Genetic Stability of Micropropagated Plantlets in Date Palm

Randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers were used to analyze genetic stability of the somatic embryogenesis-derived regenerants (R1-6) and mother plant in Iranian date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) cultivar Khanizi. Total genomic DNA extracted from in vitro fresh leaves of regenerated plants and mother plant was amplified using 10-mer oligonucleotide Fermantas primers. Four primers of the set A to J primers were selected which revealed polymorphism and gave reproducible results. The genetic similarity between the mother plant and the callus-derived plantlets was ranged between 94% (for R1, R2) and 83% (for R5). Cluster analysis by the unweighted paired group method of arithmetic mean (UPGMA) showed a single large cluster at an estimated similarity coefficient (90.2%).