Characterization of a Brazilian Grape Germplasm Collection Using Microsatellite Markers

Abstract

Two hundred and twenty-one grapevine accessions from the Embrapa Semi-Árido, Juazeiro, Bahia, collection in Brazil were fingerprinted at seven SSR loci: VVS2, VVMD5, VVMD7, VVMD27, VVMD31, VrZAG62, and VrZAG79. Of these, 187 accessions had reliable allelic profiles allowing them to be divided into three groups. Group 1 consisted of 86 accessions that were correctly identified; group 2 consisted of 30 accessions that were incorrectly named, but matched the reference profile of a different cultivar; and group 3 consisted of 71 accessions with SSR profiles that did not match any available reference profile. Group 3 contained 11 accessions that did not match their internationally validated reference and 60 accessions for which international reference profiles did not exist. The profiles of group 3 may then serve as references for those accessions. The SSR allelic profiles from the reported parents of 19 of the group 3 accessions were used to determine whether the accessions were correctly named and six were confirmed. These profiles can now serve as references for this group of important Brazilian cultivars.