A comparative study on DNA amount of diploid and autotetraploid plantago media

A COMPARATIVE STUDY ON DNA AMOUNT OF DIPLOID AND AUTOTETRAPLOID PLANTAGO MEDIA (Ph.D Thesis) SEMA TÜLAY ÖNER GAZI UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY February, 1997 ABSTRACT This study is first to reveal DNA analysis not only in different ploidy levels of P. media, but also in genus Plantago. DNA amount data support the autotetraploid nature of P. media. Mean DNA value of diploids was found to be 9.05 ± 0.49 pg. Results suggest that, diploids are variable in their DNA amounts. In autotetraploids, mean DNA amount was obderved to be 15.57± 027 pg. This figure was found to be 1.72 times higher than the mean value of diploid progenitors. Autotetraploids were less variable in their DNA amounts in comparison with diploids. Mean DNA amount in induced tetraploids was estimated as 18.10±0.27 pg being very close to the expected value (18.23 pg). A comparison was made on mean DNA values of induced tetraploids with diploids and autotetraploids and it is concluded that, the selection mechanism acts for reduction, but with a low variation, in DNA amount of autotetraploids.