effect of genebank seed increase on the genetics of recently collected potato (Solanum) germplasm

• Published in: American journal of potato research Vol. 80; no. 3; pp. 215 - 218
• Main Authors: del Rio, A.H, Bamberg, J.B
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Heidelberg The Association 01.05.2003; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Biological and medical sciences; domestication; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; gene banks; Generalities. Genetics. Plant material; genes; Genetic resources, diversity; Genetics; Genetics and breeding of economic plants; genotype; germplasm; parents; Plant material; population growth; potatoes; progeny; random amplified polymorphic DNA technique; Solanum stoloniferum; United States; Genetic resource; RAPD; Domestication; Genetic diversity; Varietal selection; Experimental study; Random amplified polymorphic DNA marker; Gene bank; in situ; jamesii; Potato; Germplasm; fendleri; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Genetic improvement; ex situ; Spermatophyta; Tuber plant; Solanaceae; Solanum
• ISSN: 1099-209X; 1874-9380
• DOI: 10.1007/BF02855693

In previous work at the US Potato Genebank, RAPDs were used to detect large differences between genebank-conserved samples and their corresponding in situ populations re-collected from the wild. This work investigates one possible explanation for these differences: a large genetic change in the sample when it undergoes "domestication" by a forced sexual seed increase and subsequent adaptation to cultivation in the genebank. However, when 11 Solanum fendleri and 17 S. jamesii populations were collected from the wild and compared to their sexual progeny generated at the genebank, no significant differences in RAPD fingerprints were detected. These results show that theory of "genebank domestication" is not supported. However, when plants of one pair of populations were tested individually, the seed increase population was significantly more heterogeneous than its clonally collected in situ parents. Thus, while genebank populations have the same genes as their wild counterparts, they may contain genotypes not present in the wild.