IDENTIFICATION OF HOP CULTIVARS BY DNA MARKER ANALYSIS

We applied random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and amplifie d fragment length polymorphism of hazy associations (ALPHA) to the ide ntification of hop cultivars. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) usin g random primer or sequence-tagged-sites (STS) was found to give a var iety of specific fingerprints from hop DNA, requiring no hop DNA seque nce information. Varietal identification of hops was performed using t he fingerprints that included DNA fragment polymorphisms. Subsequently , these RAPD (or ALPHA) fragments were sequenced, and specific primers for the individual RAPD (or ALPHA) fragments were synthesized. The fr agments amplified by the specific primers allow for a much clearer ide ntification of hop cultivars. Eleven typical hop cultivars were succes sfully distinguished from one another using these specific primers. Th is method was also useful for the detection of mixed samples of hop cu ltivars.