Study of genetic variation in agarophyte Gracilaria dura (Rhodophyta) through SSR markers

Abstract

A study was conducted to explore the genetic diversity of the red agarophyte species Gracilaria dura, renowned for the production of high-quality agarose. Previous research has already established the potential for exploiting differences among life-history stages for commercial purposes. In order to gain deeper insights into the genetic makeup of this species, microsatellite (SSR) markers were employed, using specimens collected from Veraval and Adri in Gujarat, India. The study evaluated genetic diversity for three SSR loci, employing various measures such as polymorphic information content, marker index, resolving power, and Shannon Weaver index. The results revealed a range of values for these measures, with polymorphic information content ranging from 0.25 to 0.35, marker index from 0.45 to 0.92, resolving power from 2.89 to 4.14, and Shannon Weaver index from 2.29 to 3.2. This dataset represents the first comprehensive data on the genetic diversity of G. dura, which will greatly contribute to our understanding of population variations. This will pave the way for further investigations into the selection of strains and commercial cultivation of this algae.