Identification of Kentucky Bluegrass Cultivars with Esterase and Phosphoglucomutase Isoenzyme Markers¹

Abstract

Starch gel electrophoresis was used to further extend the identification of Kentucky bluegrass cultivars. A total of 24 cultivars were examined for isoenzyme variation in esterase (EST), phosphoglucomutase (PGM), phosphoglucoisomerase (PGI), and glutamate‐oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT) using starch gel‐electrophoresis. Esterase and phosphoglucomutase patterns were varible among the 24 cultivars. ‘Baron’, ‘Fylking’, ‘Merion’, and ‘Newport’ were examined for isoenzyme pattern differences between seed and seedling materials. Differences of esterase isoenzyme patterns were found between the two kinds of tissues. Seeds of ‘Adelphi’ and ‘Glade’ harvested from different fields and years were examined for isoenzyme consistency and within seed lot variation. Variation within seed lots differed from seed lot to seed lot. If seedlings from a seed lot were mixed, a constant pattern of both EST and PGM isoenzyme systems was obtained for different seed lots of the same cultivar. Therefore the process of mixing seedlings allows the finger‐printing characterization for Kentucky bluegrass cultivars even if there is occasional segregation from sexual reproduction.

Isozyme Characterization of Kentucky Bluegrass Cultivars

“…2A) were similar to those reported by Wu et al (1984). For purposes of cultivar identification we divided the patterns into two sets of bands.…”

“…The specific components for the GPI, PGM, and TPI assays were described in Weeden and Gottlieb (1980). The Est assay was that of Wu et al (1984), and that for MDH was described in Ignart and Weeden (1984 The GPI phenotypes were the most complex of the isozyme systems studied. Our studies focused on the three most easily defined regions of polymorphism, designated 1,2, and 3 (Fig.…”

Chromosome number and isoenzyme variation in Kentucky bluegrass cultivars and plants regenerated from tissue culture.

“…A wide range of chromosome num ber variation between plants was reported within a cultivar named 'Windsor' and it was interpreted as a result of facultative apomixis (Wilton et al 1972). Other studies on genetic variation in Kentucky bluegrass cultivars based on isoenzyme characteristics (Wehner et al 1976, Wilkinson and Beard 1972, Wu et al 1984 showed that distinct isoenzyme differences were found between cultivars and the degree of genetic identity between individual plants within a cultivar can also be detected based on isoenzyme characters.…”

“…Isoenzyme analysis was used as a complementary tool to confirm the genetic identity among the plants. (Wu et al 1984). Therefore both enzyme systems were used for the present study.…”

“…A horizontal-starchgel electrophoresis (modified from Shaw and Prasad 1970) was used to separate the electrophoretic variants of the esterase and phosphoglucomutase isoenzymes. The application of esterase and phospho glucomutase isoenzymes and the procedure of starch-gel electrophoresis for Kentucky bluegrass identification was described by Wu et al (1984). Results and discussion ' Baron' and 'Merlon' cultivars showed different esterase and phosphoglu comutase isoenzyme patterns (Fig.…”