S. Gholamzadeh khoei - Department of Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Urmia University, Urmia, Islamic Republic of Iran.
B. Abdollahi Mandoulakani - Department of Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Urmia University, Urmia, Islamic Republic of Iran.
I. Bernousi - Department of Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Urmia University, Urmia, Islamic Republic of Iran.

Retrotransposons (RTNs) constitute informative molecular markers for plant species because of their ability to integrate into a multitude of loci throughout the genome and thereby generate insertional polymorphisms between individuals. In the present study, RTN-based molecular markers, IRAP (inter-retrotransposon amplified polymorphism) and REMAP (retrotransposon-microsatellite amplified polymorphism), were applied to study RTN integration events and genetic diversity in ۱۰۰ melon genotypes (۸۸ genotypes from ۱۱ populations, three inbred lines, and ۹ hybrids). A total of ۹۴ and ۲۶۲ loci were amplified using ۵ IRAP and ۱۵ REMAP primers, respectively. The percentage of polymorphic loci (PPL) in populations ranged from ۳۹% (Zivari Shahrood) to ۴۸% (Shadegani E). The Mantel test between IRAP and REMAP cophenetic matrices evidenced no significant correlation (r= ۰.۲۹). IRAP+REMAP-based cluster analysis using UPGMA algorithm and Dice similarity coefficient depicted ۶ groups among ۱۰۰ melon genotypes. AMOVA revealed the higher level of genetic variation within populations (۶۷%) compared to among populations (۳۳%). The mean Fst values of all groups, except for group VI, were more than ۰.۲۰, demonstrating differentiation among the populations and genetic structure of the studied melon collection.

Cucumis melo, Genetic variability, Reme۱, Retrotransposon