Assessment of Genetic Diversity in Advanced Breeding Lines of Jasminum sambac Using SSR Markers

This study investigates molecular variability among 30 advanced breeding lines (ABLs) of Jasminum sambac (Mysuru mallige), a commercially significant ornamental and aromatic plant, using 15 Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) markers. High-quality genomic DNA was extracted using an optimized cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) method and amplified with 14 SSR markers producing scorable amplicons. Genetic diversity parameters, including the number of different alleles (Na), number of effective alleles (Ne), Shannon’s information index (I), expected heterozygosity (He) and polymorphic information content (PIC), were analyzed using GenAlEx and POWERMARKER software. The results revealed moderate genetic variability, with mean values of Na = 1.64, Ne = 1.25, I = 0.21, He = 0.12 and PIC = 0.12. Primer Js079 exhibited the highest diversity (Na = 3.00, Ne = 2.43, I = 0.96, He = 0.59, PIC = 0.57), underscoring its utility in genotype differentiation. These findings highlight the effectiveness of SSR markers in assessing genetic diversity and provide critical insights for breeding programs aimed at enhancing genetic variation and improving traits such as flower yield and disease resistance in Jasminum sambac.