PCR analysis of oilseed rape cultivars (Brassica napus L. ssp. oleifera) using 5' -anchored simple sequence repeat (SSR) primers.

Primers complementary to simple sequence repeats (SSRs) and with variable three-base 'anchors' at their 5' end, were used in PCR analyses to compare pooled DNA samples from various Brassica napus and B. rapa cultivars. Amplification products were resolved on polyacrylamide gels and detected by silver-nitrate staining. The resulting banding patterns were highly repeatable between replicate PCRs. Two of the primers produced polymorphisms at 33 and 23 band positions, respectively, and could each discriminate 16 of the 20 cultivars studied. Combined use of both primers allowed all 20 cultivars to be distinguished. The UPGMA dendrogram, based on the cultivar banding profiles, demonstrated clustering on the basis of winter/spring growth habit, high/low glucosinolate content, and cultivar origin (i.e. the breeder involved). Intracultivar polymorphism was investigated using a minimum of ten individuals for each cultivar and was found to vary considerably between cultivars. It is concluded that anchored SSR-PCR analysis is a highly informative and reproducible method for fingerprinting oilseed rape populations, but that intra-cultivar variation should be investigated before using banding profiles from pooled samples for the identification of individuals.