Sugarcane microsatellites for the assessment of genetic diversity in sugarcane germplasm

The ability of microsatellite or simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers to determine the level of genetic diversity between members of the genera Saccharum (S. officinarum, S. sponfaneum, S. sinense), Old World Erianthus Michx. sect. Ripidium, North American E. giganteus (S. giganteum), Sorghum and Miscanthus were assessed. Six SSR markers were tested on 66 accessions and produced a total of 187 distinct alleles. Where available, results were compared against published data from other molecular marker systems such as RFLPs, RAPDs, AFLPs and 5S rRNA intergenic spacers. Similarity coefficient calculations and clustering revealed a genetic structure for Saccharum and Erianthus sect. Ripidium that reflected closely the relationship previously identified using other marker systems. The results indicated that SSRs will be an ideal means for the identification of the genetic constitution of modern sugarcane cultivars of interspecific origins.