Microsatellite DNA analyses of Ascochyta rabiei isolates

ABSTRACT Microsattelite DNA analyses of Ascochyta rabiei isolates I?DIRLIO?LU, Bilge Neşe M.Sc. in Biology Supervisor: Asst. Prof. Dr. Canan CAN September 2004, 51 pages Chickpea {Cicer arietinum L.) is cultivated in larges areas for many years in the Southeastern Anatolian region. Ascochyta Blight (Anthracnose), caused by Ascochyta rabiei (Pass) Labrousse is the most serious disease of chickpea worldwide. The pathogen affects all above ground-parts of the plant and causes important yield loses in conventional ecological conditions. In Gaziantep there was nearly 40% yields lose in last five years (Gaziantep Agricultural Directorate, 2003). Investigating genetic background of the host and pathogen must be the base of disease control studies in addition to crop breeding. The aim of this study was to determine population characteristics and to detect pathogen's genetic variation with polymorphism among A.rabiei isolates due to heterolog microsatellite primers. Discrimination of 120 isolates that are collected from several fields in the Southeastern Anatolian region, a priority area to research because of being the gene centre for chickpea, based on the morphological differences and 14 primers were used for DNA analyses. All parts of chickpea plants were found to be effected from the fungus. Isolates differed in their colony morphology and the microsatellite primer, (CAG)s, was detected to create polymorphism among isolates. Key words: Cicer arietinum L., Ascochyta rabiei, microsatellite markers u