Use of retrotransposon based iPBS markers for determination of genetic relationship among some Chestnut Cultivars (Castanea sativa Mill.) in Turkiye

Background The aim of this study was to reveal the genetic relationships among some economically important chestnut cultivars for Turkiye by using retrotransposon-based inter primer binding site (iPBS) markers. Methods and results In this study, a total of 19 iPBS markers were used to determine the genetic relationships among 11 chestnut cultivars (Castanea sativa Mill.). In the study, chestnut cultivars named Hacomer, Osmanolu, Saralama, Erfelek, Kemer, Iklar, Sekerci, Siyah Bursa, Tulu, Bouche De Betizac and Marigoule were the preferred cultivars utilised. Using the online marker efficiency calculator (iMEC), some indices of polymorphism, such as the mean heterozygosity, polymorphism information content, marker index and discriminating power, were determined. In addition, the size ranges of alleles, number of average alleles, number of total alleles, number of polymorphic alleles, and polymorphism rate were determined at a successful level. The chestnut cultivars of Hacomer and Sekerci were determined to be the most similar cultivars with a similarity coefficient value of 0.924, and they formed a subgroup together with the chestnut cultivars Osmanolu and Erfelek, showing close similarity with these two cultivars. Conclusions The use of iPBS markers in chestnuts in Turkiye was carried out for the first time in this study. The power of iPBS markers to evaluate the genetic relationship for our preferred chestnut cultivars was revealed. For this reason, it has emerged that it will be useful in the molecular characterization of both genotypes in natural chestnut populations and chestnut breeding materials such as varieties and cultivars in chestnut breeding programs.