Genetic diversity and population structure of Dalbergia cochinchinensis Pierre ex Laness. in Vietnam's Central Highlands using inter-simple sequence repeat markers

Abstract

Dalbergia cochinchinensis is classified as a critically endangered (CR) species according to the 2022 IUCN Red List [1]. This study aims to assess the genetic diversity of D. cochinchinensis populations in Kon Tum, Gia Lai, and Dak Lak, located in the Central Highlands of Vietnam, using the ISSR method. In addition, it seeks to support the conservation and propagation of D. cochinchinensis. The amplified products varied in size from 150 to 3,500 bp. Out of 101 loci examined, 93 (92.08%) were found to be polymorphic, while 8 (7.92%) were monomorphic. Most primers exhibited polymorphic loci ranging from 6 to 16. ISSR analysis revealed genetic identity levels among the three populations ranging from 0.749 (Dak Lak and Kon Tum) to 0.896 (Gia Lai and Kon Tum). The total genetic diversity of the species (H_T) was calculated to be 0.261, with the average heterozygosity of the populations (H_S) being 0.166. Additionally, genetic variation within the three populations of D. cochinchinensis accounted for the majority of the total genetic variation (G_ST=0.361 and F_ST=0.432), indicating significant diversity. These findings provide important insights into the genetic structure of D. cochinchinensis, which can guide conservation and propagation efforts both in Indochina and globally.