Detection of androclonal variation in anther-cultured rice lines using rapds

Summary Random amplified polymorphic DNA analysis was used to determine the occurrence and extent of variation in rice (Oryza sativa L.) plants regenerated from anther culture. Androclonal variation in morphologically uniform progenies was detected using 40 10-mer oligonueleotide arbitrary primers. Among 27 plants from nine anther culture-derived lines, variation was detected in three plants from two lines by two primers, namely UBC 160 and UBC 209. Primer UBC 160 amplified a polymorphic band on one of the three progenies from DH-34, while UBC 209 detected polymorphisms on two out of three progenies from line DH-58. Apart from these, the amplification produets were monomorphic across all the regenerants from anther culture-derived plants. Out of 40 tested primers, no difference in the banding pattern was observed in three seed-derived plants. The significance of possible androclonal variation at the DNA level in rice doubled haploid breeding and genetic mapping is discussed.