asia. Additionally, demand for the development of new cultivars with good agricultural traits has been greatly enhanced, but the development processes are complicated and more challenging than for other edible mushrooms. In this study, we developed 44 novel polymorphic simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers for the determination of shiitake mushroom cultivars based on a whole genome sequencing database of L. edodes. These markers were found to be polymorphic and reliable when screened in 23 shiitake mushroom cultivars. For the 44 SSR markers developed in this study, the major allele frequency ranged from 0.13 to 0.94; the number of genotypes and number of alleles were each 2- 11; the observed and expected heterozygosity were 0.00- 1.00 and 0.10- 0.90, respectively; and the polymorphic information content value ranged from 0.10 to 0.89. These new markers can be used for molecular breeding, the determination of cultivars, and other applications.

The present work reports the isolation and characterization of new polymorphic microsatellites in mung bean (Vigna radiata L.). Of 93 designed primer pairs, seven were found to amplify polymorphic microsatellite loci, which were then characterized using 34 mung bean accessions. The number of alleles ranged from two to five alleles per locus with an average of three alleles. Observed and expected heterozygosity values ranged from 0 to 0.088 and from 0.275 to 0.683, respectively. All seven loci showed significant deviations from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, whereas only one pairwise combination (GBssr-MB77 and GBssr-MB91) exhibited significant departure from linkage disequilibrium. These newly developed markers are currently being utilized for diversity assessment within the mung bean germplasm collection of the Korean Gene Bank.

Vetch (Vicia sativa L.) is one of the most important annual forage legumes in the World due to its multiple uses (i.e., hay, grain, silage and green manure) and high nutritional value. However, detrimental cyanoalanine toxins in its plant parts including seeds and its vulnerability to hard winter conditions are currently reducing the agronomic values of vetch varieties. Moreover, the existence in the public domain of very few genomic resources, especially molecular markers, has further hampered breeding efforts. Polymorphic simple sequence repeat markers from transcript sequences (cDNA; simple sequence repeat [SSR]) were developed for Vicia sativa subsp. sativa. We found 3,811 SSR loci from 31,504 individual sequence reads, and 300 primer pairs were designed and synthesized. In total, 65 primer pairs were found to be consistently scorable when 32 accessions were tested. The numbers of alleles ranged from 2 to 19, frequency of major alleles per locus were 0.27–0.87, the genotype number was 2–19, the overall polymorphism information content (PIC) values were 0.20–0.86, and the observed and expected heterozygosity values were 0.00–0.41 and 0.264–0.852, respectively. These markers provide a useful tool for assessing genetic diversity, population structure, and positional cloning, facilitating vetch breeding programs.

A genetic evaluation of safflower germplasm collections derived from different geographical regions and countries will provide useful information for sustainable conservation and the utilization of genetic diversity. However, the molecular marker information is limited for evaluation of genetic diversity of safflower germplasm. In this study, we acquired 509 putative genomic SSR markers for sufficient genome coverage using next-generation sequencing methods and characterized thirty polymorphic SSRs in safflower collection composed of 100 diverse accessions. The average allele number and expected heterozygosity were 2.8 and 0.386, respectively. Analysis of population structure and phylogeny based on thirty SSR profiles revealed genetic admixture between geographical regions contrary to genetic clustering. However, the accessions from Korea were genetically conserved in distinctive groups in contrast to other safflower gene pool. In conclusion, these new genomic SSRs will facilitate valuable studies to clarify genetic relationships as well as conduct population structure analyses, genetic map construction and association analysis for safflower.

Background Understanding population structure of the wild progenitor of Asian cultivated rice (O. sativa), the Oryza rufipogon species complex (ORSC), is of interest to plant breeders and contributes to our understanding of rice domestication. A collection of 286 diverse ORSC accessions was evaluated for nuclear variation using genotyping-by-sequencing (113,739 SNPs) and for chloroplast variation using Sanger sequencing (25 polymorphic sites). Results Six wild subpopulations were identified, with 25 % of accessions classified as admixed. Three of the wild groups were genetically and geographically closely related to the O. sativa subpopulations, indica, aus and japonica, and carried O. sativa introgressions; the other three wild groups were genetically divergent, had unique chloroplast haplotypes, and were located at the geographical extremes of the species range. The genetic subpopulations were significantly correlated (r 2 = 0.562) with traditional species designations, O. rufipogon (perennial) and O. nivara (annual), differentiated based on morphology and life history. A wild diversity panel of 95 purified (inbred) accessions was developed for future genetic studies. Conclusions Our results suggest that the cultivated aus subpopulation is most closely related to an annual wild relative, japonica to a perennial wild relative, and indica to an admixed population of diverse annual and perennial wild ancestors. Gene flow between ORSC and O. sativa is common in regions where rice is cultivated, threatening the identity and diversity of wild ORSC populations. The three geographically isolated ORSC populations harbor variation rarely seen in cultivated rice and provide a unique window into the genetic composition of ancient rice subpopulations. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12284-016-0119-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.