R. Salahlou - Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran.
N. Safaie - Department of Plant Pathology, Faculty of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran.
M. Shams-Bakhsh - Department of Plant Pathology, Faculty of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran.

Macrophomina phaseolina is an important soil-borne pathogen causing charcoal rot in many important crop plants including sesame, in Iran. A total of ۶۰ isolates of M. phaseolina were collected from the main sesame producing regions in ten provinces of Iran. The genetic diversity among M. phaseolina populations was estimated using Inter-Simple Sequence Repeat (ISSR), focusing particularly on geographic differentiation. Five ISSR primers generated ۱۰۵ discernible DNA bands, of which ۸۵ (۷۷.۱۱%) were polymorphic. The greatest value of variability (PPB: ۶۰.۰۰%; H: ۰.۱۸۵; I: ۰.۲۸۴) was estimated for Fars population, whereas the least variability (PPB: ۹.۵۲%; H: ۰.۰۴۲; I: ۰.۰۶۰) was estimated for Kerman population. Total gene diversity exhibited high levels of variability (HT = ۰.۱۸۶). Analysis of molecular variance indicated a large proportion of genetic variability within populations.

Sesamum indicum L, ISSR, Geographic populations, Genetic differentiation