Genetic integrity is still maintained in natural populations of the indigenous wild apple species Malus sylvestris (Mill.) in Saxony as demonstrated with nuclear SSR and chloroplast DNA markers.

ABSTRACT: Malus sylvestris (Mill.) is the only indigenous wild apple species in Central Europe. Agriculture, forestry, and urbanization increasingly endanger Malus sylvestris natural habitats. In addition, the risks of cross-hybridization associated with increase in the cultivation of the domesticated apple Malus × domestica (Borkh.) threaten the genetic integrity of M. sylvestris. The present study investigated the number of hybrids, genetic diversity, and genetic structure of 292 putative M. sylvestris that originate from five different natural M. sylvestris populations in Saxony, Germany. All samples were genetically analyzed using nine nuclear microsatellite markers (ncSSR) and four maternally inherited chloroplast markers (cpDNA) along with 56 apple cul

SUBMITTER: Reim S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7593173 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature