Molecular identification and genetic relationships of Algerian grapevine cultivars maintained at the germplasm collection of Skikda (Algeria)

We have used nuclear and chloroplast microsatellite markers to characterize a collection of 36 Algerian grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) accessions maintained at the germplasm collection of Skikda (Algeria). The genetic diversity observed within the collection was comparable to what has been described for cultivated accessions of grapevine. Moreover, chlorotype C, associated to eastern accessions and highly frequent among table grape cultivars, as overrepresented in the collection. Genotype comparisons among the accessions and published cultivar genotypes identified a few synonyms within the collection as well as putative synonyms for Algerian accessions such as 'Ain el Kelb', 'Ahmar Mechtras', 'Ahmar de Mascara' or 'Bouni' among cultivars grown in both Eastern and Western areas of the Mediterranean basin. Furthermore, the study of genetic relationships among the Algerian accessions suggests the existence of close relatedness within some groups of cultivars that could have been originated by spontaneous hybridization and seed propagation.