Knowledge of the genetic variability among genotypes is important for the transfer of useful genes and to maximize the use of available germplasm resources. This study was carried out to assess the genetic variability of 14 elite Coffea arabica cultivars using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) associated with a prior digestion of genomic DNA with restriction endonucleases. The accessions were obtained from the Coffea collection maintained at the Instituto Agronômico do Paraná (IAPAR), located in Londrina, Paraná, Brazil. Twenty-four informative RAPD primers, used in association with restriction enzymes, yielded 330 reproducible and scorable DNA bands, of which 224 (68%) were polymorphic. The amplified products were used to estimate the genetic variability using Dice's similarity coefficient. The data matrix was converted to a dendrogram and a three-dimensional plot using principal coordinate analysis. The accessions studied were separated into clusters in a manner that was consistent with the known pedigree. The associations obtained in the dendrogram and in the principal coordinate analysis plot suggest the probable origin of the Kattimor cultivar. The RAPD technique associated with restriction digestion was proved to be a useful tool for genetic characterization of C. arabica genotypes making an important contribution to the application of molecular markers to coffee breeding.
Coffea arabica; RAPD; restriction endonucleases
