Selection of DNA Isolation Method and PCR Protocol for the Study of Endemic Astragalus exscapus L. ssp.

Astragalus exscapus (Fabaceae) is a melliferous, perennial plant, which fits within a rarity type characterized by having small populations of relatively high habitat specificity. Astragalus exscapus L. ssp. transsilvanicus (Schur) Nyár., the endemic subspecies that we inspect, is considered vulnerable and needs special protection. In order to establish conservation strategies and to characterize polymorphism of the threatened subspecies, genetic and morphologic analysis will be implemented. Our study describes the application and development of SRAP procedures to A. exscapus ssp. transsilvanicus, including sampling, DNA extraction, PCR amplification and electrophoresis. Sequence Related Amplified Polymorphism (SRAP) molecular marker system is going to be applied to samples from eight different populations of A. exscapus ssp. transsilvanicus to identify the degree of polymorphism and to determine the survival potential of the subspecies. The results confirmed the suitability of the DNA extraction method to be applied and the optimal PCR protocol of the SRAP technique for large-scale studies we are performing on this vulnerable subspecies