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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Corvallis, Oregon » National Clonal Germplasm Repository » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #184784
Title: MICROSATELLITE MARKERS IN BLUEBERRY AND THEIR TRANSFERABILITY TO CRANBERRY

Author
item Bassil, Nahla
item BOCHES, PETER - OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
item Hummer, Kim

Submitted to: North American Cranberry Research and Extension Workers Annual Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/20/2005
Publication Date: 10/20/2005
Citation: Bassil, N.V., Boches, P., Hummer, K.E. 2005. Microsatellite markers in blueberry and their transferability to cranberry [abstract]. North American Cranberry Research and Extension Workers Annual Meeting. p. 30.

Interpretive Summary: The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) - Agricultural Research Service (ARS) - National Clonal Germplasm Repository (NCGR) in Corvallis, Oregon, maintains a gene bank preserving more than 200 types of cranberries. Many cranberry cultivars were selected from native populations in the 1800s and early 1900s. The identity of cultivated varieties continues to be questionable due to the vegetative spread of genetic variants originating from seedlings or off-types. The scarcity of descriptors in cranberry also contributes to cultivar misclassification. In order to clearly identify these cranberries, we will develop DNA fingerprints using similar techniques that have been successful in blueberry. We identified ten blueberry markers that can determine differences in cranberries. We plan to continue and expand this research to characterize many cranberries.

Technical Abstract: A reliable method for genotype identification in cranberry is important to validate the trueness-to-type of cultivated varieties propagated by farmers and used by breeders in the development of improved cultivars. A well-characterized cranberry collection at the Agriculture Research Services’s (ARS) National Clonal Germplasm Repository (NCGR) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) will provide a source of true-to-type cranberry accessions. As more markers become available, a linkage map of cranberry will allow breeders to map genes controlling important traits and to identify seedlings that possess a trait of interest. Identification of individuals possessing the desired trait at the seedling stage will result in faster release of improved varieties for the US market. Many cranberry cultivars were selected from native bog populations in the 1800s and early 1900s. The identity of old and recently released cultivated varieties continues to be questionable due to the vegetative spread of genetic variants originating from sexual propagation of volunteer seedlings or off types and native clones in a bog. The scarcity of qualitative morphological descriptors in cranberry also contributes to cultivar misclassification. Molecular markers offer a direct estimation of genetic diversity through a determination of the differences in the genetic material itself. Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers identified variations between ‘McFarlin’ maintained at the NCGR and that grown in other areas. Such variants must be identified and characterized We developed microsatellite markers for blueberry (V. corymbosum L.) and produced unique fingerprints of 69 blueberry genotypes. These markers were also useful in evaluating the phylogenetic relationships in many Vaccinium species of the section Cyanococcus. Out of 31 microsatellite loci developed in blueberry, 10 amplified a product and detected variation in cranberry (V. macrocarpon Ait.). We plan to use these 10 Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) markers to fingerprint 48 core accessions of cranberry and to detect genetic variation in Oregon cranberry fields.