Comparative analysis of cornus genotypes using restriction fragment length analysis

A study was undertaken to assess the feasibility of using Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphisms (RFLPs) to distinguish among species of the genus Cornus (C. florida, C. kousa and C. sericea) and among phenotypically similar cultivars of C. florida (C. florida 'Barton', C. florida 'Mary Ellen', C. florida 'Cherokee Princess' and C. florida 'Cloud Nine'). Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was extracted from each of these genotypes, restricted with different restriction endonucleases, electrophoresed, blotted and probed (Southern Hybridization) using homologous DNA probes cloned from C. florida 'Barton'.

Novel DNA isolation and gel electrophoresis procedures were developed for the DNA extracted from these genotypes due to lack of appropriate existing procedures.

RFLPs were found to be common among the different species tested. RFLPs were found to be quite uncommon among the cultivars of C. florida. However, two DNA probes did highlight RFLPs between C. florida 'Mary Ellen' and the other three cultivars and between the cultivars 'Cherokee Princess' and 'Barton'.