Discrimination of the Genus Leontopodium Species (Gentianales: Asteraceae) Based on RAPD

Abstract

Abstract Korean L. leiolepis of the genus Leontopodium could be discriminate from the foreign L. alpinum using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD). Among the 12 URP markers used for the detection, the URP-5 marker and the URP-7 marker detected polymorphic DNA bands, ranging from 400-1000 bp in the size of amplified DNA fragments.Key Words: Leontopodium, RAPD, universal rice primer (URP), Leontopodium leiolepis Received: December 26, 2014. Revised: February 6, 2015. Accepte d: February 6, 2015.Corresponding author: Ji Young KimCollege of Forest and Environmental Science, Kangwon National U niversity, Chuncheon 200-701, Republic of KoreaTel: 82-33-257-8367, Fax: 82-33-259-5620, E-mail: emos1034@gmai l.com Introduction The genus Leontopodium belongs to the family Asteraceae (the daisy or sunflower family) and comprises approx-imately 30-40 species which are mainly distributed in Asia (Himalayas, Altai Mountains, Siberia, Japan, China, and Korea), with a major centre of biodiversity on the Tibetan Plateau. In Europe, the two species of