Use of transferable Nicotiana tabacum L. microsatellite markers for investigating genetic diversity in the genus Nicotiana.

The recent development of microsatellite markers for tobacco, Nicotiana tabacum L., may be valuable for genetic studies within the genus Nicotiana. The first objective was to evaluate transferability of 100 N. tabacum microsatellite primer combinations to 5 diploid species closely related to tobacco. The number of primer combinations that amplified scorable bands in these species ranged from 42 to 56. Additional objectives were to assess levels of genetic diversity amongst available accessions of diploid relatives closely related to tobacco (species of sections Sylvestres and Tomentosae), and to evaluate the efficacy of microsatellite markers for establishing species relationships in comparison with existing phylogenetic reconstructions. A subset of 46 primer combinations was therefore used to genotype 3 synthetic tobaccos and an expanded collection of 51 Nicotiana accessions representing 15 species. The average genetic similarity for 7 diverse accessions of tobacco was greater than the average similarity for N. otophora accessions, but lower than the average genetic similarities for N. sylvestris, N. tomentosa, N. kawakamii, and N. tomentosiformis accessions. A microsatellite-based phylogenetic tree was largely congruent with taxonomic representations based on morphological, cytological, and molecular observations. Results will be useful for selection of parents for creation of diploid mapping populations and for germplasm introgression activities.