Restriction fragment length polymorphisms as genetic markers in Vicia

Abstract

Genetic variability at the nucleic acid level has been examined in 16 Vicia faba accessions and in four Vicia species. Both six and four base-pair cutting restriction enzymes together with cDNA clones were used to assess the level of polymorphism detectable in Vicia section Faba. Nei's estimate of the number of shared fragments and principal co-ordinate analysis were used to examine and quantify the relationship between the Vicia accessions. The degree of polymorphism detected was considerably reduced when the four wild Vicia species were excluded from the analysis. One Vicia faba genotype, A × B × C, a three-way hybrid, was responsible for the majority of the RFLPs identified within the Vicia faba genotypes. The identification of hybridisable but diverse parents will improve the efficiency of creating a linkage map based on molecular markers. The nature of the polymorphism detected in Vicia is discussed together with the role of molecular markers in Vicia faba improvement programmes.