Molecular characterization and genetic diversity in an avocado collection of cultivars and local Spanish genotypes using SSRs.

In this work, 75 avocado accessions maintained in an ex situ germplasm collection at the E.E. la Mayora in Málaga (Spain) were characterized with 16 microsatellites previously developed in this species. This avocado collection includes both local Spanish genotypes obtained through prospection and genotypes obtained by exchange with different countries. A total of 156 different amplification fragments were detected ranging from 4 to 16 per locus with an average of 9.75 alleles per locus. All the microsatellites were highly informative with an expected heterozygosity higher than 0.5 and a probability of identity below 0.36. The total probability of identity was 2.85x10(-14). Fifteen of the 16 loci studied showed a positive Wright's fixation index (F) indicating a deficit of heterozygotes with an average over all the SSRs of 0.18. A dendrogram was generated using UPGMA (unweighted pair group method with arithmetic averages) based on the Nei and Li similarity index. This dendrogram classified most of the genotypes analyzed into three major groups which mainly differed in racial origin although with low bootstrap support probably due to the presence of many interracial hybrids in the collection. All the genotypes studied could be unequivocally distinguished with the combination of SSRs used except some putative mutations of 'Hass' and an additional group of two cultivars. The results obtained indicate that the set of SSRs used is highly informative and are discussed in terms of their implications for avocado germplasm characterization and management.