Analysis of genetic diversity in Aconitum kongboense L. revealed by AFLP markers

Abstract The systematic evaluation of the molecular diversity encompassed in Aconitum kongboense L. inbreds or parental lines offers an efficient means of exploiting the heterosis in A. kongboense as well as for management of biodiversity. An excellent and novel DNA-based molecular, amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs) markers, was firstly used to analysis the genetic diversity in A. kongboense genotypes. Out of 256 primers screened, a total of ten combinations successfully produced scorable, clear, reproducible and relatively high polymorphism bands, 64.12% of which were polymorphic. The values of number of polymorphic loci (NPL), percentage of polymorphic loci (PPB), observed number of alleles ( Na ) and effective number of alleles ( Ne ) were highest in population 3 (NPL = 77, PPB = 68.75%, Na  = 1.688 ± 0.466, Ne  = 1.412 ± 0.397) and lowest in population 2 (NPL = 57, PPB = 50.89%, Na  = 1.509 ± 0.502, Ne  = 1.273 ± 0.340). In addition, Jaccard's similarity coefficients among different populations varied from 0.45 to 1.00 with an average of 0.55. The data collected will contribute to identification, rational exploitation and conservation of germplasms of A. kongboense , and potentially useful to aid its breeding.