title: Genome size, cytogenetic data and transferability of EST-SSRs markers in wild and cultivated species of the genus Theobroma L. (Byttnerioideae, Malvaceae).
abstract: The genus Theobroma comprises several trees species native to the Amazon. Theobroma cacao L. plays a key economic role mainly in the chocolate industry. Both cultivated and wild forms are described within the genus. Variations in genome size and chromosome number have been used for prediction purposes including the frequency of interspecific hybridization or inference about evolutionary relationships. In this study, the nuclear DNA content, karyotype and genetic diversity using functional microsatellites (EST-SSR) of seven Theobroma species were characterized. The nuclear content of DNA for all analyzed Theobroma species was 1C = ~ 0.46 pg. These species presented 2n = 20 with small chromosomes and only one pair of terminal heterochromatic bands positively stained (CMA+/DAPI- bands). The small size of Theobroma ssp. genomes was equivalent to other Byttnerioideae species, suggesting that the basal lineage of Malvaceae have smaller genomes and that there was an expansion of 2C values in the more specialized family clades. A set of 20 EST-SSR primers were characterized for related species of Theobroma, in which 12 loci were polymorphic. The polymorphism information content (PIC) ranged from 0.23 to 0.65, indicating a high level of information per locus. Combined results of flow cytometry, cytogenetic data and EST-SSRs markers will contribute to better describe the species and infer about the evolutionary relationships among Theobroma species. In addition, the importance of a core collection for conservation purposes is highlighted.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Ilhéus, Bahia, Brazil.|Cocoa Research Center, CEPLAC/CEPEC, Itabuna, Bahia, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rangeline Azevedo
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: da Silva
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.
authors.forename: Gustavo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.affiliation: Cocoa Research Center, CEPLAC/CEPEC, Itabuna, Bahia, Brazil.
authors.forename: Lívia Santos Lima
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Lemos
authors.affiliation: Cocoa Research Center, CEPLAC/CEPEC, Itabuna, Bahia, Brazil.
authors.forename: Uilson Vanderlei
authors.initials: UV
authors.lastname: Lopes
authors.affiliation: Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Ilhéus, Bahia, Brazil.|Cocoa Research Center, CEPLAC/CEPEC, Itabuna, Bahia, Brazil.
authors.forename: Nara Geórgia Ribeiro Braz
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Patrocínio
authors.affiliation: Embrapa Amazônia Oriental, Belém, Pará, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rafael Moysés
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.affiliation: Embrapa Recursos Genéticos e Biotecnologia, Distrito Federal, Brazil.
authors.forename: Lucília Helena
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Marcellino
authors.affiliation: Cocoa Research Center, CEPLAC/CEPEC, Itabuna, Bahia, Brazil.|CIRAD, UMR AGAP, Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: Didier
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Clement
authors.affiliation: Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Ilhéus, Bahia, Brazil.|CIRAD, UMR AGAP, Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: Fabienne
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Micheli
authors.affiliation: Cocoa Research Center, CEPLAC/CEPEC, Itabuna, Bahia, Brazil.
authors.forename: Karina Peres
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4037-1554
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Gramacho
mesh_terms: D002099:Cacao / Q000235:genetics*; D032461:Chromosomes, Plant / Q000235:genetics; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D020224:Expressed Sequence Tags; D059646:Genome Size; D018745:Genome, Plant; D059785:Karyotype; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats