Download or read book Molecular Analysis of the Oil Palm Genome written by S. C. Cheah and published by . This book was released on 1997 with total page 8 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The commercially important oil palm, Elaeis guineensis, has a somatic chromosome number of 32. Karyotype analysis reveals it is a diploid. The 2C nuclear DNA content has been estimated to be approximately 2 pg., giving it a genome size of about 1,900 megabase pairs. We have analysed this genome using molecular probes.The use of restriction fragment length polymorphic (RFLP) and random amplified ploymorphic DNA (RAPD) probes has shown that there is limited variability within the guineensis species. Higher levels of variability were observed between this and the South American species, E. oleifera. The presence and abundance of repetitive DNA was demonstrated by hybridisation with simple sequence repeat (SSR) oligonucleotide probes. These molecular probes are currently being utilised in the construction of genetic linkage maps and for phylogenetic studies. [Authors' abstract].