Genetic Analysis and Construction of a Fingerprint for Licensed Triadica sebifera Cultivars Using SSR Markers

Triadica sebifera is an important landscaping tree species because of its colorful autumn leaves. In recent years, some cultivars have been bred and licensed, but it can be difficult to identify them from their morphological traits due to their similar phenotypes. To explore the genetic relationships and construct a fingerprint of the cultivars, the licensed T. sebifera cultivars were analyzed using SSR markers. A total of 179 alleles were identified among the 21 cultivars at 16 SSR loci, and these alleles exhibited a high level of genetic diversity (He = 0.86). The genetic variations mainly occurred among cultivars based on an analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA). According to phylogenetic analysis, principal coordinate analysis (PCoA), and Bayesian clustering analysis, the genetic relationships were independent of geographic distances, which may be mainly due to transplantations between regions. Some cultivars with different leaf colors showed obvious genetic differentiation and may be preliminary candidates for cross-breeding. Finally, the fingerprint for the licensed cultivars was constructed with two SSR markers. The results of this study can provide technical support for the application and legal protection of licensed Triadica sebifera cultivars.