ARS | Publication request: STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF MOLECULAR MARKERS FOR STUDIES OF DIVERSITY IN GENEBANK HOLDINGS

Submitted to: Aplicaciones De Los Marcadores Moleculares En La Conservacion Y Manejo De La Agrobiodiversidad
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: February 1, 2003
Publication Date: April 1, 2003
Citation: Spooner, D.M. 2003. Strengths and weaknesses of molecular markers for studies of diversity in genebank holdings. Aplicaciones De Los Marcadores Moleculares En La Conservacion Y Manejo De La Agrobiodiversidad. p. 1-20.

Technical Abstract: Molecular markers have many potential advantages over morphological or other marker types to characterize within- and between-species diversity, useful for management of genebank holdings. These include greater number (potentially unlimited) of markers, freedom from pleiotropic effects, greater ease of scoring as discrete characters, and better chance of representing homologous traits. A wide range of molecular markers are potentially useful for studies of closely related accessions, including microsatellites, ISSRs, RAPDs, RFLPs, and AFLPs. The utility of these and other molecular markers depends on the genetic distance between accessions, and need to obtain dominant markers (some are co-dominant). As well, all marker types generally give different estimates of diversity and relationships, and some are more useful than others regarding accurate estimates of diversity and relationships, and of concordance to other markers. Choice of markers is important, therefore, in initial experimental design, as well as proper analysis of data and knowledge of interpretation of results relative to limitations of marker types.