Randomly amplified polymorphic DNA linkage relationships in different Norway spruce populations

We tested the constancy of linkage relationships of randomly amplified poly morphic DNA (RAPD) marker loci used to construct a population-based consens us map in material from an Italian stand of Picea abies (L.) Karst. in 29 i ndividuals from three Norwegian populations. Thirteen marker loci linked in the Italian stand did show a consistent locus ordering in the Norwegian po pulation. The remaining 16 unlinked marker loci were spread over different linkage groups and (or) too far apart both in the population map and in thi s study. The limited validity of RAPD markers as genomic "hallmarks" resili ent across populations is discussed. We also investigated the reliability o f RAPD markers; only 58% of the RAPD markers previously used to construct t he consensus map in the Italian population were repeatable in the same mate rial. Of the repeatable ones 76.3% were amplified and found polymorphic in 29 megagametophyte sibships from three Norwegian populations.