A STUDY OF BIOCHEMICAL MARKERS OF KALE (BRASSICA-OLERACEA VAR ACEPHALA) CLONES RESISTANT TO APHIDS (BREVICORYNE-BRASSICAE)

Seven kale clones (Brassica oleracea var. acephala), assessed for resi stance to aphids (Brevicoryne brassicae) by Paula et al. (An. Soc. Ent omol. Bras. 24: 99-104, 1995) underwent isozyme analysis using Esteras e (EST), Acid Phosphatase (ACP), Glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH), Glutam ate Oxaloacetate Transaminase (GOT), Leucine Aminopeptidase (LAP), Mal ate Dehydrogenase (MDH) and Peroxidase (PO) systems to identify resist ant genotypes. EST, the only monomorphic enzyme was inefficient far di scriminating between genotypes, whereas ACP, because of its accentuate d polymorphisms, allowed the separation of five out of seven of the cl ones. No association between the ACP loci and resistance or susceptibi lity to plant aphid was established. However, ACP using standard 5, an d GOT using standard 9, identified the Venus clone, one of the most re sistant to the pest. The other systems were not efficient in separatin g clones or in identifying resistance, because of the coincidence of t he isozyme patterns.