Genetic diversity and population structure of a drought-tolerant species of Eucalyptus, using microsatellite markers

Given the impact of climate change on the availability of water resources, it becomes necessary the use of plant species well suited to planting on dryland sites. Eucalyptus cladocalyx, a native tree of South Australia, is capable of growing under relatively dry environments and saline soils. Two hundred twenty simple sequence repeat (microsatellites) markers, from a consensus linkage map of Eucalyptus, were selected to examine genetic diversity and population structure in a collection of E. cladocalyx introduced to southern Atacama Desert, Chile. A total of 130 microsatellites were successfully amplified, some of which are associated with quantitative traits of interest in Eucalyptus. Genetic analysis revealed a total of 457 alleles, ranging from 2 to 8 alleles per locus. A moderate level of genetic diversity (He = 0.492) and differentiation (FST = 0.086) was found among the populations. Mount Remarkable and Marble Range showed the highest and lowest level of genetic diversity, respectively. The Bayesian clustering analysis revealed three homogeneous genetic groups confirming that the individuals of E. cladocalyx from natural forest are highly and significantly structured. These results provide a novel information for the development of breeding strategies in E. cladocalyx by using marker-assisted selection in regions with low rainfall patterns.