Evaluación de la diversidad genética de poblaciones cultivadas de Sechium edule en Jalisco y Michoacán mediante dos marcadores moleculares

Chayote (Sechium edule) is a plant native to the American continent that belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family. It has been associatedwith important properties such as antioxidant activity, and possesses components with anticancer potential. Its fruit has been widelyused as a vegetable since pre-Hispanic times, and is a significant part of the Mexican diet. The states of Michoacán and Jalisco inMexico are among the main chayote producers. However, no studies have been reported regarding the genetic variability of theplant in these regions. Since chayote is primarily cultivated in family orchards, the seed is obtained from the same production, andgermplasm exchange between different areas is limited. Selection and identification of genotypes are essential steps for theestablishment of breeding programs; therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the existing genetic diversity in plantscultivated in these states using the molecular markers ISTR and RAPD. From this genetic analysis, it was observed that thecollected plants formed clearly separated groups based on their origin, confirming the limited genetic flow between the cultivatedpopulations in both states.