A Study on the Genetic Variation in Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) Iran by Molecular DNA Markers (RAPD)

Thirty ecotypes of licorice (a medicinal plant) from all of Iran were collected and genetically evaluated. To assess the genetic diversity of licorice, genomic DNA was extracted using Winnepenninckx method (CTAB method). 12 random primers were used to perform PCR. All 12 primers showed obvious and repeatable bands. Totally, 1343 bands were produced. Bands size varied from 250 to 5000 bp. Percentage of polymorphism and polymorphic loci was 88.83% and 95.5%, respectively. The highest number of band was related to primer OPN-08 (band 188). The highest similarity between Esfaraien and Bojnourd ecotypes is equal to 0.647. Kermanshah and Orumieh ecotypes had the lowest similarity that was 0.3. Dendrogram divided 30 ecotypes into 5 groups in terms of genetic distance. Generally, surveying the variation in genotypes of licorice using RAPD marker showed that this marker can be useful in identifying the polymorphism, estimating the genetic distance, and managing germplasm.