Abstract The Southwestern Region of the Brazilian Amazon is formed by forests dominated by bamboos. The genus Guadua is endemic to the Americas, and little is known about the genetic diversity and structure of species of this genus. This study aimed to evaluate the genetic diversity and structure of two native Guadua species in natural populations in the Southwestern region of the Brazilian Amazon. Therefore, the genetic diversity and structure of Guadua aff. chaparensis and Guadua aff. lynnclarkiae were evaluated with the use of microsatellite molecular markers (SSR). It was verified that the average genetic diversity for the populations studied was considered high ( H ^ e =0.5) compared to other species of bamboo. All populations had rare and private alleles, and none of them presented significant values of inbreeding. The populations were divergent ( G ^ ST = 0.46), resulting in a low apparent gene flow. The Bayesian analysis showed that among the 350 individuals analyzed, five groups (K=5) were formed, with little similarity among the groups (Populations), although two of them presented clonal individuals. According to the results obtained, it can be conclude that populations should be treated as having unique characteristics, mainly when accessed for management and for in situ and ex situ conservation studies.

RESUMO A busca por alternativas para aumentar a produtividade e a sustentabilidade da pecuária na região Amazônica sem aumentar o desmatamento é desafiadora. Pastagens consorciadas de gramíneas com amendoim forrageiro (Arachis pintoi) têm mostrado impactos econômicos positivos. Porém, lacunas no conhecimento da biologia reprodutiva do amendoim forrageiro tem limitado o desenvolvimento de novas cultivares adaptadas as variações ambientais na Amazônia brasileira. Pastos consorciados de Brachiaria humidicola com amendoim forrageiro (cv. Mandobi) apresentaram cerca de 42% de aumento na produtividade do ganho de peso. Novas cultivares mais adaptadas ao clima amazônico, poderão trazer ganhos ainda maiores. O objetivo desse estudo foi avaliar o sistema reprodutivo em vinte acessos de A. pintoi e aproximadamente 40 progênies por acesso, genotipadas com oito microssatélites (ou marcadores). Os parâmetros de diversidade genética e endogamia, taxa de cruzamento e coancestria foram calculados. A heterozigosidade observada foi significativamente maior e o índice de fixação foi significativamente menor nos adultos comparado às progênies. A taxa de cruzamento foi variável entre os genótipos (2 a 80%) e a média da taxa de cruzamento foi 36%. Esses resultados indicam que a presença de polinizadores em pastagens pode influenciar o fluxo gênico em A. pintoi mais do que o esperado. Arachis pintoi apresentou um sistema de cruzamento misto com predominância de autofecundação e as famílias apresentaram endogamia e diferentes níveis de parentesco. Novas estratégias de conservação de genótipos são necessárias para evitar polinizadores mediadores de cruzamento entre os acessos.

ABSTRACT The search for alternatives to increase productivity and sustainability of livestock production in the Amazon region without increasing deforestation is challenging. Mixed pastures of grasses with forage peanut (Arachis pintoi) have shown positive economic impacts. However, gaps in the knowledge of the reproductive biology of A. pintoi have limited the development of new cultivars adapted to the environmental variations in the Brazilian Amazon. Pasture consortiums of Brachiaria humidicola with forage peanuts (cv. Mandobi) resulted in a 42% increase in weight gain productivity. New cultivars better adapted to the Amazon climate should bring even greater gains. We evaluated the mating system in twenty A. pintoi accessions, and approximately 40 offspring per accession genotyped with eight microsatellites (or markers). The parameters of genetic diversity and inbreeding, the outcrossing rate and coancestry were calculated. The observed heterozygosity was significantly higher and the fixation index was significantly lower in adults compared with the offspring. The crossing rate was variable among genotypes (2 to 80%), and the mean outcrossing rate was 36%. These results indicate that pollinator presence in pastures can influence gene flow in A. pintoi more than expected. Arachis pintoi presented a mixed mating system with a predominance of selfing, and families presented inbreeding and different levels of relatedness. New strategies of genotype conservation are needed to avoid pollinator-mediated crossing between accessions.

RESUMO Os padrões de dispersão de pólen e sementes influenciam a distribuição espacial da diversidade genética. Muitas espécies arbóreas tropicais apresentam ampla dispersão de pólen, mas poucos estudos avaliaram fluxo gênico a partir de plântulas. Bertholletia excelsa (Lecythidaceae) é polinizada por abelhas e as sementes são dispersas por roedores do tipo scatter-hoarders (que estocam recursos em diferentes pontos de sua área de vida), que atuam primariamente como predadores de sementes. Experimentos de remoção de sementes tem mostrado que a dispersão de sementes por esses roedores é espacialmente limitada. Nosso objetivo foi obter estimativas de dispersão de pólen e sementes em B. excelsa a partir da análise de parentesco de regenerantes. Nós estudamos seis parcelas de 25 ha, em duas áreas de floresta nativa no vale do Rio Acre, no sudoeste da Amazônia brasileira. Parâmetros de diversidade genética e índice de fixação foram estimados em adultos, varetas e plântulas com 11 marcadores microssatélites. A diversidade genética foi moderada e não diferiu entre classes de tamanho ou entre localidades. A paternidade foi determinada em menos de 20% dos regenerantes, indicando que a maioria dos eventos de fluxo gênico ocorreu em distâncias maiores que as encontradas nas parcelas de 25 ha. As distâncias de pólen variaram de 33 a 372 m e as de dispersão de sementes variaram de 58 a 655 m. As distâncias de dispersão obtidas neste estudo excedem em muito as estimativas obtidas em experimentos de remoção de sementes. Estudos envolvendo áreas maiores são necessários para que possamos aprofundar nosso conhecimento sobre capacidade de dispersão de pólen e sementes em populações naturais de B. excelsa.

ABSTRACT Pollen and seed dispersal patterns greatly influence the spatial distribution of plant genetic diversity. Microsatellite-based parentage analysis provides accurate estimates of contemporary gene dispersal. Although most tropical trees have been shown to exhibit widespread pollen dispersal, few studies have estimated contemporary gene dispersal after seedling establishment. Bertholletia excelsa (Lecythidaceae) is pollinated by large-bodied bees, while previous seed-tracking experiments suggest their seeds are mainly dispersed across very short distances by scatter-hoarding rodents, who primarily act as seed predators. Here we used parentage analysis to provide contemporary estimates of pollen and seed dispersal in B. excelsa recruits. We examined six 25-ha plots located in two natural stands in the Acre River valley, in the southwestern Brazilian Amazon. We used 11 microsatellite markers to estimate genetic diversity and fixation index parameters in adults, seedlings and saplings. Genetic diversity was moderate and did not differ across size classes or sampling locations. We assigned pollen and seed parents for < 20% of the recruits, indicating that most events of realized gene flow occurred beyond our 25-ha plots. Only 10 parentage assignments were confirmed with 80% confidence. Pollen distance ranged from 33 to 372 m and seed dispersal from 58 to 655 m. Actual seed-dispersal distances were far greater than the estimates obtained in previous seed-tracking experiments. Thus, studies encompassing larger sampling areas are necessary to determine a more representative spatial scale of B. excelsa’s pollen and seed dispersal capacity in natural stands.

The pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L) Millspaugh] is one of the most important perennial legume crops utilized in the food, fodder, soil conservation, crop-livestock integrated systems, reclaiming of degraded pastures and symbiotic nitrogen fixation. Microsatellite markers were used to estimate the genetic diversity of 77 pigeonpea genotypes selected from the germplasm collections at Embrapa Cattle-Southeast and, to evaluate their transferability to Phaseolus vulgaris and Vigna unguiculata species. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 2 to12, with an average of 5.1 alleles. The PIC values ranged from 0.11 to 0.80 (average 0.49) and the D values from 0.23 to 0.91 (average 0.58). The averages of observed and expected heterozygosity were 0.25 and 0.47, respectively, showing a deficit in heterozygosity. A model-based Bayesian approach implemented in the software STRUCTURE was used to assign genotypes into clusters. A dendrogram was constructed based on the modified Roger's genetic distances using a neighbor-joining method (NJ). A total of four clusters were assembled by STRUCTURE and a strong tendency of correspondence between the Bayesian clusters in the NJ tree was observed. The genetic distance ranged from 0.09 to 0.62 (average 0.37), showing a low genetic diversity in the pigeonpea genotypes. Transferability of pigeonpea-specific microsatellites revealed a cross-amplification and the presence of polymorphic alleles in P. vulgaris and V. unguiculata.

A wide array of molecular markers has been used to investigate the genetic diversity among common bean species. However, the best combination of markers for studying such diversity among common bean cultivars has yet to be determined. Few reports have examined the genetic diversity of the carioca bean, commercially one of the most important common beans in Brazil. In this study, we examined the usefulness of two molecular marker systems (simple sequence repeats - SSRs and amplified fragment length polymorphisms - AFLPs) for assessing the genetic diversity of carioca beans. The amount of information provided by Roger's modified genetic distance was used to analyze SSR data and Jaccards similarity coefficient was used for AFLP data. Seventy SSRs were polymorphic and 20 AFLP primer combinations produced 635 polymorphic bands. Molecular analysis showed that carioca genotypes were quite diverse. AFLPs revealed greater genetic differentiation and variation within the carioca genotypes (Gst = 98% and Fst = 0.83, respectively) than SSRs and provided better resolution for clustering the carioca genotypes. SSRs and AFLPs were both suitable for assessing the genetic diversity of Brazilian carioca genotypes since the number of markers used in each system provided a low coefficient of variation. However, fingerprint profiles were generated faster with AFLPs, making them a better choice for assessing genetic diversity in the carioca germplasm.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar um conjunto de marcadores microssatélites para identificação e caracterização varietal das cultivares de batata mais amplamente utilizadas no Brasil. O DNA das 14 variedades de batata foi genotipado com marcadores microssatélites, e os alelos foram visualizados em gel de poliacrilamida corado com prata. Vinte e quatro marcadores foram avaliados e apenas um loco foi monomórfico. Com base no padrão de bandas, foi obtido um conjunto com dois microssatélites capazes de identificar e diferenciar todas as cultivares analisadas.

The objective of this work was to evaluate a set of microsatellite markers for varietal identification and characterization of the most widespread potato cultivars in Brazil. The DNA from 14 potato cultivars was genotyped using microsatellite markers and the alleles were scored in silver-stained polyacrylamide gel. Twenty-four microsatellite markers were evaluated, and only one locus was monomorphic. Based on band patterns, a set of two microsatellites that were able to identify and differentiate all examined cultivars was obtained.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi desenvolver novos marcadores microssatélites para feijão-comum. Noventa e nove novos locos de microssatélites foram desenvolvidos a partir de uma biblioteca enriquecida com motivos (CT)8 e (GT)8, proveniente da linhagem CAL-143. A maioria dos microssatélites (51%) esteve relacionada ao metabolismo celular. As demais seqüências estiveram associadas a funções de transcrição. Apenas 17,2% das seqüências apresentaram alguma semelhança com genes de outras espécies.

The objective of this work was to develop new microsatellite markers in common bean. Ninety nine new microsatelitte loci were developed from a microsatellite enriched library for (CT)8 and (GT)8 motifs, from CAL-143 line. The majority of microsatellite sequences (51%) was related to cellular metabolism. The remaining sequences were associated to transcription functions. Only 17.2% of the sequences presented some level of similarity with other plant species genes.

Vinte locos de marcadores microssatélites foram identificados e caracterizados em feijoeiro. Os microssatélites foram testados em 14 genótipos. O número de alelos variou entre 1 e 3, e o conteúdo informativo de polimorfismo (PIC) entre 0,14 e 0,65. Esses marcadores polimórficos estão disponíveis para serem usados em programas de melhoramento.

Twenty microsatelitte loci were identified and characterized in common bean. Microsatellites were tested in 14 genotypes. The allele number ranged from 1 to 3, and the polymorphism information content (PIC) was between 0.14 and 0.65. These polymorphic markers are available to be used for breeding programs.