Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers and its applications

In the last decade, the random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) technique based on the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has been one of the most commonly used molecular techniques to develop DNA markers. RAPD is a modification of the PCR in which a single, short and arbitrary oligonucleotide primer, able to anneal and prime at multiple locations throughout the genome, can produce a spectrum of amplification products that are characteristics of the template DNA. RAPD markers have found a wide range of applications in gene mapping, population genetics, molecular evolutionary genetics, and plant and animal breeding. This is mainly due to the speed, cost and efficiency of the technique to generate large numbers of markers in a short period compared with previous methods. Therefore, RAPD technique can be performed in a moderate laboratory for most of its applications. It also has the advantage that no prior knowledge of the genome under research is necessary.