GENETIC VARIABILITY ASSESSMENT OF FUSARIUM WILT PATHOGEN RACES AFFECTING CHICKPEA USING MOLECULAR MARKERS

• Main Authors: Jhuma Datta, Nand Lal
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Slovak University of Agriculture 2013-06-01
• Series: Journal of Microbiology, Biotechnology and Food Sciences
• Subjects: Chickpea; Fusarium; genetic diversity; ITS; polymorphism; RAPD; rDNA; SSR
• Online Access: http://www.jmbfs.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/jmbfs-0257-lal.pdf

Genetic diversity in Chickpea wilt pathogen has been characterized using 14 isolates of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceri (foc) collected from major pulse growing regions of India. Out of 247 bands produced by 24 Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) primers in Foc isolates, 210 (85%) were polymorphic. A maximum of 14 amplicons were generated by primer OPF 05 whereas minimum 7 amplicons were generated by primer K7. A total of 24 alleles were produced by twelve simple sequence repeat (SSR) primers with an average of two alleles per marker in foc isolates. The maximum number of 4 alleles was obtained with primer SSR 12. SSR amplicon size ranged from 100 to 400 bp. The Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic Mean (UPGMA) cluster analysis based on RAPD and SSR profiles grouped the fourteen foc isolates into four major clusters. The universal Inter Transcribed Spacer (ITS) primer pair amplified 630 bp bands in all fourteen foc isolates while significant length polymorphism was obtained only when analysed by restriction digestion with EcoRI and MspI enzymes. The cluster analysis of ITS-RFLP grouped all 14 Foc isolates into three major clusters. The cluster analysis using RAPD, SSR and ITS-RFLP markers show the grouping of Fusarium isolates strictly according to their cultural characteristics and degree of pathogenicity and not the geographical origin. This information will be helpful for pathologists and plant breeders to design effective resistance breeding programs in chickpea taking into account the diversity in wilt pathogen.