Genetic variation within and among three Egyptian Mesembryanthemum species using different genetic markers

• We study the genetic variations within and among Egyptian Mesembryanthemum species.
• We apply different genetic markers (Molecular and biochemical).
• We calculate different measurable genetic diversity parameters.
• SDS PAGE marker gives higher values of genetic parameters than RAPD than ISSR markers.
• We found high genetic variation among Mesembryanthemum species.

There are three species of the genus Mesembryanthemum recorded in Egyptian flora (Mesembryanthemum crystallinum L., Mesembryanthemum nodiflorum L. and Mesembryanthemum forsskaolii Hochst. ex Bioss.). Various genetic markers (SDS-PAGE, RAPD and ISSR) have been applied to evaluate the genetic variability and structure within and between twelve populations of Egyptian Mesembryanthemum L. species collected from different localities along the International Coastal Road. The electrophoretic analysis of protein was revealed 18 bands of molecular weight ranging from 11.6 to 104.6 KDa. Five RAPD markers generated 39 total bands. The percentage of polymorphism ranged from 25% to 75%, with an average 61.78%. A total of five ISSR primers produced 37 total bands and the percentage of polymorphism ranged from 25% to 55.5%, with an average 40.77%. Results of AMOVA analysis showed that the percentages of molecular variance within populations are 73%, 77% and 53% and among species populations were scored as 27%, 23% and 47% using SDS-PAGE, RAPD and ISSR markers respectively. The results of the study revealed that M. crystallinum and M. nodiflorum exhibited within range genetic diversity. RAPD and ISSR markers exhibited lower genetic diversity for M. forsskaolii. Comparing with native species at local scale, M. crystallinum and M. nodiflorum had lower genetic diversity.