GENETIC ANALYSIS OF RAPIDLY MULTIPLYING IN VITRO ANTHURIUM ANDREANUM BICOLOUR PLANTLETS USING RAPD TECHNIQUES

The seeds of Anthurium andreanum bicolour var agnihotri were made to germinate in Murashige and Skoog medium. A single good plantlet developed was further taken as explants and cultured in Murashige and Skoog medium supplemented with 2 mg/L of 6-Benzylaminopurine and 0.5 mg/L of naphthaleneacetic acid hormone concentrations. After 30 days the plantlets were transferred to fresh Murashige and Skoog medium with increases in hormone concentration with 4mg/L of 6-benzylaminopurine and 2mg/L- of naphthaleneacetic acid. The proliferated plantlets were maintained in this medium for 90 days. The concentration proved excellent proliferation of shoots in the plantlets. The multiple shoots obtained were transferred to four different media. Murashige and Skoog without hormones, Murashige and Skoog medium with hormone concentration of 4 mg/L 6-benzylaminopurine and 2mg/L- naphthaleneacetic acid, Scheck and Hildebrandt and Hildebrandt et al media was selected for and the plantlets was subcultured for ten cycles. Among these Scheck and Hildebrandt medium showed good response of multiplication. It is noted that the multiplications of shoots that were continued in the Murashige and Skoog medium supplemented with 4 mg/L of 6-benzylaminopurine and 2mg/L of naphthaleneacetic acid for 10 cycles showed further good proliferations. The plantlets from the four media concentrations and the plantlet chosen as explant were subjected to RAPD analysis to study any genetic variability. The plantlets cultured in the Murashige and Skoog medium supplement with4 mg/L 6benzylaminopurine and 2mg/L naphthaleneacetic acid indicated good variation in the band pattern, inferring that the plantlets have undergone mutation