RAPD IDENTIFICATION OF GENETIC-VARIATION IN SEAWEED HIZIKIA-FUSIFORMIS (FUCALES, PHAEOPHYTA)

The random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) technique tvas used to cha racterize six isolates of Hizikia fusiformis collected from Chungmu, H aenam, Ki jang, Pusan, Wando, and Yosu in Korea. Total DNA was extract ed by the LiCl extraction method from branches of H. fusiformis. The e xtracted DNA (0.35 ng) in 25 mu l reaction volume was amplified by 45 cycles of the polymerase chain reaction with arbitrary primers. Thirty -one primers resulted in 715 PCR products of both conserved and polymo rphic bands, The genetic similarity for tile six isolates ranged from 23% to 59%. Among them, Hizikia isolates collected from Pusan, Haenam, and Wando shared 59% of their major bands; isolates collected From Ki jang and Yosu were shown to bt: most distantly related with the others based on genetic similarity.