Genetic variation of halophyte New Zealand spinach (Tetragonia tetragonioides) accessions collected in Korea using an AFLP marker

This study was conducted to investigate the potential use of New Zealand spinach (Tetragonia tetragonioides) as a new vegetable crop which will be cultivated in salt-affected soils such as reclaimed areas. New Zealand spinach ecotypes native to Korea were collected across the Southern, Western and Eastern seashore regions of the Korean peninsula, among which fifty-five accessions were later further propagated and evaluated genetically by using an AFLP (amplified fragment length polymorphism) marker. Based on the AFLP analysis performed to uncover the genetic diversity of the collected ecotypes, enzymatic cleavage of the extracted DNA was implemented based on 12 EcoRI and MseI combinations. A total of 1,279 alleles (107 alleles per EcoRI and MseI enzyme combination) were successfully amplified, among which 62 alleles per enzyme combination were polymorphic (58%). The AFLP analysis indicated that the rate of genetic dissimilarity was 29% among the New Zealand spinach collections, which were clustered into the 7 genetic diversity group. This is the first report on the genetic variation in the genus Tetragonia, and the basic information can be applied to select parental lines for enhancing the segregation spectrum of the new halophytic vegetable plant grown in salt-affected areas.