Genome survey sequencing-based SSR marker development and their validation in Dendrocalamus longispathus

Bamboo is an important genetic resource in India, supporting rural livelihood and industries. Unfortunately, most Indian bamboo taxa are devoid of basic genomic or marker information required to comprehend the genetic processes for further conservation and management. In this study, we perform genome survey sequencing for development of de novo genomic SSRs in Dendrocalamus longispathus, a socioeconomically important bamboo species of northeast India. Using Illumina platform, 69.49 million raw reads were generated and assembled into 1,145,321 contig with GC content 43% and N50 1228 bp. In total, 46,984 microsatellite repeats were mined-out wherein di-nucleotide repeats were most abundant (54.71%) followed by mono- (31.91%) and tri-repeats (9.85%). Overall, AT-rich repeats were predominant in the genome, but GC-rich motifs were more frequent in tri-repeats. Afterwards, 21,596 SSR loci were successfully tagged with the primer pairs, and a subset of 50 were validated through polymerase chain reaction amplification. Of these, 36 SSR loci were successfully amplified, and 16 demonstrated polymorphism. Using 13 polymorphic SSRs, a moderate level of gene diversity (He = 0.480; Ar = 3.52) was recorded in the analysed populations of D. longispathus. Despite the high gene flow (Nm = 4.928) and low genetic differentiation (F-ST = 0.119), severe inbreeding (F-IS = 0.407) was detected. Further, genetic clustering and STRUCTURE analysis revealed that the entire genetic variability is captured under two major gene pools. Conclusively, we present a comprehensive set of novel SSR markers in D. longispathus as well as other taxa of tropical woody bamboos.

Automated summary

In this study, genomic SSR markers were developed for Dendrocalamus longispathus, an important bamboo species in northeast India. The markers showed polymorphism and revealed a moderate level of genetic diversity. The results also indicated a certain degree of inbreeding and genetic differentiation among populations. The study provides valuable information for genetic research and conservation of this bamboo species.