Assessing the genetic diversity of Eupatorium adenophorum (Ageratina adenophora) through the development of ISSR-derived SCAR (sequence characterized amplified region) markers

Eupatorium adenophorum (Ageratina adenophora) is regarded as an invasive weed in many regions of the world. Yet, it is notable for its possible therapeutic uses, including the treatment of blood coagulation, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, analgesic, and other ailments. Till now, there is not much information available regarding the molecular characterization of E. adenophorum thus, the present study attempted to assess the genetic diversity of E. adenophorum, through DNA fingerprints of this species obtained by using Inter Simple Sequence Repeats Polymerase Chain Reaction (ISSR-PCR) methods. In the study, 50 primers were used to screen ISSR markers. Using the nucleotide sequences of certain ISSR markers, primers for unique sequence-characterized amplified regions (SCAR) were created. These primers effectively amplified the 219, 231, 810, 350, and 500 bp SCAR markers that are exclusive to E. adenophorum. Furthermore, this plant identification technique has the potential to amplify specific markers from mixed DNA samples with high specificity, offering a promising approach for distinguishing closely related species.