Colchicine-Induced Tetraploidy and Changes in Allele Frequencies in Colchicine-Treated Populations of Diploids Assessed with RAPD Markers in Gossypium arboreum L.

Authors: SAEED RAUF, IFTIKHAR AHMAD KHAN, FAROOG AHMAD KHAN

Abstract: Two cultivars of cotton G. arboreum L. cv. FDH-228 and HK-113 were treated with colchicine solution (1%) with 3 methods of application. Colchicine application at the seedling stage on shoot apex was successful. Tetraploid plants of arboreum (4x = 2n = 52) had larger vegetative, reproductive parts, but less frequent stomata and higher optical density of DNA than their normal diploid counterparts (2n = 26). Results also showed that individuals that escaped the duplicating effects of colchicine although treated, presented significant point mutagenic effects. Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA markers were used to evaluate diversity and similarities in populations treated with colchicine. Colchicine treatment generated differences beyond the levels of inter and intra-population variability. Contrary to expectations, colchicine-treated plants obtained by dipping in colchicine solution for 30 min did not contain more diversity than untreated populations.

Keywords: Gossypium arboreum L., Colchicine, induced ploidy, Cultivars, Mutagenic, RAPD markers, Variability

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