RFLP ANALYSIS OF A PCR AMPLIFIED REGION OF CHLOROPLAST DNA IN EGGPLANT AND RELATED SOLANUM SPECIES

RFLP analysis of a PCR amplified 3.2-kbp region of cpDNA bounded by th e conserved sequences in rbe L and ORF 106 was performed in eggplant ( Solanum melongena), its related Solanum species, S. incanum, S. virgin ianum (= S. surattense), S. torvum, S. aethiopicum (= S. gilo), S. aet hiopicum (= S. integrifolium), S. violaceum (= S. indicum), S. violace um (= S. sanitwongsei) and S. mammosum and the reciprocal hybrids betw een S. aethiopicum (= S. integrifolium) and S. melongena 'Uttara'. The target region of cpDNA was amplified correctly by PCR. The amplified products were digested with each of 10 restriction enzymes (Alu I, Ase I, BamH I, Hinf I, Msp I, Rsa I, ScrF I, Sty I, Tag I and Xba I). Var iations of restriction patterns among the species were recognized afte r digesting the amplified products with each of the seven restriction enzymes, Tag I, Alu I, Rsa I, Sty I, Ase I, Hinf I and Xba I. The rest riction patterns divided the examined nine species into the following five clusters, 1) S. melongena and S. incanum, 2) S. virginianum (= S. surattense), 3) S. torvum, 4) S. aethiopicum (= S. gilo), S. aethiopi cum (= S. integrifolium), S. violaceum (= S indicum) and S. violaceum (= S. sanitwongsei) and 5) S. mammosum. The restriction pattern with A lu I in each of the reciprocal hybrids between S. melongena 'Uttara' a nd S. aethiopicum (= S. integrifolium) was identical with that of seed parent. The present study demonstrated the availability of the PCR-RF LP analysis of cpDNA for assessing taxonomic relationships and identif ying cytoplasmic parentage of interspecific hybrids in eggplant and re lated Solanum species.