Population genetic structure in Lens taxa revealed by isozyme and RAPD analysis

An understanding of the genetic structure of populations is vital for the formation of optimum collection, conservation and utilization strategies for plant genetic resources. This is of particular importance in the case of in-situ conservation, a strategy gaining in popularity. The population genetic structures of five wild lentil taxa, Lens culinaris subsp. orientalis, L. odemensis, L. ervoides, L. nigricans and L. lamottei were investigated using isozyme electrophoresis and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD). Approximately 20 plants from each of 5 populations per taxon were screened for variation at 11 isozyme loci and using three RAPD primers. Levels of variation were generally low, although considerable variation existed in the levels of diversity found within populations of L. culinaris subsp. orientalis and L. lamottei. Comparison of the results obtained in this study with the results obtained in a previous study indicate that this is a trend occurring across all species. It implies that levels of diversity within populations must be measured and considered prior to targeting of specific populations for in-situ conservation. Analysis of molecular variance of both isozyme and RAPD data revealed that between 78% and 99% of the variation was attributable to between-population differences. Isozyme results from L. lamottei populations were, however, contradictory. Possible explanations for this difference are discussed.