Genetic analysis of Turkish rice varieties (Oryza sativa L.) using seed storage proteins and RAPD markers

Due to an increasing demand for rice in Turkey, assessing and maintaining genetic variability in rice cultivars is essential for the success of rice breeding programs. Genetic polymorphisms in seed storage proteins (SSP) and RAPD markers were evaluated among different Turkish cultivars of Oryza sativa L. Twenty-one rice cultivars of Turkish origin and 11 rice cultivars from Bulgaria, France, Italy and Russia were analyzed. SDS-PAGE profiles from SSP of 20 cultivars showed similar expression patterns. Seven polymorphic and reproducible RAPD primers produced 42 bands ranging from 250 to 2,500 bp; 29 were polymorphic (69%) and 13 monomorphic (31%). Unweighted Pair-Group Method with Arithmetic Mean (UPGMA) was performed to generate a pairwise genetic distance (or similarity) matrix. A rooted dendrogram resulted in two main groups based on Jaccard’s coefficients. Sürek-95, Serhat-92, and Rocca were placed in one group, and all other cultivars in another group. Principle coordinate analysis was also conducted and the results supported UPGMA results, where Sürek-95, Serhat-92, and Rocca were distinct from all other cultivars. Our results suggest that the rice cultivars screened in this study exhibit narrow genetic diversity. In addition, RAPD-based genetic characterization can aid in both conservation and selection of desired rice cultivars in future breeding studies.