Development of simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers in Yacon (Smallanthus sonchifolius)

Abstract

Yacon (Smallanthus sonchifolius (Poepp. & Endl.) H. Robinson) is a tuberous crop originating from the Andes region. Interest in yacon is increasing because of its high level of fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) in the tubers, which offers health promoting benefits. Different varieties, mostly landraces, have been spread worldwide over the past decades and have been grown by several farmers or gardeners. The origin of these varieties is mostly lost and identification based on genetic information is necessary. Starting from raw EST cDNA sequencing data, 46 SSR markers were designed and tested on a collection of 11 yacon varieties that have been collected in Belgium. A total of 17 polymorphic markers were identified, resulting in a total number of 49 polymorphisms. Marker Y849 had the strongest discriminative power with up to 5 alleles per variety and 4 polymorphisms within the tested population. Using the combination of Y849 and Y2423 or Y10620, all varieties could be identified unambiguously, with the exception of 3 couples: 101-108, 103-107 and 105-109. These couples could not be discriminated against by the other tested markers. The use of these SSR markers may now be helpful to characterize yacon varieties in larger populations worldwide.