Establishment of genetic fidelity of in vitro-raised Lilium bulblets through RAPD markers

Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers were utilized for screening the clonal fidelity of in vitro-raised bulblets of Lilium sp. (Asiatic hyb rids) produced through adventitious mode of propagation. The first set of 1 4 bulblets was randomly chosen from about 175 micropropagated bulblets rege nerated from 1 X 1 cm(2) bulbscale segments (explants) of cultivar 'Gran Pa radiso' after four subcultures (after 6 mo.). The second set of 15 bulblets was selected again randomly after 12 subcultures (after one and a half yea rs) when the bulblets were to be taken out for transplantation. Of the 20 p rimers used to screen the samples, only 14 primers gave clear reproducible bands. The 14 primers produced a total of 163 (an average of 11.6 bands per primer) scorable bands. Analysis of individual primers revealed the RAPD p atterns produced were all shared by both the in vitro-raised bulblets (rand omly selected after four and 12 subcultures) and the mother bulb. There was no variation observed within the tissue culture-raised progenies. Thus, ou r results show that adventitiously propagated in vitro bulblets of Asiatic hybrids of lilies are clonally uniform and stable.