Mediterranean Hedysarum phylogeny by transferable microsatellites from Medicago

Microsatellites are highly polymorphic and abundantly dispersed throughout eukaryotic genomes. The Medicago truncatula SSR (Simple Sequence Repeat) markers were used to study the genome of Sulla. Composed of six Mediterranean species, the genus Sulla constitutes an important phytogenetic resource, which are exploited either for protection and enrichment of soil, or for pastoral production. The greater transferability of 5 pairs of primers revealed 126 alleles and 148 genotypes. Except for Sulla pallida, a significant heterozygosity deficit (Hobs = 0.509) was shown. Results revealed that 23% of the variability is on the inter-specific level and 73% for the intraspecific level. The UPGMA highlighted the genetic proximity of Sulla carnosa and S. pallida. Our findings show the closeness of the six Sulla species due to the recent evolution of the complex Hedysarum-Sulla. This related proximity could be exploited in breeding programs to improve the damaged arid and semi-arid Mediterranean grasslands.