IDENTIFICATION OF HELIANTHUS GENOTYPES BY NEW ISOENZYME SYSTEMS

Isoenzyme study by starch gel electrophoresis is a well known tool in plant genetics and breeding. In order to characterize commercial sunfl ower cultivars (Helianthus annuus L.) and wild Helianthus species elev en enzyme systems were investigated in leaf material of two week old s terile grown plants. In eight of these enzyme systems polymorphisms in banding pattern were found. For the first time aconitase, adenylate k inase, aldolase, leucine aminopeptidase and ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase are described in Helianthus. A variation in leaf isoenzyme patterns was demonstrated and used for the identification of the sunf lower cultivars and wild species. At least, the cultivars and all wild species investigated could be distinguished from each other by using three enzyme systems (glucosephosphate isomerase, malate dehydrogenase , and phosphogluconate dehydrogenase).