Contrasting Genetic Footprints among Saharan Olive Populations: Potential Causes and Conservation Implications.

ABSTRACT: The Laperrine's olive is endemic to the Saharan Mountains. Adapted to arid environments, it may constitute a valuable genetic resource to improve water-stress tolerance in the cultivated olive. However, limited natural regeneration coupled with human pressures make it locally endangered in Central Sahara. Understanding past population dynamics is thus crucial to define management strategies. Nucleotide sequence diversity was first investigated on five nuclear genes and compared to the Mediterranean and African olives. These data confirm that the Laperrine's olive has a strong affinity with the Mediterranean olive, but it shows lower nucleotide diversity than other continental taxa. To investigate gene flows mediated by seeds and pollen, polymorphisms from nuclear and plastid microsatellite

SUBMITTER: Besnard G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8231981 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature