Wo. Hollingsworth et al., DETECTION OF VARIATION AMONG AND WITHIN ASPARAGUS HYBRIDS USING RANDOM AMPLIFIED DNA (RAPD) MARKERS, New Zealand journal of crop and horticultural science, 26(1), 1998, pp. 1-9
The reliability of random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) techniques
to amplify polymorphisms in the asparagus (Asparagus officinallis L.)
genome was investigated. DNA fragments generated by 10-base primers we
re separated on 1.5% agarose or 8% polyacrylamide gels, and the sensit
ivity of ethidium bromide and silver staining of amplified DNA product
s analysed on these gels was compared. Resolution of DNA bands on poly
acrylamide gels was superior to that on agarose gels. Silver staining
was more sensitive than ethidium bromide staining. The gel type used t
o separate DNA bands, and the staining technique used influenced the n
umber of bands visualised for each DNA profile generated. The six aspa
ragus cultivars used in this study were distinguished by unique bandin
g patterns generated by each primer. OPC-12 for example generated poly
morphic markers unique to three of the cultivars investigated. These m
arkers were: ASP (500, 400, and 300 bp), TU (700 bp), and (PC 550 bp).
Our investigation indicates that RAPD markers can be used to characte
rise asparagus cultivars, and that the technique is sensitive enough t
o reveal differences within seed-raised commercial cultivars. RAPD tec
hnology has the potential to detect somaclonal variation occurring dur
ing micropropagation.