PCR-SSCP: A method to fingerprint sequence variability in plant gene pools using the Iranian wild diploid Triticum

As a case study, the genotypic polymorphism of the Iranian material of diploid Triticum was screened based on internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) of the ribosomal DNA (rDNA) using single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis. This is a simple and cost effective technique for genotyping and investigating the allelic polymorphism among plant populations. Performing SSCP analysis among 21 accessions, two distinctive migration profiles associated with the two validly recognized diploid Triticum species i.e., T. monococcum subsp. aegilopoides and T. urartu were detected. Nucleotide sequencing confirmed the distinction of two types of observed profiles. This study suggested that SSCP is an applicable diagnostic molecular tool for screening the genotypic variability before the costly direct genomic sequencing is begun