Genetic Diversity of Iranian Lettuce Genotypes Based on RAPD Markers

Evaluation of the genetic potential of lettuce germplasm by classical methods or using molecular markers is crucial in breeding programs and introduction of new cultivars. Assessment of genetic diversity of Iranian lettuce genotypes collected from different provinces was conducted in laboratory at Seed and Plant Improvement Institute, Karaj. Forty two genotypes of Iranian lettuce with a foreign cultivar were evaluated using 17 RAPD primers. Primers produced total of 807 polymorphic bands. The highest number of polymorphic bands (78 bands) was produced by primer P9 and the lowest number (15 bands) by P6. The size of produced bands of primers varied from 280 to 3000 bp. Jaccard similarity coefficients was calculated for 43 genotypes, that varied from 0 to 0.324. The highest similarity was observed between genotypes no. 13 and 14 (0.324), no. 19 and 20 (0.314) and no. 7and 8 (0.300). Cluster analysis of molecular data, at the similarity level variation 0.25 clustered Iranian lettuces into four groups. Generally, the results of this experiment showed a high genetic diversity in Iranian lettuce genotypes and revealed that RAPD is a useful and effective technique for classification of Iranian lettuces.