USEFULNESS OF A LOCUS LEEF1Aa IN THE GENETIC DIFFERENTIATION OF TOMATO VARIETIES

Abstract

The molecular techniques provide new possibilities to characterize advanced genetic materials for registration purposes and for the protection of breeders’ rights. The microsatellites appear as suitable molecular markers due to their highly polymorphic character. Such microsatellites may generate polymorphism useful for the analysis of genetic diversity and relationships within the genus Lycopersicon. The focus of the following study was usefulness of the locus LEEF1Aa in the genetic differentiation among six morphologically different tomato varieties of Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. The fragment analyses were done using Applied Biosystems DNA analyzer (ABI 3130) and GeneMapper®Software program. The obtained data were analyzed using the specific program Power Marker Software. The number of detected alleles for the microsatellites locus LEEF1Aa was six in estimated tomato varieties (219-221-223-225-227-229bp). The allele with the length of 229 bp was noticed only in Lycopersicon esculentum subsp. cultum var. grandifolium, while the alleles (221, 225 and 227 bp) in 4 varieties, the allele of 219 bp in 3 varieties and the allele of 223 bp in 2 varieties. The average PIC value for the locus LEEF1Aa was 0.7552 and it belongs to the group of high informative markers. Obtained results showed that the locus LEEF1Aais good choice for genetic differentiation of tomato varieties in combination with other polymorphic microsatellite loci.