GENETIC DIVERSITY USING RAPD MARKERS AMONG SELECTED SPECIES OF DESMODIUM FROM MELGHAT REGION OF WESTERN GHATS INDIA

Abstract

The genus Desmodium is an important member of family fabaceae and is represented by more than 27 species and majority of these species are nutritionally, medicinally and economically important. The species of Desmodium are used traditionally for treatment of various ailments and are also used as sources of food, nutritional supplements like oxidants etc. Six species of genus Desmodium (viz. D. triflorum, D. latifolium, D. dichotomum, D. rotundifolium, D. gangeticum and D. laxiflorum) available were collected from Melghat region of Western Ghats to study their diversity and relevance using RAPD markers. A total of twenty markers were used in the study. The results of diversity and relativeness were developed by calculating the presence and absence (Binary digit system- 1 & 0, respectively) of bands on Agarose gel. For every primer, the polymorphic information content (PIC) value was closer to 0.43. Using Neighbor Joining and the Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic Mean (UPGMA) techniques, the calculated and observed data was transformed into phylogenetic trees.In Neighbor Joining method six species analysed were grouped into two major clads (Clad I- D. triflorum, D. latiflolium, D. dichotomum, D. gangeticum;and Clad II- D. rotundifolium, and D. laxiflorum) and showed a type of congruency in majority of markers. In UPGMA analysis the phylograms obtained were diverse and showed a prompt change in the taxa positioning in different markers. It was concluded from the data, the Neigbour joining method to calculate the distance matrix and similarity pattern is reliable and specific. This was also concluded that the species of Desmodium has changed and diverging from each other with course of time, which is also reflected in the morphology of species.