Molecular, C-value and morphological analyses of somaclonal variation in three olive cultivars

Abstract

The occurrence of somaclonal variation was studied in three olive cultivars (Olea europaea L.) by using Random 
amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD), C-value and morphological analyses. The tissue culture of the cultivars was 
performed using internode cuttings. The experiment was carried out up to the fifth and seventh subculture in 
different cultivars. Significant difference was observed in morphological characters among the regenerated 
plants of different subcultures in all cultivars. Grouping of the genotypes based on morphological data separated 
some of the regenerated plants from the others due to their morphological differences, however this was not 
correlated with the time period of subculturing. RAPD analysis produced polymorphic and specific bands in the 
genotypes studied. Grouping of the genotypes based on RAPD data revealed that in all cultivars the parental 
genotype and regenerated plants of the first and second subcultures are placed close to each other while the 
regenerated plants of the latter subcultures stand far from the other genotypes due to their genetic difference. 
No significant difference occurred in C-value in mother plants and the regenerated plants, indicating that genetic 
differences are mainly of nucleotide polymorphism/mutations and not due to quantitative change in DNA amount 
during tissue culture process.