Genetic Diversity of Asian Vigna Species (Subgenus Ceratotropis; Genus Vigna) in India Based on ITS2 Sequences Data

Abstract

For the study of genetic diversity at the molecular level and species relationships among plant genera, internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sections, particularly ITS2 of nuclear DNA, are recommended. Based on ITS sequences and their secondary structures, we looked at the species relationships and intraspecific variations among 221 different germplasm representing crop wild relatives (CWR) of Asian Vigna species (subgenus Ceratotropis; genus Vigna) in India. The distinctness of various Asian Vigna species was supported by the significant nucleotide and haplotype diversity among populations and the maximum parsimony tree based on ITS2 barcode. The nucleotide sequences obtained from ITS2 data of Asian Vigna species showed remarkable variations in nucleotide composition and sequence length. A total of forty haplotypes were found within the 221 diverse accessions of Vigna species. Our findings suggest that ITS2 secondary structure analysis and haplotype diversity is an effective and trustworthy method for examining the genetic diversity of Asian Vigna species. Additionally, the secondary structures of ITS2 offered a different molecular standard for defining species in Asian Vigna. The interspecific variation and species relationships of the Asian Vigna species are better understood as a result of the current study, which opens up new possibilities for the management and conservation of CWR.