Molecular diversity analysis of grape varieties based on iPBS markers

• Genetic variation on grape varieties was evaluated using iPBS marker.
• iPBS is useful for estimation of grape genetic diversity.
• A relatively high level of genetic diversity was detected among and within Chinese wild and cultivated grape genotypes.
• The dendrogram and PCoA plot clearly showed the differentiation of cultivated and wild grape varieties.

Thirty-five grape varieties were evaluated for their molecular diversities based on inter-primer binding site (iPBS) markers. Fifteen selected iPBS primers generated a total of 99 polymorphic DNA bands with 86.3% polymorphism. The effectiveness of iPBS marker is comparable to or even more efficient than other retrotransposon-based markers in grape. The differentiation between cultivated and wild grape varieties were clearly showed by both UPGMA cluster analysis and PCoA analysis revealing that Chinese cultivated and wild grape germplasm are highly divergent and possess abundant genetic diversities. This study also confirmed that the iPBS marker is a simple, informative, reproducible and suitable method for grape genetic diversity evaluation.