Preliminary Results Concerning Marker Assisted Selection for Potato Resistance to Phytophthora Infestans

Abstract

Phytophtora infestans, the causal organism of late blight, is the most important fungal pathogen of potato. Utilization of resistant variety is the most important strategy of potato late blight control. For creating new resistant varieties Marker Assisted Selection significantly increase the efficiency of this process. RAPD markers offer the advantage that it requires no preliminary information concerning the DNA sequence of the resistance genes or about expression product of these genes. But in this case molecular markers, defined by a certain polymorphism, have to be attributed to resistance genes by a genetic analysis. The simplest method, rely on co segregation or constantly presence of a polymorphic band in the resistant forms that is absent in the susceptible forms. To achieve that two groups of potato accessions originated from USA and Brasov, Romania, were used, represented of resistant differential lines with known R genes. From the seven primers used some gave amplification product only in resistant differential lines but no in sensitive one, amplification product that could be considered as candidate for molecular markers of resistant genes usable for Marker Assisted Selection of potato resistant to P. infestans.