Isozyme variation between diploid and tetraploid cytotypes of Glycine tabacina (Labill.) Benth.

Abstract

Glycine tabacina (Labill.) Benth. is a wild perennial species related to the cultivated soybean, G. max (L.) Merr. It is composed of diploid (2n=40) and tetraploid (2n=80) cytotypes. Currently, to differentiate the cytotypes, plants are grown out in the greenhouse and chromosome counts made on pollen mother cells. It is a laborious and time consuming process. The objective of this study was to determine whether electrophoretic techniques could be utilized to separate the cytotypes. Electrophoretic examination of seven isozyme systems from seed of 67 G. tabacina accessions revealed banding patterns that could be used to differentiate between diploid and tetraploid cytotypes in the species. Among the tetraploid accessions, the number of bands observed were always greater than the diploids. Some tetraploid banding patterns consisted of bands similar to the diploid tabacina and/or additional bands previously identified in other Glycine species. The patterns of isozyme multiplicity and variation in the tetraploid tabacinas suggests more than one mode of origin for the tetraploids.