Nuclear restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis was used to determine the wild diploid Arachis species that hybridized to form tetraploid domesticated peanut. Results using 20 previously mapped cDNA clones strongly indicated A. duranensis as the progenitor of the A genome of domesticated peanut and A. ipaensis as the B genome parent. A large amount of RFLP variability was found among the various accessions of A. duranensis, and accessions most similar to the A genome of cultivated peanut were identified. Chloroplast DNA RFLP analysis determined that A. duranensis was the female parent of the original hybridization event. Domesticated peanut is known to have one genome with a distinctly smaller pair of chromosomes (“A”), and one genome that lacks this pair. Cytogenetic analysis demonstrated that A. duranensis has a pair of “A” chromosomes, and A. ipaensis does not. The cytogenetic evidence is thus consistent with the RFLP evidence concerning the identity of the progenitors. RFLP and cytogenetic evidence indicate a single origin for domesticated peanut in Northern Argentina or Southern Bolivia, followed by diversification under the influence of cultivation.
The cultivated peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is an allotetraploid species with a very large and complex genome. This species is susceptible to numerous foliar and soil‐borne diseases for which only moderate levels of resistance have been identified in the germplasm collection, but several of the 81 wild species are extremely resistant to many destructive peanut diseases. Peanut species were grouped into nine sections, but only taxa in section Arachis will hybridize with A. hypogaea. Most of these species are diploid, but two aneuploids and two tetraploids also exist in the section. The first peanut cultivars released after interspecific hybridization were ‘Spancross’ and ‘Tamnut 74’ during the 1970s from a cross between A. hypogaea and its tetraploid progenitor. However, introgression of useful genes from diploids has been difficult due to sterility barriers resulting from genomic and ploidy differences. To utilize diploids in section Arachis, direct hybrids have been made between A. hypogaea and diploid species, the chromosome number doubled to the hexaploid level, and then tetraploids recovered with resistances to nematodes, leaf spots, rust, and numerous insect pests. ‘Bailey’, a widely grown Virginia‐type peanut, was released from these materials, and other cultivars are gown in Asia and South America. Alternatively, hybrids between diploid A and B genome species have been made, the chromosome number doubled, and cultivars released with nematode resistance derived from Arachis species. Introgression from Arachis species to A. hypogaea appears to be in large blocks rather than as single genes, and new genotyping strategies should enhance utilization of wild peanut genetic resources.
Peanut germ plasm consists of the cultivated allotetraploid species Arachis hypogaea L. and a large number of wild species, which are nearly all diploids. Our previous work indicated a very low level of genetic variability in American cultivars, as assayed by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis. Since American cultivars might represent a narrow genetic base, we expanded our study to include unadapted germ-plasm lines from the various South American centers of origin, Africa, and China, where considerable morphological and physiological variability has been reported to exist. Wild species of section Arachis were included in the evaluations since they show a high degree of variation when assayed by RFLPs. Three methods were used to assay for RFLP variation: (i) conventional RFLP analysis using random genomic clones from peanut and cDNA clones from peanut and alfalfa (Medicago sativa); (ii) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of random primer sequences; (iii) four-cutter analysis of PCR-amplified fragments. In all cases a very low level of variability was found in cultivated peanut, while abundant variability was present among wild diploid species. The results are discussed in terms of peanut evolution and significance to peanut breeding.Key words: polymerase chain reaction, Arachis hypogaea, restriction fragment length polymorphism.
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