Molecular Characterization of Mango (Mangifera indica L.) Cultivars Using SSR Markers

Nowadays, molecular characterization is essential for studying the varietal diversity of species. In addition, SSR molecular markers are widely used to identify and distinguish the genetic relationship of mango cultivars. The study aim is to determine the variability structuring level of 18 mango cultivars in Burkina Faso. Thus, genomic DNA was extracted in 2022 from young leaves at the molecular biology unit of the Biosciences laboratory at Joseph KI-ZERBO University (Burkina Faso). Analysis of the results showed a polymorphic percentage average of 21.49% per marker. Genetic distance showed that the similarity coefficient range is 0.0002 to 1.09. The greatest genetic distance (1.09) was calculated for the pairs (VSB, Valencia) and (VSB, Miamilate). On the other hand, the lowest genetic distance (0.0002) was calculated between Alphonso and Francis, Keitt and Sensation, and Mangot vert and Glazier. Examination of the dendrogram shows that the cultivars can be classified into two major groups of nine cultivars each. The first group includes Miamilate, Valencia, Lippens, Zill, Keitt, Sensation, Kent, Brooks, and Bewerly cultivars. The second group includes the cultivars Mangot vert, Glazier, Amélie, Dixon, Springfield, Francis, Alphonso, VSB and Mangot sabre. These results showed that cultivars are genetically very diverse. Therefore, our findings could be used for genetic diversity analysis and the marker-assisted breeding of mango germplasm.