<span style="font-size:15.0pt;font-family: "Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-weight:bold;font-style:normal;mso-bidi-font-style: italic" lang="EN-US">RAPD markers for identification of sex in pointed gourd (<span style="font-size:15.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight:bold" lang="EN-US"><i>Trichosanthes dioica<span style="font-size:15.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US"> Roxb.</i><span style="font-size:15.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-weight:bold;font-style:normal; mso-bidi-font-style:italic" lang="EN-US">) </span></span></span></span>

Abstract

Fifty two sexual progeny of pointed gourd (<i>Trichosanthes dioica Roxb.</i>), raised through embryo culture, were used for identification of RAPD markers associated with sex expression traits. Genomic DNA from male and female progeny plants and from a parthenocarpic clone (IIVRPG-105) were extracted individually and bulked by sex type. Forty-one random decamer primers were screened with the three bulks and a total of 509 amplification products were obtained, of which five were found to be associated with sex expression. The five markers were then tested with individual plant DNA samples, and two sex-associated RAPD markers were identified. A 1000 bp amplification product from the primer OPC05 was found to be present only in males and absent in both the female and parthenocarpic plants. Similarly, a 400 bp amplification product from the primer OPC14 was found to be present only in female individuals. Another marker, <i>OPN01₁₀₃₀</i> was also identified, which was present in male and female plant but was absent in parthenocarpic line. The two RAPD markers, the male-specific <i>OPC05₁₀₀₀</i> and the female-specific marker <i>OPC14₄₀₀</i> together can reliably differentiate male and female plants of <i>T. dioica</i> long before the plants attain maturity and flowering.