Molecular markers in tropical and subtropical horticulture.
Lavi U., Sharon D., Mhameed S., Kashkush H., Adato A., Kaufman D., Cregan P. B., Lahav E., Tomer E., Hillel J.
Author Affiliation: ARO-Volcani Center, PO Box 6, Bet-Dagan 50250, Israel.
Acta Horticulturae : 49-54
Abstract : Application of amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP), minisatellites and microsatellites is described. AFLP polymorphism results from the absence or presence of restriction enzyme sites. Mini- and microsatellites are based on a variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) and result in a higher level of polymorphism. Minisatellites create multi-band patterns which are quite useful for identification purposes but rather unsuitable for linkage analysis. Microsatellites or simple sequence repeats (SSRs) are single locus markers, quite polymorphic and suitable for linkage analysis but expensive to generate and to genotype. AFLP and minisatellites were used to identify mango (Mangifera indica) cultivars and rootstocks and to assess genetic relatedness between them. Minisatellites were applied to avocado (Persea americana) to study genetic relatedness between cultivars and races and to assess the level of heterozygosity. Microsatellites were applied to avocado in order to generate a linkage map and to identify linkages between DNA markers and genes coding for agriculturally important traits.