Efficiency of ISSR (Inter Simple Sequence Repeats) markers in genetic divergence analysis among sixteen barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) genotypes

Abstract

This research was conducted at labs of the General Commission for Scientific Agricultural Research in Damascus/ Syria during the period of 2021-2022. Inter Simple Sequence Repeats (ISSR) technique was used to determine the genetic relationship among Collection of 16 barley genotypes (12 lines and 4 Syrian varieties). 14 primers were used, 12 of them gave polymorphism, with 104 alleles and a polymorphic percentage of 87.37 %. The number of bands per primer varied from a minimum of 3 bands for the primer P6 to a maximum of 14 bands for the primer P10 with an average of 8.67 bands per primer. The average calculated value of polymorphic information content (PIC) = 0.2711, effective multiplex ratio (EMR) = 5.81, marker index (MI) = 1.56, discriminating power (DP) = 0.508 and resolving power (RP) = 3.55, representing the efficiency of used primers for genetic differentiation among the studied genotypes.

Results showed that the genetic distance ranged between 18.9-55.8 %. The lowest distance (0.189) was recorded between Bar1 and Bar3, this low value of the genetic distance indicates a great degree of genetic relationship. The largest distance (0.558) was recorded between bar4 and bar7, indicating a far genetic relationship between the two genotypes. It was noted that the genetic relationship tree was divided into two main clusters, separating genotype (bar4) from the rest of studied genotypes which fell with varying degrees of genetic relationship under the second cluster. Our results indicate that the ISSR technique can be used to study genetic relationship among barley genotypes.