Proceedings of the XLV Italian Society of Agricultural Genetics - SIGA Annual Congress

Salsomaggiore Terme, Italy - 26/29 September, 2001

ISBN 88-900622-1-5

Poster Abstract

AFLP-BASED GENETIC RELATIONSHIPS AMONG MAIZE INBRED LINES SELECTED IN A CLIMATICALLY TEMPERATE LOCATION

CHITTÒ A., BERTOLINI M., HARTINGS H., VERDERIO A., MOTTO M.

Istituto Sperimentale per la Cerealicoltura, Sezione di Bergamo, Via Stezzano 24, 24126 Bergamo

motto@tin.it

Zea mays L., Italian inbred lines, molecular markers, genetic diversity, cluster analysis

AFLP analysis was performed on a series of 71 Italian inbred lines, considered representative of the breeding material maintained at the Bergamo Maize Station of the Istituto Sperimentale per la Cerealicoltura. Twenty American reference lines, distinctive for the major heterotic groups available supplied the basis of genetic diversity to which the Italian inbreds were correlated in the assessment of their relative genetic relationships. A total of 682 polymorphic fragments were identified, which were used to calculate pairwise genetic distances and to subsequently derive hierarchical clustering. Clustering of the inbreds reflected pedigree information and resulted in the identification of major groups derived from Lancaster Sure Crop (LSC) and Iowa Stiff Stock Synthetic (BSSS) heterotic breeding material. AMOVA statistics, performed on the established genetic structure, revealed a high proportion of variance within heterotic groups, indicating that in the breeding program variability had been maintained within the groups during inbred line constitution. AMOVA results were corroborated by diversity analysis, which revealed a high level of genetic variability within and across heterotic groups. In conclusion, AFLPs appeared highly informative and constituted a valuable tool for assigning inbred lines to, and assaying genetic variability across, heterotic groups.