Development of intron targeting (IT) markers for potato and cross‐species amplification in <i>Solanum nigrum</i> (Solanaceae)

Abstract

PREMISE OF THE STUDY: Intron Targeting (IT) primers were developed for potato using expressed sequence tags (EST) and NCBI database records to study genetic diversity. • METHODS AND RESULTS: Twenty-nine polymorphic intron targeting (IT) markers were generated and characterized from 30 samples of potato and 22 samples of Solanum nigrum to detect polymorphism. The number of alleles (A) per locus ranged from 2 to 7 in the analyzed populations, and the observed heterozygosity (H(O)) and expected heterozygosity (H(E)) from 0 to 0.833 and 0.750, respectively. All of the primers also amplified in the related species S. nigrum. • CONCLUSIONS: The developed markers will provide valuable tools for genetic diversity analysis, genetic mapping, and marker-assisted breeding of potato and related Solanum species.