Molecular Biology and Genetics
 

Plant Biotechnology

Electronic Journal of Biotechnology ISSN: 0717-3458 Vol. 12 No. 1, Issue of January 15, 2009
© 2009 by Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso -- Chile Received April 4, 2008 / Accepted October 16, 2008
DOI: 10.2225/vol12-issue1-fulltext-7
RESEARCH ARTICLE

RAPD analysis of seized marijuana (cannabis sativa l.) in Turkey

Emine Pinarkara
Department of Animal Sciences
Biometry-Genetics Unit
Faculty of Agriculture
Selcuk University, 42075
Campus, Konya, Turkey
Tel: 903322232811
Fax: 903322410108
E-mail: eminepinarkara@hotmail.com  

Seyit A. Kayis*
Department of Animal Sciences
Biometry-Genetics Unit
Faculty of Agriculture
Selcuk University, 42075
Campus, Konya, Turkey
Tel: 903322232830
Fax: 903322410108
E-mail: skayis@selcuk.edu.tr 

Erdogan E. Hakki
Department of Field Crops
Faculty of Agriculture
Selcuk University, 42075
Campus, Konya, Turkey
Tel: 903322232863
Fax: 903322410108
E-mail: eehakki@selcuk.edu.tr  

Ayla Sag
Institute of Forensic Sciences
Istanbul University
Istanbul, Turkey
Tel: 902124143000
Fax: 902125880011
E-mail: aylasag@yahoo.com

*Corresponding author

Financial support:The scientific and technical research council of Turkey (TUBITAK-Kariyer-104O547) and the scientific research coordination center of Selcuk University (BAP-07201006) are gratefully acknowledged for their supports.

Keywords: AMOVA, cluster analysis, individualization of seized marijuana, principle coordinate analysis, randomly amplified polymorphic DNA, UPGMA.

Abbreviations:

AFLP: amplified fragment length polymorphisms
AMOVA: analysis of molecular variance
CBD Cannabidiol
PCoA: principal coordinate analysis
PCR: polymerase chain reaction
RAPD: randomly amplified polymorphic DNA
RAPD: randomly amplified polymorphic DNA
STR: short tandem repeat
THC: D9-tetrahydrocannabinol
UPGMA: unweighted pair-group method using arithmetic average

Abstract   Full Text

Cannabis sativa L. is a multiple-use plant. However, its cultivation is strictly controlled due to its psychoactive nature and usage in producing drugs such as marijuana, and hashish. In this study, psychoactive type Cannabis samples, which were seized from 29 different locations of Turkey, were used. Interests were to identify the genetic relatedness of the seized samples and to partition molecular variance between and within populations. Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNAs were employed for analysis based on single plant material and bulked samples of them. Data were analysed via cluster and principal coordinate analyses (PCoA). Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) was performed to obtain variations between and within populations. Cannabis accessions were basically separated into two main groups by PCoA and cluster analyses according to geographical regions. One of them was made up of Cannabis plants, which were seized from mostly western part of Turkey (group 1). The other one was made up of Cannabis plants that were seized from mostly eastern part of Turkey (group 2). It is found that 20.23% of the genetic variation is due to differences between accessions groups while 79.77% of the genetic variation is due to between accessions within accessions groups. Compared to group1, group 2 showed more variation.

Supported by UNESCO / MIRCEN network