Exploring Genetic Variability among Mutant Accessions of Arabidopsis thaliana L.

Genetic diversity among 12 accessions of Arabidopsis thaliana possessing Pi transporter genes (Pht), compared to the related wild type, have been investigated using inter-simple sequence repeats (ISSR) and two biochemical marker systems; sodium dodecyl sulfate- polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and isozymes. ISSR fingerprints clearly distinguished the 13 accessions and differentiate between the wild type and its mutant accessions. The six primers revealed a total of 79 fragments, ranging from 5 to 23 bands per primer (average 13.16 bands per primer). The polymorphism ranged between 44% for (GA)8C primer and 100% for the other primers. The cluster of ISSR patterns reflected high polymorphism (90.7%). AG repeat was the most common among the targeted units because it represented by the highest number of bands, whereas, AC and GA repeats gave the lowest number. No distinct polymorphism was observed in isozyme and SDS-PAGE patterns where ACP produced only one monomorphic band. Biochemical results could not characterize any variable behavior for mutant accessions compared to wild type even in the presence of three different members of Pht1 genes. In conclusion, ISSR markers are recommended for exploring genetic variability among different Arabidopsis mutants.