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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Tifton, Georgia » Crop Protection and Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #255838
Title: DNA polymorphisms at bermudagrass microsatellite loci and their use in genotype fingerprinting

Author
item KAMPS, TERRY - University Of Florida
item WILLIAMS, NEIL - Syngenta Seeds, Inc
item ORTEGA, VICTOR - University Of Florida
item CHAMUSCO, KAREN - University Of Florida
item Harris-Shultz, Karen
item Scully, Brian
item CHASE, CHRISTINE - University Of Florida

Submitted to: Crop Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/5/2010
Publication Date: 5/1/2011
Citation: Kamps, T.L., Williams, N.R., Ortega, V.M., Chamusco, K.C., Harris-Shultz, K.R., Scully, B.T., Chase, C.D. 2011. DNA polymorphisms at bermudagrass microsatellite loci and their use in genotype fingerprinting. Crop Science. 51(3):1122-1131.

Interpretive Summary: The economically important, turf-type bermudagrasses include diploid Cynodon transvaalensis, tetraploid C. dactylon, and sterile triploid hybrids produced by crosses of these species. The objective of this study was to develop a set of microsatellite markers that could be used to distinguish among commercially important turf-type cultivars. A genomic library enriched for the [CA/GT]n repeat motif was constructed from DNA of the Tifway hybrid and sequenced to identify microsatellite regions. Twenty-five microsatellite-flanking primer sets were developed and used to genotype two plant introductions and twelve turf-type cultivars. These primer sets produced an average of ten amplicons (ranging from 75-600 base pairs) per DNA template. Sequences of selected amplicons revealed polymorphisms resulting from the expansion/contraction of the microsatellite and from insertion/deletion mutations in the microsatellite flanking regions. As few as two primer sets were sufficient to distinguish among all unrelated introduction lines and cultivars. Most of the closely related cultivars, differing only by somatic or induced mutations, were not, however, differentiated by any of the twenty-five primer sets. These microsatellites will be most useful for evaluating the genetic diversity of Cynodon accessions and distinguishing among cultivars that exploit this diversity.

Technical Abstract: The economically important, turf-type bermudagrasses include diploid Cynodon transvaalensis, tetraploid C. dactylon, and sterile triploid hybrids produced by crosses of these species. The objective of this study was to develop a set of microsatellite markers that could be used to distinguish among commercially important turf-type cultivars. A genomic library enriched for the [CA/GT]n repeat motif was constructed from DNA of the Tifway hybrid and sequenced to identify microsatellite regions. Twenty-five microsatellite-flanking primer sets were developed and used to genotype two plant introductions and twelve turf-type cultivars. These primer sets produced an average of ten amplicons (ranging from 75-600 base pairs) per DNA template. Sequences of selected amplicons revealed polymorphisms resulting from the expansion/contraction of the microsatellite and from insertion/deletion mutations in the microsatellite flanking regions. As few as two primer sets were sufficient to distinguish among all unrelated introduction lines and cultivars. Most of the closely related cultivars, differing only by somatic or induced mutations, were not, however, differentiated by any of the twenty-five primer sets. These microsatellites will be most useful for evaluating the genetic diversity of Cynodon accessions and distinguishing among cultivars that exploit this diversity.