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March 6, 2009
Source:
CropBiotech Update
Leucadendrons are a long-lasting
dramatic foliage, great for the hot northern hemisphere summer.
They are well cultivated in Australia and have high important
economic value as cut flower. The availability of molecular
markers for Leucadendron can be useful in assisting parent
selection and in increasing the efficiency of the breeding
program. A team of researchers from Udayana University, Bali and
University of Western Australia are working together to develop
the Leucadendron variety. Based on a molecular fingerprinting
technique called ISSR technique, three cultivar pairs were
identified to be similar.
In Leucadendron, the male and female flowers develop on separate
plants and sex identification is only possible at the time of
flowering. Using another molecular technique called "suppression
subtractive hybridization" in combination with a selection
technique, sex-dependent DNA fragments were identified. The
information produced provides a basis for Leucadendron variety
development and may be used to assist the design of
interspecific crosses, and identify cultivars and parents of
hybrids. According to the researchers, the results also offer
insight into likelihood of finding sex-specific markers for
genes controlling sex in Leucadendron.
More details are available at
http://biotechindonesia.org/ or email Made Pharmawati at
m_phar01@yahoo.com.
For other information on biotechnology in Indonesia, contact
Dewi Suryani at
dewisuryani@biotrop.org |
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