Genetic Diversity Analysis of Korean Herbaceous Peony Germplasm Using InDel and SSR Markers

Background: Paeonia lactiflora Pall. exhibits diverse pharmacological activities, including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. It is mainly cultivated for medicinal purposes in Korea and as an ornamental plant. However, the large and complex genome of P. lactiflora has limited the development of molecular markers, and previous studies have primarily employed RAPD, ITS, or chloroplast-based analyses. However, comparative genetic studies integrating Korean herbaceous and Dutch ornamental accessions remain limited.<br/>Methods and Results: Genetic diversity was analyzed in 95 P. lactiflora accessions using nine nuclear InDel markers and six selected simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers screened from 36 previously reported SSRs. Three pairs of Korean accessions (PL011–PL089, PL028–PL167, and PL107–‘Taebaek’) exhibited identical genotypes across both marker types, whereas the remaining 89 accessions, including Dutch ornamental lines, were clearly differentiated.<br/>Conclusion: This study establishes a foundation for objectively evaluating genetic differences in P. lactiflora regardless of cultivation purpose or environment. These results are expected to serve as valuable resources for the efficient management of P. lactiflora genetic resources and the development of new cultivars.