MOLECULAR-GENETIC CHARACTERIZATION OF PLANT SOMATIC HYBRIDS

An efficient and easy method for genetic characterization of plant som atic hybrids is proposed. In a first qualitative approach, four somati c hybrids and their parental species (Nicotiana tabacum and N. plumbag inifolia) were characterized by DNA fingerprinting and Random Amplific ation of Polymorphic DNA (RAPD). After this, a quantitative estimation of the degree of parental contribution to the hybrids was carried out by means of a slot-blot analysis. Both qualitative methods, shelved o ne hybrid identical to N. tabacum, two almost identical to N. plumbagi nifolia, and a fourth similar to this parental species, but with some N. tabacum admixture. The quantitative method, for the same hybrids, g ave 83%, 7%, 7%, and 37% N. tabacum DNA contribution, respectively.