Genetic structure and diversity in natural populations of three predominantly self-pollinating wild Lactuca species in Israel

It is important to optimize strategies for collecting wild germplasm from their natural habitats for the successful conservation of plant genetic resources. We studied the population structure of three predominantly self-pollinating wild Lactuca species (Lactuca serriola, L. saligna, and L. aculeata). Seeds for this study were collected from individual plants in northern Israel, along a line transect, and two populations per each Lactuca species. The distance between neighboring plants sampled for seeds varied from 1.5 to 37 m. The transect length at single sites ranged from 47.2 to 151.8 m. The taxonomic status of 67 individual plants was morphologically validated during greenhouse multiplication. Both genetic structure and diversity were analyzed by using 11 EST–SSR loci and 230 AFLP markers. Relatively low genetic diversity values were observed, increasing in the following order: L. aculeata