Mapping new EMBL-derived barley microsatellites and their use in differentiating German barley cultivars

By searching the EMBL DNA sequence database, we were able to develop 39 new , database-derived barley microsatellites. Eighteen of these EMBL microsate llites were mapped either to the interspecific barley map LerchexBGRC41936 (Lx41), the IgrixFranka map (IxF, Graner et al. 1991), or to both maps simu ltaneously. In addition, all 39 EMBL microsatellites were assigned to indiv idual barley chromosomes by PCR screening of wheat barley addition lines. B oth studies verified a random distribution of the microsatellites within th e barley genome. Subsequently, 22 EMBL microsatellites were used to assess the genetic similarity among a set of 28, mainly German, barley cultivars a nd two wild form accessions. Spring and winter cultivars could be easily di fferentiated using the first coordinate of a principal coordinate analysis. Whereas the group of spring barley cultivars appeared rather homogeneous, winter barley cultivars could be divided into three subgroups. Two H. v. ss p. spontaneum accessions were included in the assessment of genetic similar ity. They were placed among the winter barley cultivars. Based on the asses sment of the 30 barley cultivars and accessions, the polymorphism informati on content (PIC) of each EMBL microsatellite has been calculated. The avera ge PIC value among the EMBL microsatellites was equal to 0.38, which ascert ains the value of these microsatellites as a genetic tool in barley genome research projects.