Genetic diversity of maize germplasm assessed by retrotransposon-based markers.

Maize is one of the most important crops and also a model for grass genome research. Transposable elements comprise over 78% of the maize genome and their ability to generate new copies makes them good potential markers. Interretrotransposon-amplified polymorphism (IRAP) and retrotransposon microsatellite amplified polymorphism (REMAP) protocols were used for the first time in maize to study the genetic variability between maize cultivars. Ten PCR primers were selected based on a systematic analysis of the sequence conservation in the extremities of different high copy number transposable elements, whereas one primer was chosen based on a microsatellite sequence. Of the 16 primer combinations tested, 14 produced polymorphic bands. These markers were used to identify genetic similarity among 20 maize cultivars selected by their different kernel oil content. Genetic similarity analysis was performed based on the polymorphic band profiles and dendrograms were developed by the unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic averages. Clustering technique revealed that samples were grouped into three clusters that differed in their kernel oil content and size, and in their relative embryo size. In the current investigation, there is evidence that IRAP/REMAP may be useful as markers in maize.