RANDOM AMPLIFIED POLYMORPHIC DNA (RAPD) MARKERS FOR GENETIC-ANALYSIS IN MICROPROPAGATED PLANTS OF POPULUS-DELTOIDES MARSH

RAPD markers were used to assess genetic fidelity of 23 micropropagate d plants of a single clone (L34) of Populus deltoides. Eleven arbitrar y 10-base primers were successfully used to amplify DNA from in vivo a nd in vitro material. Of these, 5 distinguished a total of 13 polymorp hisms common across 6 micropropagated plants. Apart from these 6 plant s, the amplification products were monomorphic across all the micropro pagated plants, the mother plant and 4 additional field-grown control plants. Our results show that RAPD markers can be used to gain rapid a nd precise information about genetic similarities or dissimilarities i n micropropagation systems that might not be so easily evident from ot her commonly used techniques.