GENOTYPE IDENTIFICATION AND ASSESSMENT OF GENETIC-RELATIONSHIPS IN PEARL-MILLET [PENNISETUM-GLAUCUM (L.) R. BR] USING MICROSATELLITES AND RAPDS

The potential of DNA markers such as microsatellites, minisatellites a nd RAPDs was investigated in pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br] with respect to their abundance and variability. Southern analysis , using 22 different di-, tri-, tetra- and penta-oligonucleotide probe s and five minisatellite probes, identified (GATA)(4) as the most usef ul probe for the detection of multiple polymorphic fragments among pea rl millet cultivars and landraces from India. The clustering patterns of pearl millet cultivars and landraces based on (GATA), and RAPD (ran domly amplified polymorphic DNA) markers differed. The landraces, repr esenting eight states in India, could not be grouped based on their ge ographical distribution with the DNA markers. RAPD analysis revealed a high degree of genetic diversity among the cultivars and landraces em ployed in this study. The probability of an identical match by chance for any two genotypes using (GATA)(4) and RAPDs was 3.02x10(-20) for c ultivars and 5.2 x 10(-9) for landraces. The microsatellite (GATA)(4) and RAPDs provide useful tools for genotype identification and for the assessment of genetic relationships in pearl millet.