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Title: APPLICATIONS OF AFLP FOR DNA FINGERPRINTING IN PLANTS

Author
item Saunders, James
item Mischke, Barbara
item HEMEIDA, ALAA - MINUFTYA UNIVSITY, EGYPT

Submitted to: Advances in Phytochemistry
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/27/2001
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Molecular analysis of germplasm collections to determine genetic diversity for breeding programs, are becoming increasingly important in most crop plants. AFLP DNA analysis techniques were performed on a model crop, Theomabroma cacao to evaluate the utility of this procedure for DNA fingerprinting of the tree crop. Using these procedures, DNA fragment patterns were scorable and consistent within a common variatel genotype, while differentiating separate genotypes. Based on this study, individual plants can be obtained and screened for disease resistance to identify plants that can survive tremendous disease pressure in South America. This report demonstrated the utility of DNA fingerprinting as a tool to assist breeders even when limited information is available on the genetic make-up of the crop being studied.

Technical Abstract: The use of DNA fingerprinting for breeding studies has been gaining widespread acceptance in a variety of applications with plants. It can be used to identify genetic diversity within breeding populations, to positively identify and differentiate accessions, cultivars, and species that might be difficult to characterize due to similar morphological characteristics or indistinct traits, and to identify plants containing genes of interest such as the confirmation of transformation events. A number of molecular tools and procedures are being employed to establish DNA fingerprinting profiles and each of these procedures has its strengths and weaknesses. Amplified restriction Fragment Length Polymorphic (AFLP) DNA analysis, is a useful procedure for DNA fingerprinting, especially when very little information is known about the genome of the plant under study. One drawback to AFLP DNA analysis is degree of difficulty in scoring the numerous DNA fragment sizes that are produced during a normal analysis, however, AFLP remains the method of choice for DNA fingerprinting without considerable preliminary knowledge of the genome of the crop plant under investigation.