Genetic diversity assessment of Crimean wild grape forms based on microsatellites polymorphism

The Crimean Peninsula due to its favorable environmental and geological conditions can be considered as an area for survival and development of Vitis vinifera subsp. sylvestris (Gmel.). It is believed that wild Vitis vinifera L. vines, including V. vinifera ssp. sativa DC. that fell out of cultivation and true wild grape V. vinifera ssp. sylvestris (Gmel.) that survived since the tertiary period and is believed to be the progenitor of Vitis vinifera, can be found in the Crimean mountains. To identify habitats of wild growing grapes, the forested areas of the Crimean mountain-forest natural reserves were examined in the period of 2015-2018. The territory of Eski-Kermen and Mangup cave towns, the slopes of Baydarskaya, Yaltinskaya and Alushtinskaya plateaus, the gorge of the Chernorechensky canyon and the couloirs along Alaka, Kalenda, Armanka and others rivers were examined. A total of 345 wild-growing lianas were detected. The identified vine plants primarily grew at 600 m a.s.l. in areas with sufficiently moisturized soil. Image-documentation of a shoot, leaf, inflorescence and cluster (when available) was done. Molecular assessment of 41 grape genotypes from two different areas (two populations) was performed based on analysis of allelic polymorphism of nine nuclear microsatellite loci. The standard genetic parameters were calculated using the POPGENE software (v.1.32); the DARwin software (v.5.0.158) was used to construct a phylogenetic tree. The share of polymorphic loci made 100%. The average number of alleles/loci was 8.56, the effective number of alleles (ne) was 3.6, the Shannon information index (I) made 1.57. A large number of rare alleles was recorded (25.4%). In the wild vine samples, a heterozygote deficiency was revealed – the average value of the Wright fixation index (coefficient of inbreeding) Fis=0.107.