Detection of Somaclonal Variations in Tissue Culture-Derived Date Palm Plants Using Isoenzyme Analysis and RAPD Fingerprints

Abstract

Isoenzyme analysis and activities of peroxidase (PER), polyphenol oxidase (POD) and glutamate oxaloacetate (GOT) and randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) fingerprints were used to analyze somaclonal variations in tissue culture-derived date palm plants. The frequency of somaclonal variations was found to be age dependent. Similar isoenzyme patterns for PER and GOT were detected in all analyzed plants. However, variations in activities of the three enzymes studied and in POD isoenzymes were detected. RAPD analysis showed genetic variations in approximately 4 % of the analyzed plants (70 regenerants). The genetic variations were only detected in 6- and 12-months-old cultures. It was observed also that all morphologically abnormal shoots showed genetic variations at the molecular level.