Detection of polymorphic DNA and taxonomic relationships among 10 wild perennial soybean species using specific and arbitrary nucleotide primers

Polymorphic DNA in complex genomes of agronomic crops can be detected using specific nucleotide and arbitrary primers and the polymerase chain reactio n (PCR). Nineteen accessions representing 10 species of the wild perennial soybean were evaluated using 4 sets of specific primers and 3 sets of rando m amplified polymorphic DNAs (RAPD) primers. The potential of the RAPD assa ys was further increased by combining two primers in a single PCR, The frag ments generated by the two assays discriminated 10 wild species by banding profiles. The size of the amplified DNA fragments ranged from 100 to 2100 b ase pairs. The resolved PCR products yielded highly characteristic and homo geneous DNA fingerprints. The fingerprints were useful not only for investi gating genetic variability but also for further characterizing the wild soy bean species by detecting inter- and intra-specific polymorphisms, construc ting dendrograms defining the phylogenetic relationships among these specie s, and identifying molecular markers for the construction of genetic linkag e maps. Furthermore, unique markers distinguishing particular species were also identified. Thus, it is expected that PCR will have great relevance fo r taxonomic studies.