Evaluation of genetic diversity of Cantaloupe landraces based on the internal transcriptional spacer regions (ITS1, 4)

ABSTRACT Cantaloupe (Cucumis melo L.) landraces have highly genetic diversity so that it is important to evaluate such distances for future breeding projects. Internal transcribed spacer regions (ITS1 and ITS4 regions) capability was used to evaluate genetic diversity of cantaloupe landraces and to identity genetic diversity among cantaloupe landraces. After DNA extraction from leaf tissue at the 4-true leaf stage and DNA quantification and qualification based on spectrophotometer and agarose gel electrophoresis, electrophoretic bands were sequenced. The sequence quality was assessed and compared with the ClustalW method. Phylogenetic relationship dendrograms were plotted based on genetic distance. Melon landraces could not be separated based on geographical location. The ITS1 region was more separable and diverse than the ITS4 region and was able to differentiate landraces related to the Hirmand region in a separate dendrogram. The numerical value (dN/dS) in ITS1 and ITS4 were 0.658 and 0.450, respectively, indicating pure selection had occurred in the gene and did not cause any important changes. The ITS region is not suitable to investigate intraspecific genetic diversity.