Assessing genetic diversity of indigenous bread and durum wheat cultivars in Iran using inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers.

Wheat, as a widely cultivated cereal crop, has encountered challenges due to its limited genetic diversity throughout its evolution. To facilitate effective crop improvement and ensure sustainability, a comprehensive understanding of the genetic diversity among wheat cultivars is essential. In this study, 17 bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and 22 durum wheat cultivars (Triticum durum Desf.) were investigated. These cultivars originated from 19 provinces in Iran, encompassing the majority of their natural distribution range. Twenty inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) molecular markers were utilized to assess the genetic correlations among the different cultivars. The ISSR analyses identified 133 ISSR loci in bread wheat cultivars, out of which 124 loci (93.23%) exhibited polymorphism. In durum wheat cultivars, 104 loci were detected, with 92 loci (88.46%) showing polymorphism. By utilizing the Dice similarity coefficient and the unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) algorithm, a cluster analysis dendrogram was constructed, which successfully divided both bread and durum wheat cultivars into four distinct groups. Furthermore, our results were reinforced through principal component analysis clustering, validating the robustness of the grouping. The dissimilarity matrices derived from the Dice coefficient and the UPGMA analysis provided evidence of distinct genetic diversity between bread and durum wheat. Importantly, this study marks the first attempt to assess origin genetic variation in Iranian indigenous wheat using ISSR markers. This establishes a critical foundation for ex situ conservation and the utilization of genetic resources in wheat breeding endeavors. Overall, this research substantially advances our knowledge of wheat genetic diversity, guiding future crop improvement strategies and sustainable management of genetic resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]