Biotechnology Bulletin ›› 2026, Vol. 42 ›› Issue (11): 134-144.doi: 10.13560/j.cnki.biotech.bull.1985.2025-1404

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Genome-wide Development of SSR Primers and Genetic Diversity Analysis in Blueberry

LIU Si-wen1, WANG Bo-wei1, XING Jin-jie1, WANG Jing2, LI Ya-dong1, SUN Hai-yue1()   

  1. 1.College of Horticulture, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118
    2.Baihua Park of Jinan Park Development and Service Center, Jinan 250100
  • Received:2025-12-23 Online:2026-11-26 Published:2026-11-03
  • Contact: SUN Hai-yue E-mail:haiyuesun@jlau.edu.cn

Abstract:

Objective To address the challenges posed by morphologically ambiguous blueberry cultivars and the lack of a precise identification system, this study aimed to mine genome-wide SSR loci, analyze their characteristics, and develop novel SSR markers, thereby providing a solid foundation for accurate authentication of blueberry germplasm and assessment of genetic diversity. Method SSR loci within the 'Draper' genome were mined and analyzed using Krait software, and primers were designed with Primer 3.0. Preliminary screening of SSR marker primers was performed through bioinformatics analysis. PCR amplification was conducted using a gradually expanded blueberry germplasm collection. A combination of non-denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) and capillary electrophoresis was employed to screen for highly polymorphic SSR markers. Subsequently, genetic diversity analysis of blueberry germplasm was carried out using the finally selected highly polymorphic primers. Result A total of 888 906 SSR loci were identified in the 'Draper' genome. Dinucleotide repeat motifs were the dominant type, accounting for 87.80% of the total, followed by trinucleotide repeats, which represented 6.34%. Following bioinformatic primer design and preliminary screening, 103 pairs of SSR marker primers were obtained. Subsequent multi-round electrophoretic screening yielded 17 pairs of highly polymorphic SSR markers. These were used to analyze the genetic diversity of 64 blueberry germplasm accessions. A total of 204 alleles were detected. The average effective number of alleles (Ne) was 6.165, the average Shannon’s information index (I) was 1.956, and the average polymorphism information content (PIC) was 0.985, indicating that the developed SSR markers are highly polymorphic. UPGMA cluster analysis showed that the 64 blueberry accessions could be grouped into three distinct clusters at a Nei’s genetic distance of 0.000 8. Conclusion This study characterized the abundance and motif distribution of SSR loci in the blueberry genome. Seventeen highly polymorphic SSR primer pairs were developed, which proved effective for distinguishing blueberry germplasm accessions. Furthermore, the genetic diversity among blueberry cultivars was found to be high.

Key words: Vaccinium spp., whole-genome, SSR molecular marker, SSR primer, genetic diversity