ARS | Publication request: AFLP ANALYSIS OF DNA FROM DRIED HOP CONES

Submitted to: Crop Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: December 31, 1999
Publication Date: N/A

Interpretive Summary: This research was designed to modify a well-known molecular method to identify hop cultivars when the sample consists when the sample consists of dried hop cones. The DNA was extracted from dried cones of six hop genotypes by a technique published for grapes (Vitis spp.). All genotypes were differentiated with the primer combinations studied. The genetic similarity estimates (a measure of how closely related two individuals are) among individuals ranged between 95.6% and 99.5% similarity. This research provides the hops industry with a powerful technique to accurately verify hop cultivars and the purity of hop shipments through an analysis of dried cone DNA.

Technical Abstract: The objective of this research was to develop an AFLP (amplified fragment length polymorphism) protocol for analyzing DNA extracted from dried hop cones. The DNA was extracted from dried cones of six hop genotypes by a technique published for grapes (Vitis spp.). Eleven primer combinations amplified an average of 546.5 scorable fragments with an average of 49.7 fragments per primer combination. All genotypes were differentiated with the primer combinations studied. Average genetic similarity estimates ranged between 0.956 and 0.995 among the six hop genotypes studied. This research provides the hops industry with a powerful technique to verify accurately hops cultivar identity and purity through an analysis of dried cone DNA.