Organization of American and Asian ginseng germplasm using randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers

Genetic differences among eleven cultivated and eight wild-type populations of North American ginseng (Panax quinquefolium L.) and four cultivated pop ulations of South Korean ginseng (P. ginseng C.A. Meyer) were estimated usi ng RAPD markers. Cultivated P. ginseng population samples were collected fr om four regions of S. Korea. Cultivated P. quinquefolium population samples were collected from three regions in North America: Wisconsin, the Southea stern Appalachian region of the United States, and Canada. Wild-type P, qui nquefolium was collected from three states in the United States: Pennsylvan ia, Tennessee, and Wisconsin. Evaluation of germplasm with 10 decamer prime rs resulted in 100 polymorphic bands. Genetic differences among populations indicate heterogeneity. The genetic distance among individuals was estimat ed using the ratio of discordant bands to total bands scored. Multidimensio nal scaling of the relationship matrix showed independent clusters correspo nding to the distinction of species, geographical region, and wild versus c ultivated types, The integrity of the clusters was confirmed using pooled c hi-square tests for fragment homogeneity.