PAG-VI: AFLP ANALYSIS IS WELL SUITED TO A QUICK CHARACTERIZATION OF THE MOLECULAR DIVERSITY OF WHOLE GENERA. EXAMPLES FROM PALMS (Elaeis, Astrocaryum) AND CASSAVA (Manihot)
Plant & Animal Genome VI Conference
Town & Country Hotel, San Diego, CA, January 18-22, 1998.
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AFLP ANALYSIS IS WELL SUITED TO A QUICK CHARACTERIZATION OF THE MOLECULAR DIVERSITY OF WHOLE GENERA. EXAMPLES FROM PALMS (Elaeis, Astrocaryum) AND CASSAVA (Manihot).
GERARD SECOND1, Francis Kahn2, Edson Barcelos3
ORSTOM, BP165, F97323 Cayenne Cx, French Guyana, France
ORSTOM, Apartado 17.11.6596, Quito, Ecuador
EMBRAPA/CIRAD-CP, BP 5035, F34032 Montpellier Cx 1, France
We applied AFLPTM to analyze the extent and structure of the molecular diversity among the following genera:
Elaeis (Oil palm). The domesticated species, with major present economic importance, originated in Africa but all the wild relatives are from tropical America. AFLP and RFLP analysis were compared.
Astrocaryum. A major palm genera in the Amazon bassin. Three species are emerging with potential economic value. Morphological systematic is well advanced but the limits of species are controversial. Most species represent good ecological markers. Distributed in most of the neotropical area.
Manihot (Cassava). A most difficult genus in systematic. Many species are found in most of the neotropics. A major challenge in the utilization and the conservation of the genetic resources of a major staple crop.
Air dried leaves (heat or silica gel) or small pieces of regular herbarium specimens were generally used to simplify the collection of representative material from most of tropical South America (Astrocaryum, Manihot). Existing collections were sampled for Elaeis. AFLP analysis were contracted to the commercial laboratory Linkage Genetics (Salt Lake City, Utah). Multivariate analysis was used to evidence species relationships and boundaries. Contrasted examples of the results will be presented. While established systematic based on morphology is generally confirmed, new insights in the genera structure were also obtained and hidden structures evidenced. The genus Manihot shows a huge diversity but species boundaries are most difficult to define. The "window" given by AFLP on molecular polymorphism is well adapted to the study of infra-specific and infra-generic diversity.
Plant & Animal Genome VI Conference