AFLP analysis of DNA from dried hop cones

Hop (Humulus lupulus L,) cones are used extensively in beer brewing to enha nce flavor and impart bittering. Verifying hops cultivar identity has tradi tionally been accomplished by morphological characteristics or a chemical a nalysis of lupulin glands but these traits may vary according to environmen tal influences. The objective of this research was to develop an AFLP (ampl ified fragment length polymorphism) protocol for analyzing DNA extracted fr om dried hop cones. The DNA was extracted from dried cones of six hop genot ypes by a technique published for grapes (Vitis spp), The reagents, MseI pr imers, and protocol were part of a commercially available kit, while the 6- carboxyfluorescein-labeled EcoRI primers were purchased separately. Eleven primer combinations amplified an average of 546.5 scorable fragments with a n average of 49.7 fragments per primer combination. All genotypes were diff erentiated with the primer combinations studied. Average genetic similarity estimates ranged between 0.956 and 0.995 among the six hop genotypes studi ed. This research provides the hops industry with a powerful technique to v erify accurately hops cultivar identity and purity through an analysis of d ried cone DNA.