The genetic variability of Sicilian lemon germplasm revealed by molecular marker fingerprints

Abstract

There is a high level of diversity among lemons [Citrus limon (L.) Burm. f. (2n = 2x = 18)] in Sicily, where each growing area has a wide range of landraces mostly derived from bud mutation. Because this variability represents an important resource for future breeding programs and genetic improvement, the relationships among the principal 36 accessions of Sicilian lemon, belonging to three different cultivars (Femminello, Monachello, and Lunario), were examined by intersimple sequence repeat and random amplified polymorphic DNA markers. Three 'Femminello' accessions from nearby Italian regions were also examined to study the genetic flow from the continent. The disputed case of the accession 'Eureka Messina lemon' was also examined, using 'Frost Eureka' as a control. Our results confirmed the extreme polymorphic nature of the three principal Sicilian cultivars and the presence of a wide range of different genotypes. Twenty-two Sicilian genotypes were recognized as unique accessions, reflecting the richness of the lemon germplasm present in Sicily. Each growing area showed the presence of several genetically different landraces, probably preserved by genetic isolation, whereas the continental accessions appeared extremely similar to the island genotypes, showing an exchange of germplasm from the island to the continent.