Identification of lily cultivars using isoelectric focusing of proteins from bulb scales and tissue culture bulblets

Abstract

AbstractAn efficient procedure is described for cultivar identification in lily, based on polymorphism in bulb scale proteins analysed by isoelectric focusing (IEF). Seventy (84%) out of 83 cultivars from which in vivo bulbs were analysed showed a unique banding pattern. Analysis of in vitro bulblets from 62 commercial cultivars resulted in 47 (76%) unique banding patterns. Cultivars with identical protein patterns always belonged to the same cultivars classification group (i.e., Asiatic hybrids, Oriental hybrids or Lilium longiflorum). Protein bands characteristic for the cultivar groups have been found. The protein patterns appeared to be very consistent and were not affected by the soil‐type on which the bulbs were grown, long‐term bulb storage, different protein sample storage methods, in vitro growing conditions, or in vitro bulblet storage. However, in six out of 10 cultivars from which in vivo bulbs and in vitro bulblets were analysed, protein patterns from in vivo bulbs consisted of a greater number of, and/or more intensely stained bands than those from in vitro bulblets of the same cultivar. The protein patterns appeared to be unsuitable markers for selection of reference cultivars for distinctness, uniformity and stability (DUS) testing as no relation was found between morphological characters and protein patterns. Cultivars with identical or very similar protein patterns were generally clearly distinct on the basis of morphological characters.