Genetic Diversity of the Only Natural Population of Corylus avellana L. in Kazakhstan and Prospects for Its In Vitro Conservation
Kushnarenko S.V. Omasheva M. Romadanova N. Aralbayeva M. Rymkhanova N. Manapkanova U. Botta R. Ruffa P. Valentini N. Marinoni D.T.
November 2025Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)
Biology
2025#14Issue 11
Corylus avellana L. is a rare and endangered species in Kazakhstan, included in the national Red Book. The results of morphological and genetic characterization of the sole known natural population of C. avellana in the Western Kazakhstan region are presented in this study. Sixty wild accessions were evaluated based on tree and leaf morphological traits using standard descriptors in accordance with Bioversity International guidelines. Genetic diversity was assessed using ten nuclear simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. A total of 120 alleles were detected across the nuclear loci, with the number of alleles per locus ranging from 9 to 16 and an average of 12. The mean effective number of alleles (Ne) per locus was 3.862. A high level of intraspecific polymorphism was observed, with an average observed heterozygosity (Ho) of 0.70. The population showed considerable genetic diversity, as highlighted by a mean Shannon’s diversity index of 1.526. STRUCTURE, PCoA, and phylogenetic analyses confirmed strong differentiation between the wild Kazakh population and the cultivated hazelnut germplasm. Due to the lack of viable seeds, in vitro conservation was initiated using vegetative shoots. A two-step disinfection protocol, involving Plant Preservative Mixture and mercuric chloride, significantly improved explant survival, enabling successful establishment of an aseptic in vitro collection. These findings highlight the urgent need for targeted conservation strategies and show the potential of biotechnological approaches for safeguarding Kazakhstan’s only natural C. avellana population.
Corylus avellanaL , genetic diversity , in vitro culture , micropropagation , microsatellite markers , population structure
Text of the article Перейти на текст статьи
Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, 45 Timiryazev St., Almaty, 050040, Kazakhstan
Department of Agricultural, Forestry and Food Sciences, University of Turin, TO, Grugliasco, 10095, Italy
Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology
Department of Agricultural
10 лет помогаем публиковать статьи Международный издатель
Книга Публикация научной статьи Волощук 2026 Book Publication of a scientific article 2026