Crop Science Grow Your Career with CSSA
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

Published in Crop Sci 22:786-793 (1982)
© 1982 Crop Science Society of America
677 S. Segoe Rd., Madison, WI 53711 USA
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Villamil, C. B.
Right arrow Articles by Sadowski, J.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by Villamil, C. B.
Right arrow Articles by Sadowski, J.
Agricola
Right arrow Articles by Villamil, C. B.
Right arrow Articles by Sadowski, J.

Isoelectric Focusing of Esterases for Fine Fescue Identification1

C. B. Villamil, R. W. Duell, D. E. Fairbrothers and J. Sadowski2

There is a growing need for a technique to validate identities of commercial lots of seed, particularly at the cultivar level. A technique that would aid in identification of species and subspecies of a genus such as Festuca would also be helpful. The purpose of the present work was to develop such methods.

Protein was extracted from ground and delipified seeds of cultivars or selections of known origin. Extracts were quantitatively added to polyacrylamide gel (with ampholite) in either rods or slabs and subjected to isoelectric focusing over a pH gradient of 4 to 9. After staining, up to 20 esterase bands. Isoelectric focusing on gel slabs provided a technique for simultaneous comparisons, both qualitative and quantitative, of band patterns of up to 18 entries side-by-side. Densitometric graphing aided in revealing consistent differences in relative density of specific bands, and made rapid identification of cultivars possible.

Environmental stability of esterase band patterns characterizing cultivars was demonstrated using samples from the same seed fields for 3 years and also from different fields each year. Neither year of production nor location of production significantly altered the isozyme banding pattern that characterized each cultivar. Species and subspecies among the fine fescues were shown to encompass cultivars having similarities in esterase patterns that differed from those of other subspecies. Those illustrated include Festuca rubra subsp. rubra, F. rubra subsp. commutata, F. rubra subsp. trichophytla, F. tenuifolia F. ovina subsp. duriuscula = F. longifolia, and F. ovina subsp. glauca.

We concluded that the esterase patterns developed were free from environmental influences and can be used satisfactorily for identification of fine fescue cultivars.

Key Words: Festuca rubra subsp. rubra • F. rubra subsp. cummutata • F. rubra subsp. trichophylla • F. tenuifolia • F. ovina subsp. duriuscula = F. longifolia • F. ovina subsp. glauca • Taxa of Festuca

1 Paper of the Journal Series, New Jersey Agric. Exp. Stn., Cook College, Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, NJ 08903.

2 Professor of botany, Univ. Nacional Del Sur, Bahia Blanca, Republica Argentina; associate research professor, Soils and Crops Dep., New Jersey Agric. Exp. Stn.; professor, Botany Dep., Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, NJ 08903; and Scientific Assistant, Inst. Plant Genetics, Polish Acad. Sciences, Poznan, Poland, respectively.

Received for publication May 11, 1981.




HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
The SCI Journals Agronomy Journal Vadose Zone Journal
Journal of Plant Registrations Soil Science Society of America Journal
Journal of Natural Resources
and Life Sciences Education		 Journal of
Environmental Quality
Copyright © 1982 by the Crop Science Society of America.