THE USE OF AFLP TECHNOLOGY FOR THE IDENTIFICATION OF MOLECULAR MARKERS IN COTTON (Gossypium hirsutum L.)

Cooperative Research Centre for Sustainable Cotton Production, School of Biological Sciences A12, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia

AFLP analysis has become widely adopted as the choice DNA fingerprinting technique for the identification of molecular markers. Unlike other PCR marker techniques, AFLP is highly reproducible because it is based on the selective PCR amplification of restriction fragments derived from within the genome. The advantages of AFLP analysis over other fingerprinting techniques in cotton will be considered, and comparisons will be made between radioactive, silver-staining and fluorescent methods of detection. The best strategies for the identification of molecular markers linked with either single genes or quantitative trait loci in cotton will also be examined. Examples will be given of molecular markers linked with genes for Verticillium wilt resistance and okra leaf shape which have already been identified using AFLP analysis with fluorescent detection.