High genetic diversity and low population differentiation in wild hop (Humulus lupulus L.) from Croatia

Grdiša, Martina (author), Šatović, Zlatko (author), Liber, Zlatko (author), Jakše, Jernej (author), Varga, Filip (author), Erhatić, Renata (author), Srečec, Siniša (author)

Hop (Humulus lupulus L.) is used in the brewing industry as a source of compounds responsible for the bitterness, aroma, and preservative properties of beer. In this study, we used microsatellite markers to investigate genetic diversity and genetic differentiation of wild hop populations sampled in the northwestern part of Croatia. Analysis of 12 microsatellite loci revealed high diversity and weak population differentiation among wild hop populations. A total of 152 alleles were determined with an average of 12.67 alleles per locus. Observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.689 to 0.839 (average 0.767) and expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.725 to 0.789 (average 0.760). A total of 38 private alleles were detected. The data suggest that H. lupulus populations are not affected by recent bottlenecks. The degree of genetic differentiation among populations was low and not significant for most pairwise F$_{ST}$ values, except for the pair of geographically most distant populations. The results did not indicate the existence of genetic structure among the sampled populations. The high genetic diversity and low differentiation among populations, combined with the absence of isolation by distance, indicate the existence of substantial gene flow among wild hop populations. Therefore, extensive sampling per population is clearly required to assess the genetic diversity of hop populations. Sampling strategies involving sampling across a large number of localities represented by only a few samples could lead to erroneous conclusions.

• Language: English
• Keywords: genetic diversity and structure, genetic resources, Humulus lupulus L., SSR, wild germplasm
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: BF - Biotechnical Faculty
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2021
• Number of pages: 14 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 11, iss. 14, art. 6484
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-136011
• UDC: 631
• ISSN on article: 2076-3417
• DOI: 10.3390/app11146484
• COBISS.SI-ID: 74705923
• Publication date in RUL: 06.04.2022

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Applied sciences
• Shortened title: Appl. sci.
• Publisher: MDPI
• ISSN: 2076-3417
• COBISS.SI-ID: 522979353

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.
• Licensing start date: 14.07.2021

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: genetska raznolikost, genetski viri, Humulus lupulus, divji hmelj, Hrvaška