Phylogenetic relationship and germplasm evaluation of different taxa of the genus Cucurbita using seed storage protein profiling

Abstract

Seed protein profiling of 34 lines of Cucurbita pepo L. from different geographic regions of the world were evaluated for their polypeptide patterns and their phylogenetic relationship with other taxa of the genus Cucurbita. Considerable variations were observed in the polypeptide patterns of various lines on the SDS-polyacrylamide gels under reduced conditions, i.e. seed protein extract with 2-mercaptoethanol. The variations were observed in five different molecular weight regions, i.e. in the range 64–70, 53–60, 30–41, 20–26 and 18–20 kDa. Cluster analysis showed 100% genetic similarity between C. pepo and C. pepo var. pepo whereas it is quite distinct from C. pepo var. texana and C. pepo var. fraterna. On the basis of electrophoretic profiling C. pepo var. texana and C. pepo var. fraterna should be considered as different species and also supports the origin of C. pepo from C. texana.

Keywords::

• Seed storage protein
• cucurbits
• globulins
• legumin
• Cucurbita pepo

Acknowledgements

Dr Candice Gardner, Research leader, US Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Research Station, NCRPIS, Iowa State University regional Plant Introduction Station, Ames, Iowa, USA is gratefully acknowledged by the authors for kind supply of the germplasm of different accessions of C. pepo and other taxa of Cucurbita.

Additional information

Funding

The financial assistance was provided in the form of University Research Scholarship to NPS by Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, Haryana, India.