Randomly amplified polymorphic DNA linkage relationships in different Norway spruce populations

We tested the constancy of linkage relationships of randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) marker loci used to construct a population-based consensus map in material from an Italian stand of Picea abies (L.) Karst. in 29 individuals from three Norwegian populations. Thirteen marker loci linked in the Italian stand did show a consistent locus ordering in the Norwegian population. The remaining 16 unlinked marker loci were spread over different linkage groups and (or) too far apart both in the population map and in this study. The limited validity of RAPD markers as genomic "hallmarks" resilient across populations is discussed. We also investigated the reliability of RAPD markers; only 58% of the RAPD markers previously used to construct the consensus map in the Italian population were repeatable in the same material. Of the repeatable ones 76.3% were amplified and found polymorphic in 29 megagametophyte sibships from three Norwegian populations.