Relationships among Morphological Characters, Isozymes Polymorphism and DNA Variability – the Impact on Lactuca Germplasm Taxonomy

Abstract

Fifty one accessions of nineteen Lactuca species, the hybrid L. serriola × L. sativa and the related species Mycelis muralis were evaluated for morphological variability, esterase (EST) polymorphism, Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) and relative DNA content. Sixteen Lactuca accessions were classified taxonomically on the basis of morphology, isozyme analysis and AFLP. Twenty-eight bands (isoforms) of EST were recorded allowing 82% of accessions to be distinguished. The relative DNA content, measured using flow-cytometry (DAPI staining), ranged from 2.02 pg in L. capensis to 17.96 pg in L. canadensis. The results from AFLP analysis and the relative DNA content measurement corresponded well with recent taxonomic classification of the genus Lactuca.