Application of DNA Fingerprints for Identification and Genetic Analysis of Avocado

Abstract

Application of four DNA fingerprint probes to avocado (Persea americana Mill.) resulted in identification of various cultivars, characterization of the three avocado races, and a genetic analysis of family structure. Genomic DNA from 14 cultivars was probed with four DNA fingerprint probes. Three of the probes gave well-resolved bands. The individual-specific patterns obtained for each cultivar validate the use of this technique for definitive cultivar characterization, with the probability of obtaining a similar pattern for two different cultivars being 2 × 10-9. DNA mixes representing either Mexican, Guatemalan, or West-Indian avocado races were hybridized with the DNA fingerprint probes, and a band pattern characteristic for each race was obtained. Progeny of a cross between the cultivars Ettinger and Pinkerton were analyzed. Their DNA fingerprints revealed one pair of linked bands and another band allelic to one of them. The application of these observations to identification, evolutionary studies, and breeding is discussed.