Isozyme polymorphisms in eight accessions of sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor L. Moench)

Eight accessions of sorghum, collected from the gene bank of the Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (SARI) were characterised using their isozyme banding patterns. Crude protein extracts from the leaves of seven-day old seedlings were subjected to starch gel electrophoresis. The gels were stained to reveal the banding patterns of four isozymes: acid phosphatase, esterase, peroxidase and malate dehydrogenase. Esterase exposed seven banding patterns whereas peroxidase, acid phosphatse, and malate dehydrogenase exposed five, three and two banding patterns, respectively. None of the enzymes alone could be used to separate all of the accessions. Combining the isozyme data, it was possible to unambiguously distinguish all of the accessions. Similarity values indicated that most of the accessions are closely related. JOURNAL OF THE GHANA SCIENCE ASSOCIATION Volume 2 No. 1 (2000) pp. 93-98