DIVERSITY ANALYSIS AND SPECIES IDENTIFICATION IN LENS USING PCR GENERATED MARKERS

Using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis we assessed the genetic relationships between 16 accessions and cultivars of lentil ( Lens culinaris ssp. culinaris) in the Australian lentil breeding progr am. All lines exhibited polymorphism with a maximum dissimilarity valu e of 0.36. This indicated a limited degree of genetic variation. Polym erase chain reaction (PCR) with primers based on the flanking regions of the 5S rRNA gene from Pisum sativum amplified the non-translated sp acer (NTS) region from within the 5S rRNA gene of Lens. Three distinct amplification banding patterns differentiated between restricted geno mic DNA of Lens spp. L. culinaris sap. culinaris and L. culinaris ssp. orientalis shared similar markers of two distinctly different NTS siz es. L. nigricans and L. odemensis shared the same amplification patter n of a single sized NTS region. However, L. ervoides contained two sep arate sizes of NTS, distinct from other Lens species. In an effort to widen the genetic base of cultivated lentil, these species-specific mo lecular markers may be used to follow potential introgression between species.