Crop domestication, in general, has reduced genetic diversity in cultivated gene pool of chickpea (Cicer arietinum) as
compared with wild species (C. reticulatum, C. bijugum). To explore impact of domestication on symbiosis, 10
accessions of chickpeas, including 4 accessions of C. arietinum, and 3 accessions of each of C. reticulatum
and C. bijugum species, were selected and DNAs were extracted from their nodules. To distinguish chickpea
symbiont, preliminary sequences analysis was attempted with 9 genes (16S rRNA, atpD, dnaJ, glnA, gyrB, nifH,
nifK, nodD and recA) of which 3 genes (gyrB, nifK and nodD) were selected based on sufficient sequence diversity
for further phylogenetic analysis. Phylogenetic analysis and sequence diversity for 3 genes demonstrated that
sequences from C. reticulatum were more diverse. Nodule occupancy by dominant symbiont also indicated that
C. reticulatum (60%) could have more various symbionts than cultivated chickpea (80%). The study demonstrated
that wild chickpeas (C. reticulatum) could be used for selecting more diverse symbionts in the field conditions and it
implies that chickpea domestication affected symbiosis negatively in addition to reducing genetic diversity