Data to the sex determination in Pistacia species using molecular markers

Abstract

Sex identification in Pistacia species dur- ing the long juvenile stage is an economically desirable objective. Due to the lack of morphological methods to identify sex at this stage, the application of molecular markers is expected to facilitate breeding programs. The aim of our study was to identify a marker closely linked to sex loci in Pistacia atlantica Desf subsp. mutica, P. khinjuk, and P. vera subsp. Sarakhs. Samples were collected from both male and female plants of each species, and their band patterns were analyzed according to the presence or absence of specific bands. Thirty random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) primers and a pair of sequence char- acterized amplified region (SCAR) primers were tested as potential markers of sex in wild Pistacia species. Among the RAPD primers, only BC1200 was found to amplify a specific sex band present in female plants. Based on our analysis of all individual samples, a fragment of approximately 300 bp was amplified in female trees but absent in male ones. Although sex determination mechanisms in Pistacia are still unknown, they may be controlled by a single locus that acts as a trigger. The SCAR technique has proved to be a reliable technique in gender determination of pistachio genotypes at the seedling phenophase. This method could reduce both the time and costs associ- ated with breeding programs.