title: Microsatellite-based evidences of genetic bottlenecks in the cryptic species "Andrographis paniculata Nees": a potential anticancer agent.
abstract: Andrographis paniculata (AP) is a medicinal plant species introduced into Malaysia. To address the genetic structure and evolutionary connectedness of the Malaysian AP with the Indian AP, a DNA sequence analysis was conducted based on 24 microsatellite markers. Out of the 24 primer sets, seven novel microsatellite primers were designed and amplified intra-specifically according to the available Indian AP sequences at the National Centre for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), where 17 of them were amplified using the cross-species strategy by employing the primers belonging to Acanthus ilicifolius Linn (Acanthaceae) and Lumnitzera racemosa Wild (Combretaceae). The primers were then applied on the Malaysian AP accessions. Sixteen of the new microsatellite loci were amplified successfully. Analysis of these microsatellite sequences, revealed some significant differences between the Indian and Malaysian AP accessions in terms of the size and type of the repeat motifs. These findings depicted the cryptic feature of this species. Despite identifying several heterozygous alleles no polymorphism was observed in the detected loci of the selected accessions. This situation was in concordance with the presence of "fixed heterozygosity" phenomenon in the mentioned loci. Accordingly, this was fully consistent with the occurrence of the genetic bottleneck and founder effect within Malaysian AP population. Apart from the amplification of new microsatellites in this species, our observations could be in agreement with the risk of genetic depletion and consequently extinction of this precious herb in Malaysia. This issue should be taken into consideration in the future studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), 43400, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia. alireza.valdiani@gmail.com
authors.forename: Alireza
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Valdiani
authors.forename: Arash
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Javanmard
authors.forename: Daryush
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Talei
authors.forename: Soon Guan
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nikzad
authors.forename: Mihdzar Abdul
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Kadir
authors.forename: Siti Nor Akmar
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Abdullah
mesh_terms: D035685:Andrographis / Q000235:genetics*; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005784:Gene Amplification; D017343:Genes, Plant; D005838:Genotype; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats; D008957:Models, Genetic; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000235:genetics*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents