Assessment of genetic variation and differentiation of hop genotypes by microsatellite and AFLP markers

Microsatellites have many desirable marker properties and have been increas ingly used in crop plants in genetic diversity studies. Here we report on t he characterisation of microsatellite markers and on their use for the dete rmination of genetic identities and the assessment of genetic variability a mong accessions from a germplasm collection of hop. Thirty-two polymorphic alleles were found in the 55 diploid genotypes, with an average number of e ight alleles (3.4 effective alleles) for four microsatellite loci. Calculat ed polymorphic information content values classified three loci as informat ive markers and two loci as suitable for mapping. The average observed hete rozygosity was 0.7 and the common probability of identical genotypes was 3. 271 x 10(-4). An additional locus, amplified by one primer pair, was confir med by segregation analysis of two crosses. The locus discovered was hetero zygous, with a null allele in the segregating population. The same range of alleles was detected in nine triploid and five tetraploid hop genotypes. C ultivar heterozygosity varied among all 69 accessions, with only one cultiv ar being homozygous at four loci. Microsatellite allele polymorphisms disti nguished 81% of all genotypes; the same allelic profile was found mainly in clonally selected cultivars. Cultivar-specific alleles were found in some genotypes, as well as a specific distribution of alleles in geographically distinct hop germplasms. The genetic relationship among 41 hop accessions w as compared on the basis of microsatellite and AFLP polymorphisms. Genetic similarity dendrograms showed low correlation between the two marker system s. The microsatellite dendrogram grouped genetically related accessions rea sonably well, while the AFLP dendrogram showed good clustering of closely r elated accessions and, additionally, separated two geographically distinct hop germplasms. The results of microsatellite and AFLP analysis are discuss ed from the point of view of the applicability of the two marker systems fo r different aspects of germplasm evaluation.