Open Access

ARTICLE

Genetic Diversity of Soursop (Annona muricata L.) Accessions from Mexico and Colombia

Rosalba Lira-Ortiz^1,2, Juan Esteban Bello-Lara³, Verónica Alhelí Ochoa-Jiménez³, José Orlando Jiménez-Zurita⁴, Rosendo Balois-Morales^1,4,*, Guillermo Berumen-Varela^1,5,*

1 Programa de Doctorado en Ciencias Biológico Agropecuarias en el Área de Ciencias Agrícolas, Universidad Autónoma de Nayarit, Carretera Tepic-Compostela km. 9, Xalisco, México
2 INIFAP-CIRPAC, Campo experimental Uruapan. Av. Latinoamericana Núm. 1101, col. Revolución, Uruapan, México
3 Estancias Posdoctorales-Secretaría de Ciencia, Humanidades, Tecnología e Innovación, Coordinación de Apoyos a Becarios e Investigadores. Dirección de Posgrado. Av. Insurgentes Sur 1582, Col. Crédito Constructor, Demarcación Territorial Benito Juárez, Ciudad de México, México
4 Unidad Académica de Agricultura, Universidad Autónoma de Nayarit, Carretera Tepic-Compostela km 9, Xalisco, México
5 Unidad de Tecnología de Alimentos-Secretaría de Investigación y Posgrado, Universidad Autónoma de Nayarit, Ciudad de la Cultura s/n., Tepic, México

* Corresponding Authors: Rosendo Balois-Morales. Email: ; Guillermo Berumen-Varela. Email:

(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Advances in the Physiological, Biochemical and Molecular Mechanisms Regulating Fruit Ripening in Tropical Fruits)

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany 2026, 95(3), 13 https://doi.org/10.32604/phyton.2026.077481

Received 10 December 2025; Accepted 20 February 2026; Issue published 31 March 2026

Abstract

Genetic diversity is essential for the conservation and genetic improvement of perennial fruit crops such as soursop (Annona muricata L.), an economically important species in tropical and subtropical regions. However, information on the genetic variability of soursop across different producing regions remains limited. In this study, we evaluated the genetic diversity and population structure of soursop accessions from two geographically distant producing regions: the Pacific–Occident region of Mexico (R1) and Valle del Cauca, Colombia (R2). A total of 11 accessions, collected from seven orchards in R1 and four orchards in R2, were analyzed using three simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers (LMCH36, LMCH43, and LMCH79) and three sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) marker combinations (me3+em1, me3+em15, and me4+em15). SSR analysis revealed limited polymorphism, as markers LMCH36 and LMCH79 were monomorphic across all accessions. In contrast, the LMCH43 marker showed polymorphic behavior in the Nuevo Urecho, Tecomán 1, and Coquimatlán accessions, allowing the identification of allelic variation and the discrimination between homozygous and heterozygous individuals. SRAP markers exhibited a high level of polymorphism in all evaluated accessions, demonstrating greater efficiency for detecting genetic diversity in A. muricata. The percentage of polymorphic loci ranged from 25.45% to 56.38% in R1 and from 74.55% to 86.46% in R2, with the highest diversity detected using the SRAP combinations me3+em1, me3+em15, and me4+em15. Analysis of molecular variance indicated that most genetic variation was distributed within accessions (82% in R1 and 97% in R2), rather than among accessions. Cluster analysis, principal coordinate analysis, and Bayesian population structure consistently separated the accessions into two main genetic populations corresponding to their geographic origin, with additional sub-structuring within the Mexican region. Overall, Colombian accessions showed higher genetic diversity than Mexican accessions. These results highlight the utility of SRAP markers and the SSR marker LMCH43 for genetic studies in soursop providing valuable information for the conservation of genetic resources and the development of future breeding and genetic improvement programs, particularly in Mexico.

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