Diversidade genética em uma população natural de eugenia uniflora (o. Berg) no pampa gaúcho baseada em marcadores moleculares ssr

Abstract

The Eugenia uniflora (Myrtaceae), popularly known as surinan cherry, is a tree native to the Brazilian Atlantic Forest and can be found also in other Latin American countries and Africa. The adult plant can reach up to 10 meters in height with trunk irregularly branched, reddish in color. The wood is used as firewood and drinking the infusion of its leaves is used to cure stomach ailments, according to folk medicine. The objective of this study was to analyze the genetic diversity of a natural population of E. uniflora in the municipality of São Borja in the western region of the pampas gaucho. Leaf samples were collected from adult plants for DNA extraction and subsequent analysis using molecular markers. Two microsatellite loci were amplified and analyzed with the aid of the software GenAlEx. The data suggest the need for conservation of this species in the Pampa gaucho, considering the relatively high level of genetic diversity (number of alleles and He) and the probable occurrence of crosses between related individuals.