Genetic structure analysis of cultivated and wild chestnut populations reveals gene flow from cultivars to natural stands.

ABSTRACT: Japanese chestnut (Castanea crenata Sieb. et Zucc.), the only fruit tree species domesticated in Japan, has been cultivated alongside natural stands since prehistorical times. Understanding the genetic diversity of this species and the relationships between cultivated and wild chestnut is important for clarifying its breeding history and determining conservation strategies. We assessed 3 chestnut cultivar populations and 29 wild chestnut populations (618 accessions). Genetic distance analysis revealed that wild populations in the Kyushu region are genetically distant from other populations, whereas other wild and cultivar populations are comparatively similar. Assignment tests suggested that cultivars were relatively similar to populations from central to western Honshu. Bayesian structure

SUBMITTER: Nishio S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7794426 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature