Evaluation of Genetic Diversity and Population Structure in Viola Species by the Application of the SRAP Marker System

Abstract

Viola species are perennial herbs belonging to the family Violaceae. It is essential to evaluate genetic diversity due to its applications in the food and pharmaceutical industries, as this is essential for genetic improvement. The present study was designed to explore genetic diversity in seven Viola species collected from twelve locations of KP, Pakistan. A set of 42 sequence-related amplified polymorphism markers was used to study the genetic diversity of these species. A total of 456 bands were amplified, and the detected bands were 100% polymorphic. The highest PIC value (0.32) was obtained for the Me2Em7 and Me3xEm6 primer pairs, and the primer pair Me4Em4 had the lowest PIC value of 0.17, with a mean PIC value of 0.25. The major allele frequency ranged from 0.68 to 0.86, with an average of 0.79. The minor allele frequency ranged from 0.14 to 0.32, with a mean of 0.21. The average gene diversity was 0.30, ranging from 0.21 (Me4Em4) to 0.41 (Me2Em7 and Me3Em6). The mean value of Shannon’s index was 1.88, varying from 0.03 to 2.81. The highest Shannon’s index value was obtained for the Me1Em4 primer pair. Five distinct clusters were identified through neighbor-joining analysis. The Viola hirta collected from Mushkpuri exhibited the greatest genetic divergence from areas under study. The structure results pointed out the influence of geographic and environmental variations on genetic diversity within the same species, along with intra-species genetic conservation at a certain level as well. PCoA analysis reveals three clusters are in the sport of results obtained from NJ and structure. In a nutshell, divergence patterns and distinct clustering patterns among the studies' genotypes highlighted valuable genetic resources and their application as food and pharmaceuticals. For ensuring the sustainable supply of this valuable medicinal plant and developing effective conservation strategies, these findings provide a foundation.