Genetic fidelity of micropropagated globe artichoke plantlets

In vitro plant propagation and maintenance could face genetic mutation occurring during in vitro phases. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the genetic fidelity in micropropagated plantlets of globe artichoke. Leaves from both in vivo (mother plants in the field) and from in vitro material (multiplicated shoots) were analyzed over two years to determine intraclonal variation and to evaluate the influence of the number of subcultures on the generation of somaclonal variants. In this study, the usefulness of two different DNA-based techniques, inter simple sequence repeats (ISSR) and simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers was evaluated, in assessing the genetic stability of micropropagated plants of six ecotypes. Eight primers were successfully used to amplify the DNA demonstrating a different ability to detect genetic variation. ISSR techniques are efficient markers in showing the occurrence of the genetic changes that occur during the micropropagation process of globe artichoke. We conclude that when the tissue culture technique is used, the analysis of somaclonal variability could require more than one DNA-based technique; different markers detect different genome regions and have different polymorphic ability, as our results showed for SSR and ISSR markers. The consequences on breeding activities of present results are discussed.