DNA fingerprinting based on simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers in sugarcane clones from the breeding program RIDESA

Abstract

New varieties of sugarcane are protected using morphological descriptors, which have limitations in identifying morphologically similar cultivars. Development of a reliable DNA fingerprint system for identification of new varieties would contribute greatly to the breeding of these species. Microsatellite markers are tools with great potential to generate unique genetic profiles that identify individuals without the presence of errors. The aim of this study was to analyze molecular markers to assist in the protection of new varieties of sugarcane from RIDESA (RB varieties). DNA sequences containing microsatellites were extracted from the expressed sequence tag (EST) database of sugarcane and analyzed in 15 accessions. Markers showed a high number of alleles and low nonspecific amplification. For the three markers analyzed, the polymorphic information content showed high values and the genetic identity of all markers was 1× 10-6. Accessions showed an average genetic similarity of 0.46 and consisted of four distinct groups. Primers used in this experiment were able to discriminate all accessions of sugarcane analyzed, demonstrating the ability of the methodology to determine unique genetic profiles. Thus, DNA fingerprinting is a useful tool to aid in the protection of new RB varieties developed by the breeding program RIDESA.