Phylogenetic analysis of grapevine cv. Ansonica growing on the island of Giglio, Italy, by AFLP and SSR markers

The geographic origin of the grapevine cultivar Ansonica (Vitis vinifera L. ) grown on the island of Giglio, Tuscany, Italy, was investigated with mole cular tools, i.e. AFLP and SSR (microsatellite) analysis. The scored polymo rphic DNA bands were statistically analysed and the results were expressed in dendrograms showing the degree of genomic similarity among the tested cu ltivars: three Ansonica vines sampled in some of the oldest vineyards of th e island one Ansonica specimen grown in Tuscany, one Inzolia specimen grown in Sicily, 23 cultivars grown in different Mediterranean regions and 40 Gr eek cultivars. The results obtained from AFLP or SSR approaches led to equivalent conclusi ons: the three grapevines sampled in Giglio were indistinguishable and show ed genetic similarity with cv. Ansonica grown in the Tuscan mainland and wi th cv. Inzolia from Sicily, Airen from Spain, Clairette from France and Rod itis from Greece. The SSR analysis showed that Sideritis and Roditis have t he highest genomic similarity with Ansonica among the 40 tested Greek culti vars. The molecular analysis gives conclusive evidence for the Greek origin of Ansonica grown on the island, as previously proposed on the basis of mo rphological and historical studies.