Randomly amplified polymorphic DNA linkage relationships in different Norway spruce populations

We tested the constancy of linkage relationships of randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) marker loci used to construct a population-based consensus map in material from an Italian stand of Picea abies (L.) Karst. in 29 individuals from three Norwegian populations. Thirteen marker loci linked in the Italian stand did show a consistent locus ordering in the Norwegian population. The remaining 16 unlinked marker loci were spread over different linkage groups and (or) too far apart both in the population map and in this study. The limited validity of RAPD markers as genomic "hallmarks" resilient across populations is discussed. We also investigated the reliability of RAPD markers; only 58% of the RAPD markers previously used to construct the consensus map in the Italian population were repeat- able in the same material. Of the repeatable ones 76.3% were amplified and found polymorphic in 29 megagametophyte sibships from three Norwegian populations. R&urn6 : Les auteurs ont voulu verifier, chez 29 individus provenant de trois populations norvegiennes de Pica abies (L.) Karst., la stabilite des relations de liaison entre les loci de marqueurs d'amplification au hasard des polymorphis- mes de I'ADN (RAPD) utiiises pour construire une carte consensus de population a partir de materiel qui origine d'un peuplement italien de Ia m&me espece. Un groupe de 13 loci de marqueurs du peuplement italien a demontre un ordre similaire des loci chez les populations norvegiennes. Les autres I6 loci de marqueurs non lies Ctaient repartis entre dif-