Genetic relatedness among Lansium domesticum accessions using RAPD markers

Genetic relatedness among 85 Lansium domesticum Corr. accessions from Peninsular Malaysia were investigated using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers. Ten primers were used for amplification and yielded a total of 113 bands, of which 107 were polymorphic. Homology tests showed that the RAPD bands used in the study satisfy assumptions of homology and non-allelic behaviour. A dendrogram showing genetic similarities among accessions was constructed based on the 107 polymorphic bands using UPGMA cluster analysis. Jaccard similarity coefficients ranged from 0.25 to 1.00 among accessions indicating a diverse genepool in the species indicative of different species parentage. The dendrogram separated the 85 accessions into three main clusters, one comprising 56 accessions which possess thin-skinned fruit (mostly Dokong and Langsat), while the second has 28 accessions (mostly Duku-langsat, Duku Terengganu and Duku Johor) with thick fruit skin and the third comprising only one accession, namely Duku hutan. Thus, RAPD analysis was a useful tool for determining the genetic relatedness among accessions and identifying different types of L. domesticum. (C) 2000 Annals of Botany Company.