The formation and the study of a collection of the Miscanthus resource species gene pool in the conditions of the West Siberian forest steppe
Several species of the genus Miscanthus Anderss. (elephant grass) characterized by a high rate of growth of the aboveground vegetative mass are currently in the focus of attention due to their high practical application as a source of bioethanol and cellulose. The main goals of this study were: (1) molecular genetic identification and (2) histochemical analysis of the genus Miscanthus Anderss. species in the collection of Central Siberian Botanical Garden SB RAS in order to identify the most perspective and technically valuable individuals. To study the collection of Miscanthus samples, a multi-disciplinary approach was applied. To collect the samples of different species from native habitats, traditional systematic and geobota-nical methods (comparative morphological and phytocenological) were used. According to the results of the ISSR-analysis, 16 samples of three Miscanthus species were divided into two clades: Sinensis and Sacchariflorus, the former including two subclades. For the samples of M. purpurascens_I and II, a hybrid origin of this species was confirmed by ISSR data. The molecular data obtained from the study allowed us to hypothesize that the samples involved in the subclade I of the Sinensis clade could be used as donors of resistance to adverse environments, and the samples of the subclade II, as donors of high biomass productivity. Based on histochemical analysis, sclerenchyma cells were characterized by the most lignin-rich thickened membranes, so the most appropriate direction in Miscanthus selection should be based on identification and using less lignin-containing samples.