Zahra Noormohammadi - Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, A۴ Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
Niloofar Ibrahim-Khalili - Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
Masoud Sheidai - Faculty of Biological Sciences and Technology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
Omran Alishah - Cotton Research Institute of Iran, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (ARREO), Gorgan, Iran

Cotton (Gossypium spp.) is the most important natural iber and oil source worldwide. The genus Gossypium has 45 diploid and 5 allotetraploid species. Currently cotton has only 4 cultivated species, two tetraploid species [G. hirsutum L. and G. barbadense L., (2n = 4x = 52)] and two diploid species [G. arboreum L. and G. herbaceum L., (2n = 2x = 26]. Continuous artiicial selection and cultivation of available cotton cultivars has led to genetic erosion and loss of useful genetic loci from the available cotton germplasm. Diferent molecular markers used in genetic ingerprinting of cottons, revealed narrow genetic variability. In order to provide data on genetic diversity present in our cotton germplasm collection, we carried out genetic ingerprinting study of 17 diploid and tetraploid cotton accessions by inter retrotransposon ampliied polymorphism markers. The results showed low-moderate genetic variability (0.0–18%) among the studied cultivars. However, we obtained high genetic variability within each species (45–80%). Moreover, some speciic bands (alleles) were identiied in these species. Such moderate to high genetic variability in cotton germplasm is of high importance for choosing parental plants for hybridization. Inter retrotransposon ampliied polymorphism markers could eiciently diferentiate the cultivars and the studied diploid species from tetraploids. Therefore, these are suitable molecular markers for fast screening and genetic ingerprinting of large cotton germplasm

Cotton · Genetic variability · IRAP · STRUCTURE analysis