Cross-Genera Transferability of Microsatellite Markers and Phylogenetic Assessment of Three Salsola Species from Western Kazakhstan

Salsola arbuscula Pall., Salsola arbusculiformis Drob. and Salsola chiwensis M. Pop. have great environmental importance as they can stabilise sand dunes and therefore are useful for desert zone landscaping. The genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships of populations of these species collected in Western Kazakhstan were analysed using internal transcribed spacers (ITS) and simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. The ITS sequences of species were aligned with sequences of 37 Salsola species from the NCBI. ITS analysis clustered the samples into two major groups and eight sections. The phylogenetic tree and haplotype network relationships confirmed the polyphyletic origin of Salsola and allowed taxonomic reassessment for the studied species. A set of SSR markers originally developed from genera Agriophyllum, Haloxylon, and Beta was tested for their variability in Salsola species. Twenty-six tested SSR markers were selected for their transferability scores, and 13 of them were suitable for study of genetic diversity in populations of three Salsola species. It was concluded that polymorphic SSR markers were efficient in the separation of the studied Salsola species and could be effectively used in studies related to the genetic variation in the genus.