Genetic polymorphism of Tulipa gesneriana L. evaluated on the basis of the ISSR marking data.

Using the method of ISSR analysis, the genetic diversity of 18 natural populations of Tulipa gesneriana L. from the north of the Lower Volga region was examined. The ten ISSR primers used in the study provided identification of 102 PCR fragments, of which 50 were polymorphic (49.0%). According to the proportion of polymorphic markers, two population groups were distinguished: (1) the populations in which the proportion of polymorphic markers ranged from 0.35 to 0.41; (2) the populations in which the proportion of polymorphic markers ranged from 0.64 to 0.85. UPGMA clustering analysis provided subdivision of the sample into two large clusters. The unrooted tree constructed using the Neighbor Joining algorithm had similar topology. The first cluster included slightly variable populations and the second cluster included highly variable populations. The AMOVA analysis showed statistically significant differences ( F = 0.430; p = 0.000) between the two groups. Local populations are considerably genetically differentiated from each other ( F = 0.632) and have almost no links via modern gene flow, as evidenced by the results of the Mantel test ( r =-0.118; p = 0.819). It is suggested that the degree of genetic similarities and differences between the populations depends on the time and the species dispersal patterns on these territories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]