Evaluation of the genetic structure of Bromus inermis populations from chemically and radioactively polluted areas using microsatellite markers from closely related species.

ABSTRACT

Hypothesis: The anthropogenic effects can be manifested in a decrease in genetic diversity and the population differentiation, and increase in the frequencies of rare and/or private alleles.Materials and methods: We have selected a collection of primers for B. inermis, consisting of 21 microsatellite loci from B. sterilis, B. tectorum and Triticum aestivum.Results: Only 38% of SSR primers showed good transferability and were used for B. inermis population studies from technogenic pollution areas. We revealed 42 alleles at eight loci, and the number of alleles per locus varied from one to 13 per populations. The percentage of polymorphic loci in B. inermis populations was 48.44%. A total of 22 rare, 14 private and 9 both rare and private alleles were reported. There were no correlations between geographic and genetic distances. Only 6.8% of the genetic variability was distributed among B. inermis populations.Conclusion: There was no decrease in genetic diversity found in B. inermis populations growing under anthropogenic stress. No significant differences in the number of rare and private alleles in the background and impact populations of B. inermis were found. The smooth brome is characterized by low differentiation of the populations. Possible reasons for this phenomenon are discussed.