TRANSFERABILITY OF SSR MARKERS FROM POACEAE SPECIES IN PRAIRIE GRASS Bromus catharticus Vahl

CUYEU, ROMINA; BEJERMAN, NICOLÁS.; PAGANO, ELBA; ROSSO BEATRIZ; RIMIERI PEDRO; RÍOS RAÚL

Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japón.

Congreso; 5th Internacional Symposium on the Molecular Breeding of Forage and Turf; 2007

Prairie grass, is a winter annual or biennial grass, native of South America which is widely distributed in the Pampeana area of Argentina and also cultivated in temperate regions of the world. Morphophysiological and agronomic characters are usually used to described populations and cultivars of this species. Nevertheless, the use of molecular markers, which are not influenced by the environment, allows a more accurate assessment of genetic variability. Our group have been using RAPD markers as a rapid and inexpensive way for molecular characterization of prairie grass cultivars and natural populations (Puecher et al., 2001; Sellaro, et al.,2005) and a low level of genetic variation was found. However, RAPD markers have some limitations, they are dominant markers and have low inter-lab reproducibility, hence alternative markers can be explored. Simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers are a valuable tool suitable for many genetic studies but their initial development is costly, time consuming and labor intensive. So, the application of existing SSR markers from closely related species, is considered as an alternative way to obtain SSR markers in minor crops. Our objective was to transfer in B. chatarticus, existing SSR markers from poaceae species (i.e.Triticum aestivum, Zea mays, Hordeum vulgare, Festuca arundinacea, Lolium perenne and Bromus tectorum). PCR with a total of 123. primers pairs from aformentioned poaceae species. PCR products were separeted on 4% Metaphor agarose gels to detect SSR marker amplification. SSR primers were selected based in the generation of clear bands and amplification reproducibility. About, 24.4.% of SSR primers screened generated reproducible fragments. Transferability of poaceae SSR markers to prairie grass was for each species of 20.6% (wheat), 12% (barley), 29.16 % (maize), 25% (tall fescue), 30% (rye grass), and 66% (cheatgrass). The SSR markers identified through this work could be used actively in B. catharticus and are in fact now being used in our laboratory for characterization of natural populations of this species.