IDENTIFYING LYCHEE CULTIVARS BY ISOZYME ANALYSIS

Leaf isozyme banding patterns were studied in 30 cultivars and selecti ons of lychee (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) by means of starch gel electrop horesis. Polymorphism in aconitase, aspartate aminotransferase, isocit rate dehydrogenase, phosphoglucomutase, shikimate dehydrogenase, super oxide dismutase and triosephosphate isomerase is demonstrated for the first time and observations are extended for the previously described polymorphism in phosphoglucose isomerase. In this study we found five groups of cultivars with identical electrophoretic genotypes. The 18 d ifferent cultivars were clustered by the UPGMA method into two large c lusters and three pairs of similar cultivars. Three cultivars were rel atively separate from the clusters. This study shows that isozyme poly morphism is a prevalent phenomenon in lychee, and that isozymes can pr ovide useful genetic markers for lychee cultivar identification and pa rental analysis.