Abstract

In the present investigation, 25 lines of maize were analysed for allelic diversity using 15 carotenoids specific simple sequence repeats (SSRs) markers including gene targeted marker y1SSR. All the markers were found to be polymorphic thus able to differentiate different genotypes. Total of 66 alleles were detected across the 15 polymorphic loci with an average of 4.4 alleles per locus. Polymorphic information content (PIC), a measure of diversity analysis, ranged from 0.63 (umc 2047) to 0.83 (y1SSR). Jaccard’s similarity coefficient was found to vary from 0.16 (between CM-300 and LPP-1) to 0.65 (between Amar and Pragati). The unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) dendrogram generated using Jaccard’s similarity coefficients of SSR markers data divided 25 genotypes into two broad groups. Both the groups were further sub-divided into seven clusters. Molecular marker based diversity did not correspond to quantitative estimates of kernel carotenoids.

Keywords: Maize, carotenoids, SSR markers.