RESUMO
Background: Prunus salicina L. is an important fruit tree species of great economic value which is mainly distributed in the northern hemisphere. Methods: 25 samples of Prunus salicina L. were collected from 8 provinces in China, Japan, USA, and New Zealand. The genetic variations of these samples were characterized by the random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and intersimple sequence repeat (ISSR) technique, respectively, and in combination. Results: Totally, 257 RAPD bands ranging 200â¼2300 bp was found, and 81.59% of these bands were polymorphic. ISSR analysis identified 179 bands ranging 300â¼2500 bp, and 87.74% of the bands were polymorphic. ISSR results showed that the similarity coefficient index between samples P10 (Maihuangli in Anhui, Chin) and P13 (Longyuanqiuli in Heilongjiang, China) was lowest, while that between samples P10 (Maihuangli in Anhui, Chin) and P15 (Baili in Japan) was highest. Combined analysis of RAPD and ISSR demonstrated that the similarity coefficient index between samples P4 (Qiepili in Ningbo, Zhejiang, China) and P13 (Longyuanqiuli in Heilongjiang, China) was lowest, while that between samples P19 (Laroda in USA) and P20 (Red heart in USA) was highest. Conclusion: RAPD combined with ISSR analysis can be used for genetic characterization of Prunus L. species.