CHARACTERIZATION OF TEA (CAMELLIA SINENSISL.) GENOTYPES GROWN IN TURKEY BY ISSR MARKERS

The aim of this study was to determine the genetic diversity of 18 tea (Camellia sinensis) genotypes and 6 varieties collected from different provinces in the Black Sea region of Turkey. DNA isolation was performed according to the CTAB method of tea samples. PCR was performed for all DNA samples with 59 ISSR primers. In order to determine the genetic relationship between tea genotypes among these primers, 15 polymorphic ISSR primers were used. At the end of the PCR procedures, the polymorphism rate was determined as 77% from the bands formed. As a result of the analysis of products obtained by PCR studies, 109 bands were obtained in ISSR primers. The obtained bands were scored as presence (1) and absence (0) and their files were created. A genetic relation dendrogram was formed according to the obtained band results. Genetic diversity of tea genotypes and varieties of the Black Sea region was determined by molecular markers.