RAPD assessment for identification of clonal identity and genetic stability of in vitro propagated chestnut hybrids

Randomly amplified polymorphic DNA ( RAPD) was used as a tool to assess the clonal identity of four in vitro propagated chestnut rootstock hybrids ( Castanea sativa x C. crenata) described as originally isolated from the same mother tree. To confirm genetic stability after in vitro multiplication for more than 4 years, RAPD patterns of in vitro and donor plants were compared. From 40 arbitrary 10-mer primers used to amplify DNA, 21 provided patterns and were chosen for comparisons. Although significant differences were found in growth parameters between in vitro material of the putative clones, RAPD profiling showed polymorphism in none but one. This accession may then be withdrawn from the same clonal origin as the other three. As expected, no polymorphism was detected between the material propagated in vitro and the donor plants they originated from.