A SIMPLE AND ROBUST APPROACH FOR GENOTYPING IN MUSACEAE

Banana and plantain (Musa spp.) are seed-sterile vegetatively propagated crops, which originated as intraspecific hybrids of Musa acuminate and interspecific hybrids between M. acuminate and Musa balbisiana. The rich genetic diversity of this crop is, however, endangered by diseases, adverse environmental conditions and changing farming practices. To set up an efficient and effective strategy for breeding improved banana cultivars and support the choice of crossing-parents, a solid understanding of the genetic diversity of available resources is needed, underlining the need for characterization and conservation of this genetic diversity. With the aim to provide a simple and robust approach for genotyping in Musa, we have developed an optimized genotyping platform using SSR markers. The genotyping system is based on 19 microsatellite loci, originally developed by CIRAD, which are scored using fluorescently labeled primers and high-throughput capillary electrophoresis separation with high resolution. The knowledge gained during the course of this study is used by the Musa Genotyping Centre, which serves the Musa research and breeding community by determining DNA ploidy and SSR profiles of unknown samples. The Centre operates on a cost-recovery basis and guarantees that all analyses are performed under strictly controlled conditions, enabling direct comparison of various accessions from different parts of the world.