Inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) to assess genetic diversity within a collection of wild lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea L.) clones

Forty-three wild lingonberry [Vaccinium vitis-idaea ssp. minus (Lodd) Hult.] clones collected from four Canadian provinces were assessed for genetic variability by using inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR). Fifteen primers generated 356 polymorphic ISSR-PCR bands. A substantial degree of genetic diversity was found among the wild collections. Cluster analysis by the unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic averages (UPGMA) separated the wild clones into four main clusters, and identified the two remaining clones as outliers. Furthermore, within four clusters, the genotypes tended to form sub-clusters that were in agreement with the principal coordinate (PCO) analysis. Geographical distribution explained 10% of total variation as revealed by analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA). The ISSR markers detected a sufficient degree of polymorphism to differentiate among lingonberry clones, making this technology valuable for germplasm management and the more efficient choice of parents in current lingonberry breeding programs.