Genetic Diversity of Some Potato Varieties per Biochemical and Molecular Markers

Abstract

As a globally important food crop, the potato ranks fourth in production, following wheat, rice, and maize. Currently, over 7,000 varieties, developed in the 18th and 20th centuries, are cultivated worldwide. At this stage of agricultural development, where the primary challenge is the creation of new crop varieties and the improvement of existing ones to meet growing population and production demands, both classical breeding methods and modern technologies — such as molecular markers and genetic transformation — are employed. This study investigates the intravarietal and intervarietal diversity of three valuable potato varieties cultivated in Armenia. Genetic polymorphism was assessed using protein markers (11S-globulin protein
profiles and electrophoretic spectra) and DNA markers (RFLP). The research utilized a combination of classical agronomic,
molecular biological, biotechnological, and genetic-mathematical methods. The results revealed that the 11S-globulin proteins in all studied potato varieties exhibit polymorphism, as evidenced by distinct electrophoretic spectra and protein profiles. Additionally, the DNA restriction fragment patterns showed varying lengths within the same variety, indicating significant intravarietal genetic polymorphism. These findings can serve as genetic markers for the identification and passporting of the studied varieties, as well as for marker-assisted selection in breeding programs.