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Assessment of genetic diversity of thirty Tunisian fig (Ficus carica L.) accessions using pomological traits and SSR markers

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Abstract

Sixteen pomological traits were employed to characterize the diversity of 30 fig accessions collected mainly from Southeastern Tunisia and maintained at CFPA ‘El Gordhab’, Tataouine, in Southeastern Tunisia. Additionally, 13 simple sequence repeat (SSR) loci were analyzed to detect the genetic diversity of the 30 fig accessions. In this study, qualitative data (fruit shape, fruit external color, fruit internal color, abscission of the stalk from the twig, skin peeling, fruit skin firmness) showed morphological variation within accessions. A highly significant difference (p < .01) among accessions was revealed for all the quantitative traits. The first three components (PC1, PC2, and PC3) of PCA accounted for 52.99% of the total variability. PC1, PC2, and PC3 accounted respectively for 28.02, 13.05, and 11.91% of the total variance. The most discriminating morphological parameters were fruit length and diameter, stalk length and diameter, neck length and diameter, stalk and flesh thickness, fruit shape, skin peeling, and skin firmness. Concerning the molecular results, 40 alleles were revealed. The number of alleles ranged between 2 to 6 with a mean of 3.08 alleles per locus. The observed heterozygosity (Ho) ranged from 0.03 (LMFC21, LMFC23, and LMFC32) to 0.83 (LMFC30) with an average of 0.43. The expected heterozygosity (He) varied from 0.03 (LMFC21, LMFC 23 and LMFC32) to 0.74 (LMFC30) with an average of 0.37. UPMGA cluster analysis and PCA grouped the accessions in 6 groups. Our results showed that the SSR markers used detected low genetic diversity within the accessions studied.

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Acknowledgements

This work was funded by the TunisianMinistry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Innovation (Project Grant PID2019-109566RB-I00) and the Ministry of Agriculture (grant LR21IRA03). We gratefully acknowledge the farmers in ‘El Gordhab’, Tatouine and the Institute of Arid Region, Médenine Tunisia for their cooperation, Y. Verdún with help with technical molecular analyses and M. L Alcaraz with help for software molecular analysis.

Funding

This study was funded by the Tunisian Ministry of Higher Education Scientific Research, the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Innovation (Project Grant PID2019-109566RB-I00) and Scientific Research and the Ministry of Agriculture (grant LR21IRA03).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire d’Aridoculture et Cultures Oasiennes, Institut des Régions Arides de Médenine (IRA), Médenine 4119. Université de Gabès, Gabès, Tunisia

    Awatef Essid, Fateh Aljane & Mohamed Hichem Neily

  2. Institut National Agronomique de Tunisie, 43 Avenue Charles Nicolle, 1082 Cité Mahrajène, Tunis, Tunisia

    Ali Ferchichi

  3. Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterránea “La Mayora”, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IHSM-CSIC), 29750 Algarrobo-Costa, Málaga, Spain

    José Ignacio Hormaza

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  1. Awatef Essid
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  2. Fateh Aljane
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  3. Mohamed Hichem Neily
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  4. Ali Ferchichi
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  5. José Ignacio Hormaza
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Contributions

Awatef Essid et Fateh Aljane equally contributed to this investigation. Awatef Essid carried out SSRs molecular analysis. Fateh Aljane carried out the pomological analysis. Mohamed Hichem Neily actively participated in statistical analysis and interpretation. Jose Ignacio Hormaza and Ali Ferchichi were responsible for conception on the experiments. All authors contributed to the drafting, reviewing of the manuscript and gave their final approval to the submitted version.

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Correspondence to Awatef Essid.

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Essid, A., Aljane, F., Neily, M.H. et al. Assessment of genetic diversity of thirty Tunisian fig (Ficus carica L.) accessions using pomological traits and SSR markers. Mol Biol Rep 48, 335–346 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11033-020-06051-9

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