Assessment of genetic diversity and population structure of <i>Corema album</i> accessions from the Atlantic coastal dunes of Portugal

Background Corema album, a wild shrub endemic to the Atlantic coastal dunes of Iberian Peninsula, has important ecological and medicinal value. Corema album has been listed as an endangered plant due to threats associated with anthropogenic events. Conservation of the species is therefore critically important. Objective The aim of this study was to assess the genetic diversity and population structure of four well-characterized populations to support pre-breeding programs aimed at enhancing species knowledge for a future berry crop culture, with the ultimate goal of protecting and conserving the threatened species C. album. Methods The set of 128 C. album accessions was genotyped using six EST-SSR primers and one genomic-SSR primer. Results A total of 65 alleles were obtained with a mean of 9.285 alleles per locus. The genetic diversity was found to be high, with mean values of observed heterozygosity ( Ho) and expected heterozygosity ( He) at 0.594 and 0.756, respectively. Moderate genetic differentiation among populations (FST = 0.095) was observed. STRUCTURE analysis and multivariate analyses roughly categorized the accessions into a complex mixed group. The STRUCTURE analysis revealed no correlation between genetic structure and geographical distribution; however, it facilitated the identification of pure accessions within each population. Conclusions The results aid in the understanding the population structure and genetic diversity and are crucial to optimize conservation strategies as well as the utilization of genetic resources of C. album for a deeper genetic study of the species.