Molecular Characterization of Local Bengkulu Ambon Banana Through Chloroplast Simple Sequence Repeats (SSR) Markers

This study aimed to explore the genetic diversity and molecular relationships of different genotypes of locally cultivated Bengkulu Ambon bananas. The investigation involved the utilization of chloroplast SSR markers and PCR techniques with 12 primers to examine 29 samples of Ambon bananas. The findings revealed monomorphic (uniform pattern) and polymorphic (varying patterns) DNA bands within the samples. In almost all samples, the monomorphic band pattern was found to be dominant at around 450 base pairs. Meanwhile, in 500 base pairs (primer 4), two different monomorphs were found.Additionally, primers 8 and 11 demonstrated multiple fragment band patterns, indicating the presence of polymorphism among the samples. The results of the dendogram analysis show that the level of similarity of all samples is relatively high. However, there are groups that represent genetic diversity. At a similarity level of 0.82 there are three clusters, four clusters at 0.85, seven clusters at 0.9 and so on. Of the 29 accessions studied, it is known that there are 11 samples that are completely genetically similar. This study provides valuable insights into the genetic diversity and relationships among locally cultivated Bengkulu Ambon bananas. The findings contribute to the existing knowledge regarding the molecular characteristics of these bananas and hold significance for conservation and breeding initiatives.