RAPD Analysis of Genetic Variation Within and Among Populations of Turk's-Cap Lily (Lilium Martagon L.)

Abstract

Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers were used to estimate genetic variation within populations and relatedness among populations of Turk's-cap lily (Lilium martugon). Twelve domesticated populations from Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Lithuania, and four native populations from Lithuania (two pops), Switzerland and Italy were analysed with six decamer primers. The primers yielded a total of 55 polymorphic bands, i.e., an average of nine polymorphic bands per primer. The investigated populations were surprisingly heterogeneous in spite of, in most cases, a restricted population size. Gene diversity dues ranged between 0.15 (the native population from Switzerland) and 0.26 (one of the domesticated Swedish populations). A significant correlation was, however, found between gene diversity and population size, and between gene diversity and sample size. On the whole, the domesticated populations did not appear to be less variable than the native populations. Cluster analyses and multidimensional scaling showed that one of the native Lithuanian populations was remarkably dissimilar to the remaining populations which in turn overlapped considerably. The native Italian population was quite similar to some of the Scandinavian populations.