Genetic Diversities within Camellia Species Confirmed by Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) Markers

Abstract

In this study research was conducted to evaluate the feasibility of characterizing genetic variation within camellia species using random amplified polymorphic DNAs (RAPD) markers. Eight varieties of species Camellia japonica and four varieties of species Camellia reticulata, provided by the America Camellia Society, Fort Valley, Ga., were investigated. RAPD profiles generated by five selected 10-based random primers (out of 20 primers) exhibited distinct patterns of amplified bands for all 12 tested varieties. A total of 344 bands were produced among the eight varieties of species C. japonica, with an average of 8.6 bands, ranging from 220 to 2072 bp in size, scored per primer. Among the 344 amplified bands, 74.4% of the bands presented polymorphic. The four varieties of species C. reticulata produced a total of 180 markers, with an average percentage of 57.8% polymorphisms. The amplified bands were in the range of 236–1760 bp. An average of nine amplified bands was generated per primer. The large percentages of polymorphisms displayed among 12 varieties within the two different species indicate that the expected genetic diversity among varieties within camellia species existed. It was concluded that the RAPD molecular markers are capable of revealing appreciable levels of genetic variation within camellia species.