Microsatellite-based assessment of fiveSolanum nigrumcomplex species and their progeny

The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of simple sequence repeats as genetic markers in five species of the Solanum nigrum complex found in South Africa as well as their progeny. Some of the primers developed for sorghum, tomato, pepper and potato were used. Twenty-nine random sets of primers were selected for screening and seven were used to amplify each of the parents and their progeny. The optimum conditions were not the same for the various primer pairs with annealing temperatures of 45, 50 and 55 °C for different primers. The genetic-distance value amongst the species and their progeny varied from 0.33 to 0.55, showing the close relationship between entries and confirming the fact that the Solanum nigrum complex is a group of plants very closely related, yet the parents and their progeny could be clearly distinguished. This marker system therefore was very effective in distinguishing closely related accessions arising from a similar pedigree and could be used for molecular breeding in this species.