Skip to main content
Log in

Genetic diversity among a collection of bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.) cultivars

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Bitter gourd, Momordica charantia L., is a vegetable with one of the highest nutrition values in the world. Despite this, limited research has been conducted on bitter gourd cultivars; thus, the efficient use of genetic resources for bitter gourd improvement remains a challenge. Here, we performed restriction-site associated DNA (RAD) sequencing for 133 bitter gourd cultivars, including three types of bitter gourd (Smooth, Pearl, and Dading bitter gourd). We found that the genetic diversity of bitter gourd cultivars was very narrow with nucleotide diversity (π) values of 6.79 × 10− 4 (Pearl), 6.06 × 10− 4 (Smooth), and 3.99 × 10− 4 (Dading). It is possible that the commercial cultivars have almost exhausted the genetic diversity of bitter gourd resources in China. We found that Smooth and Pearl cultivars had more mixed genetic backgrounds, whereas Dading cultivars were more distinct. In addition, we had a try to use this cultivar population to conduct GWAS on seed coat color and identified one significant determined region that spanned ~ 300 kb on chromosome 3. The results of this study will help to broaden our capacity to monitor the genetic diversity of bitter gourd cultivars.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Behera TK, Singh AK, Staub JE (2008) Comparative analysis of genetic diversity in Indian bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.) using RAPD and ISSR markers for developing crop improvement strategies. Sci Hortic 115:209–217

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bradbury PJ, Zhang Z, Kroon DE et al (2007) TASSEL: software for association mapping of complex traits in diverse samples. Bioinformatics 23:2633–2635

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cui J, Cheng J, Nong D et al (2017) Genome-wide analysis of simple sequence repeats in bitter gourd (Momordica charantia). Front Plant Sci 8:1103

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cui J, Luo S, Niu Y et al (2018) A RAD-based genetic map for anchoring scaffold sequences and identifying QTLs in bitter gourd (Momordica charantia). Front Plant Sci 9:477

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cui J, Yang Y, Luo S et al (2020) Whole-genome sequencing provides insights into the genetic diversity and domestication of bitter gourd (Momordica spp.). Hortic Res 7:85

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Danecek P, Auton A, Abecasis G et al (2011) The variant call format and VCFtools. Bioinformatics 27:2156–2158

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dey SS, Singh AK, Chandel D, Behera TK (2006) Genetic diversity of bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.) genotypes revealed by RAPD markers and agronomic traits. Sci Hortic 109:21–28

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dhillon NPS, Sanguansil S, Schafleitner R, Wang YW, Mccreight JD (2016) Diversity among a wide asian collection of bitter gourd landraces and their genetic relationships with commercial hybrid cultivars. J Am Soc Hortic Sci 141:475–484

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Esquinasalcazar J (2005) Protecting crop genetic diversity for food security: political, ethical and technical challenges. Nat Rev Genet 6:946–953

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gaikwad AB, Behera TK, Singh AK et al (2008) Amplified fragment length polymorphism analysis provides strategies for improvement of bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.). HortScience 43:127–133

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Guo S, Zhao S, Sun H et al (2019) Resequencing of 414 cultivated and wild watermelon accessions identifies selection for fruit quality traits. Nat Genet 51:1616–1623

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kole C, Olukolu BA, Kole P et al (2012) The first genetic map and positions of major fruit trait loci of bitter melon (Momordica charantia). J Plant Sci Mol Breed 1:1–6

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li GG, Zheng YS, Li XY et al (2013a) Genetic diversity analysis in bitter gourd germplasm resources based on SSR molecular markers. J Soc Agric 44:6–11 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Li H, Peng Z, Yang X et al (2013b) Genome-wide association study dissects the genetic architecture of oil biosynthesis in maize kernels. Nat Genet 45:43–50

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liu S, Gao P, Zhu Q et al (2020) Resequencing of 297 melon accessions reveals the genomic history of improvement and loci related to fruit traits in melon. Plant Biotechnol J 18:2545–2558

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Murray M, Thompson WF (1980) Rapid isolation of high molecular weight plant DNA. Nucleic Acids Res 8:4321–4326

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sansaloni C, Franco J, Santos B et al (2020) Diversity analysis of 80,000 wheat accessions reveals consequences and opportunities of selection footprints. Nat Commun 11:4572

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Saxena S, Singh A, Archak S et al (2015) Development of novel simple sequence repeat markers in bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.) through enriched genomic libraries and their utilization in analysis of genetic diversity and cross-species transferability. Appl Biochem Biotech 175:93–118

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schaefer H, Renner SS (2010) A three-genome phylogeny of Momordica (Cucurbitaceae) suggests seven returns from dioecy to monoecy and recent long-distance dispersal to Asia. Mol Biol Evol 54:553–560

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tamura K, Stecher G, Peterson D, Filipski A, Kumar S (2013) MEGA6: molecular evolutionary genetics analysis version 6.0. Mol Biol Evol 30:2725–2729

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tan S, Cheng JW, Cui JJ, Li WP, Hu KL (2013) Genetic analysis on single fruit seed numbers and seed coat color of bitter melon. China Veg (18):48–52 (in Chinese)

  • Tang H, Peng J, Wang P, Risch NJ (2005) Estimation of individual admixture: analytical and study design considerations. Genet Epidemiol 28:289–301

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xiang CP, Wu CY, Wang LP (2000) Analysis and utilization of nutrient composition in bitter gourd. J Huazhong Agric Univ 19:388–390 (in Chinese)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang CY, Sun N, Hu KL (2005) RAPD analysis in genetic relationship among varieties of balsam pear. Mol Plant Breed 3:515–519 (in Chinese)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang JY, Huang YQ, Wan XJ, Guan F, Miao NS (2017) Genetic diversity of Momordica charantia germplasm based on SSR and SRAP marker. J Shanghai Jiao Tong Univ (Agric Sci) 35:90–94 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhao XJ, Song JW, Hu KL (2013) Genetic diversity analysis of bitter gourd germplasm resources based on SRAP markers. J Plant Genet Resour 14:78–84 (in Chinese)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao G, Lian Q, Zhang Z et al (2019) A comprehensive genome variation map of melon identifies multiple domestication events and loci influencing agronomic traits. Nat Genet 51:1607–1615

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhou KH, Zhang CY, Luo JN, He XL (2013) SRAP analysis on genetic diversity of bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.). Guangdong Agric Sci (21):136–140 (in Chinese)

  • Zhou MM, Shang S, Tian LB, Wang JN, Pan QY (2018) Optimization of MSAP reaction system and epigenetic diversity of germplasm resources in bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.). Mol Plant Breed 16:2041–2052 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhou Y, Zhao X, Li Y et al (2020) Triticum population sequencing provides insights into wheat adaptation. Nat Genet 52:1412–1422

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation (2019A1515011939); Scientific Research Foundation for Talented Scholars of Foshan University (CGG07127); National Natural Science Foundation of China (31760580).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yi Cao.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest. All the authors read and approved the manuscript in its final form.

Additional information

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Supplementary Information

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary file1 (XLSX 36 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Cui, J., Zhou, Y., Zhong, J. et al. Genetic diversity among a collection of bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.) cultivars. Genet Resour Crop Evol 69, 729–735 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10722-021-01258-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10722-021-01258-6

Keywords

Navigation