Genetic diversity of accessions of Iranian Aloe vera based on horticultural traits and RAPD markers

In this study, genetic diversity of 10 accessions of Aloe vera, collected from different parts of Iran, were evaluated using horticultural and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) data. Statistical analysis showed significant differences for all horticultural characteristics among the accessions, suggesting that selection for relevant characteristics could be possible. The analysis of molecular diversity was used the RAPD technique, with 10 random primers of 10-mer oligonucleotides. Out of the 10 primers, five were polymorphic, producing 269 DNA bands, 189 of which were polymorphic among accessions. A dendrogram was prepared on the basis of a similarity matrix using the Unweighted Pair Group Method Arithmetic Mean (UPGMA) algorithm, separating the 10 accessions into two groups. Results show that both environmental and genetic factors are effective in observing variations. Our results also indicate that the RAPD approach, along with horticultural analysis, seemed to be best-suited for assessing with high accuracy the genetic relationships among distinct A. vera accessions. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.