Cross-genera SSR transferability in cacti revealed by a case study using Cereus (Cereeae, Cactaceae)

Area of Science:

• Genetics
• Population Genetics
• Botany

Background:

• Transferability of simple sequence repeats (SSR) is crucial for population genetics.
• Cross-genera SSR amplification is less common but valuable for distinct species.
• The Cactaceae family presents an opportunity to study broad SSR transferability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the cross-genera transferability of SSR markers within the Cactaceae family.
• To evaluate the utility of heterologous SSR primers in the genus Cereus.
• To determine the potential of transferred SSRs for population genetic analyses.

Main Methods:

• Utilized 20 heterologous SSR primers from genera Ariocarpus, Echinocactus, Polaskia, and Pilosocereus.
• Tested primer amplification in four taxa of the genus Cereus: C. fernambucensis (two subspecies), C. jamacaru, and C. insularis.
• Analyzed amplification success and genetic variation in successfully transferred markers.

Main Results:

• Achieved a 35.2% success rate in cross-genera SSR amplification in Cereus.
• This success rate significantly exceeds the average 10% reported for eudicots.
• Transferred markers revealed sufficient genetic variation for population clustering analysis.

Conclusions:

• SSR markers can be effectively transferred across distinct genera in Cactaceae.
• The high transferability rate in Cereus supports their use in large-scale population studies.
• This finding expands the application of SSR markers in cactus population genetics.