PHYLOGENETIC-RELATIONSHIPS IN THE GENUS ARACHIS BASED ON SEED PROTEINPROFILES

Seed protein profiles of 19 accessions representing seven sections of the genus Arachis were studied using sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacryla mide gel electrophoresis. The general profile showed appreciable homol ogy between these taxa, supporting their classification based on morph ology and cross-compatibility relationships. The accessions of section Arachis expressed a high variation confirming inferences from earlier studies. Variation between accessions of a species is limited. Access ions of the section Ambinervosae and Caulorhizae formed one cluster an d accessions of sect. Erectoides and Procumbensae formed another. Wher eas the representative accessions of sect. Triseminalae and Extranervo sae formed two independent clusters. Using the percentage of dissimila rity in electrophoretic bands as a statistical genetic distance betwee n accessions, sect. Arachis (containing the cultivated groundnut, A. h ypogaea) is phylogenetically closest to sect. Erectoides followed by P rocumbensae, Ambinervosae, Caulorhizae, Triseminalae and Extranervosae , respectively.