RAPD ANALYSIS OF LATHYRUS-SATIVUS SOMACLONES

RAPD patterns were studied in seven somaclones of Lathyrus sativus hav ing contrasting characteristics along with the parent cultivar P-24. O ut of 81 decamer random primers used, 5 did not amplify and 24 reveale d DNA polymorphism while the rest generated monomorphic banding patter ns. Eight unique bands were amplified with different primers in four d ifferent somaclones. With most of the informative primers differences were observed between somaclones and also between some of the somaclon es and parent cultivar P-24. More than 90% similarity in the RAPD patt erns was evident among the somaclones and the parent cultivar P-24. Th ough it was not possible to identify a particular somaclone with a sin gle primer, a combination of two or more primers could be employed to identify a somaclone.